Malpertuis (1971) coming from Radiance Films

[bergman864]

Radiance Films will be releasing the 1971 horror film Malpertuis in October. The UK version is scheduled for Oct. 13th so I'm guessing the US version will be released a day later on the 14th.

BLU-RAY LIMITED EDITION SPECIAL FEATURES

• New 4K restoration of the film overseen by director Harry Kümel
• Audio commentary by Harry Kümel and assistant director Françoise Levie (2005)
• New interview with Harry Kümel (2025)
• New interview with author and gothic horror expert Jonathan Rigby (2025)
• Malpertuis Archive - an archival documentary on the making of the film featuring Kümel, actor Mathieu Carrière and director of photography Gerry Fisher among others (2005)
• Orson Welles Uncut - a featurette on the casting of Welles, including rare outtakes of the actor (2005)
• Susan Hampshire: one actress, three parts - an archival interview with the actress, including screen tests and contributions from cast and crew (2005)
• Archival interview with Michel Bouquet and Harry Kümel from Belgian television (1971)
• Jean Ray, John Flanders 1887 - 1964 - an archival interview with the source novelist and co-writer of Malpertuis (2005)
• Malpertuis Revisited - Harry Kümel revisits locations from the film (2005, 4 mins)
• Malpertuis: The Cannes cut - the rejected version of the film which premiered in Cannes (100 mins, SD)
• The Warden of the Tomb - Kümel’s early film based on Franz Kafka’s play (1965, 37 mins)
• Trailer
• Reversible sleeve featuring original and newly commissioned artwork by Time Tomorrow
• Limited edition 80-page perfect bound booklet featuring new writing by Lucas Balbo, Maria J. Pérez Cuervo, David Flint, Willow Catelyn Maclay, Jonathan Owen
• Limited edition of 3000 copies, presented in rigid box and full-height Scanavo packaging with removable OBI strip leaving packaging free of certificates and markings

Jan (Mathieu Carrière, Police Python 357), a sailor newly arrived onshore, is unsure about returning to land but makes the journey to visit his childhood home only to find it no longer there. He goes to Bar Venus and joins his friends but an altercation leaves him knocked out cold. He wakes up in Malpertuis, a gothic mansion presided over by his uncle, Cassavius (Orson Welles). All the inhabitants of Malpertuis are waiting for Cassavius to die and the opportunity to inherit his vast fortune. But Cassavius wishes anyone who inherits to stay there forever. Jan investigates as those who leave meet with mysterious deaths. Harry Kümel’s (Daughters of Darkness) phantasmagoria is a Matryoshka doll of fantastic ideas, realised with stunning photography by Gerry Fisher (The Exorcist III) and scored by Georges Delerue (Contempt). Newly restored and overseen by Kümel, it is released on Blu-ray for the first time in the world.

[RevolverOcelScott]

DoD already had a 4K release, kinda wish this one was a 4K instead.

[Driver78]

Originally Posted by RevolverOcelScott

DoD already had a 4K release, kinda wish this one was a 4K instead.

Department of Defense?

[RevolverOcelScott]

Originally Posted by Driver78

Department of Defense?

Daughters of Darkness lol

[defile959]

Originally Posted by RevolverOcelScott

DoD already had a 4K release, kinda wish this one was a 4K instead.

I can’t help but wonder whether it’s due to issues with the elements. If I recall correctly, when Barrel released the film on DVD a long time back, they encountered some issues along those lines too.

[RevolverOcelScott]

Originally Posted by defile959

I can’t help but wonder whether it’s due to issues with the elements. If I recall correctly, when Barrel released the film on DVD a long time back, they encountered some issues along those lines too.

It just stinks, because I wanna grab it, but I'm sick of these 4K scans getting ANOTHER release in 4K a year or so later. I don't think that's the case with this one, but it's just becoming tiresome.

[edmonddantes]

Malpertuis is Kumel greatest film IMO, but I mean im biased because malpertuis is my favorite film. I have the 2 DVD special edition, which looks really good for a DVD, but its definitely a film that screams for a 4k release, but other than that, I cannot imagine a better boutique in charge than Radiance.

I'm so excited, I cannot believe it. Its a masterpiece with Delerue score, Welles but the movie belongs to Susan Hampshire whos fantastic in several roles. Its like a feverish dream, or a nightmare rather. I do consider it a horror film, but its so many things, just like the house.

I think a lot of people are going to be amazed by this movie, and hopefully we'll have a harry Kumel boxset with all his belgian films like Monsieur Hawarden, that are also very interesting

[rip63]

Originally Posted by edmonddantes

Malpertuis is Kumel greatest film IMO, but I mean im biased because malpertuis is my favorite film. I have the 2 DVD special edition, which looks really good for a DVD, but its definitely a film that screams for a 4k release, but other than that, I cannot imagine a better boutique in charge than Radiance.

I'm so excited, I cannot believe it. Its a masterpiece with Delerue score, Welles but the movie belongs to Susan Hampshire whos fantastic in several roles. Its like a feverish dream, or a nightmare rather. I do consider it a horror film, but its so many things, just like the house.

I think a lot of people are going to be amazed by this movie, and hopefully we'll have a harry Kumel boxset with all his belgian films like Monsieur Hawarden, that are also very interesting

Yes, it's an amazing underseen gem. This release is a must-have. I still have the old 2-disc Barrel DVD set with the two cuts. The longer cut blows the other out of the water. And good to see this Radiance release has the outtakes of Orson being Orson. He's hysterically funny.

[JackyJacquard]

As this and Daughters of Darkness are in one of the thicker boxes, do we expect when it sells out Radiance would treat it similar to Planet of the Vampires by doing a ‘standard’ with a smaller booklet, before the actual standard edition?

Or was that a one-off?

[Richard--W]

Which cut is Radiance releasing?

The 119-minute director's cut or the 100-minute Cannes cut?

[dallywhitty]

Originally Posted by Richard--W

Which cut is Radiance releasing?

The 119-minute director's cut or the 100-minute Cannes cut?

Both, although the latter is SD only.