Rosalba Neri News # 25 - AMUCK ! Is Here On Blu-Ray

     
    It's been a long time coming for a decent looking uncut release of this weirdly preserve Silvo Amandio 1972 Giallo, but 88 Films have recently released their beautiful new region free blu-ray edition. Featuring an absolutely gorgeous scope transfer that forever banishes to the depths of a Venice canal those previous PD eyesores that we've had to endure, it lends a whole new appreciation for the film along with the added bonus of two of the most beautiful women in 70's European cinema in the presence of Rosalba Neri and Barbara Bouchet now both in glorious HD.

    In a previous post (which was based upon that sickly green/yellow cropped Eurovista DVD), I commented on how dreary & dismal looking the short sequences in Venice looked and it's amazing here what the difference is as we're shown an open, airy and sunny cityscape with blue skies and sparkling canals which now contrasts nicely against the claustrophobic setting of the house where the majority of the plot unfolds. Aldo Giordani's (ATOM AGE VAMPIRE) cinematography is finally given a worthy medium and with the heightened quality, I constantly felt the need to pause and gaze upon certain shots in the film or study the bric-a-brac filled home (and record collection !) of Rosalba and Farley Granger.
    Originally titled ALLA RICERCA DEL PIACERE (THE PURSUIT OF PLEASURE) it was re-titled AMUCK ! for its American release by distributor Group 1 who mounted a lurid hyperbole filled campaign including this classic example of how to cut (or CUT ! as the case may be) a trailer.
   88 Films disc includes both Italian and English audio options with the corresponding subtitles along with delightful newly produced interviews with Rosalba and Barbara and a Q & A with Barbara from the Manchester Festival of Fantastic Films in 2010.
   Available from the usual places including the fine folks over at Diabolik DVD this is already looking to be the release of the year - and plus we have the newly released 2 MALES FOR ALEXA Blu-ray from X-Rated, 99 WOMEN from Blue Underground (with CASTLE OF FU MANCHU just announced) and LADY FRANKENSTEIN coming later this year from Nucleus Films all of which make for a cavalcade of hi-def Rosalba in 2017.
   In the very near future Camera Obscura will be releasing its own version of AMUCK ! on blu with some added features and a bonus CD containing Teo Uselli's score (a portion of which was used in THE BIG LEBOWSKI soundtrack). Great times to be a Euro-cult fan !!