Given that there wasn't a thread started for this yet, I figured I'd do it. I received this set earlier this week and it is gorgeous. I bought it for Tragic Ceremony, one of my favorites, so I can finally retire the Dark Sky DVD—the other two I've never seen, but I'm excited to give them a go.
Quote:
MADELEINE:
Madeleine has just endured a traumatizing miscarriage. Finding herself increasingly lost in bizarre nightmares, she begins to question her life and happiness, taking refuge in extra marital affairs and unstoppable hedonism. But how long can she hide from reality before the brutal consequences of her actions catch up to her?
An eerie, sensual, and character driven mood piece which is highly reliant of unsettling dream sequences, Roberto Mauri's MADELEINE: ANATOMY OF A NIGHTMARE offers one of Camille Keaton's strongest performances, and co-stars Paola Senatore (Eaten Alive), Silvano Tranquilli (Legend of Blood Castle), and Pier Maria Rossi (The Messiah). Sumptuously lensed by veteran cinematographer Carlo Carlini (Autopsy), Vinegar Syndrome is proud to present the world Blu-ray debut of MADELEINE, newly restored in 4K from its original camera negative and presented for the first time in its English language version, with Keaton's original English dialogue finally able to be heard.
directed by: Roberto Mauri
starring: Camille Keaton, Paola Senatore, Silvano Tranquilli, Pier Maria Rossi
1974 / 102 min / 2.35:1 / English Mono
Additional info:
Region Free Blu-ray
Newly scanned & restored in 4k from its 35mm original camera negative
Commentary track with actress Camille Keaton & Art Ettinger
“Passport to Kill” - a brand new interview with actress Camille Keaton
Audio essay by film historian and critic Rachael Nisbet
Alternate Italian ‘Burning Baby’ sequence
Original trailer
Camille Keaton Still Gallery
Reversible cover artwork
English SDH subtitles
--
TRAGIC CEREMONY:
A foursome of young friends, enjoying themselves in the countryside, happen upon a secluded villa. Believing the place to be empty, they decide to investigate, only to stumble upon a grisly, in progress satanic rite. Barely escaping with their lives, it's not long before evil forces begin to torment them...
Best known for its bonkers, mid-film massacre, Riccardo Freda's (Iguana With the Tongue of Fire) Spanish-Italian co-production, TRAGIC CEREMONY is a gore heavy supernatural horror treat that dispenses normal logic in favor of ever mounting weirdness. Starring Camille Keaton, Tony Isbert (No One Heard the Scream), Luciana Paluzzi (Thunderball), and veteran Italian character actor Luigi Pistilli (The Good the Bad and the Ugly), and scored by maestro Stelvio Cipriani (A Bay of Blood), Vinegar Syndrome is excited to present the Blu-ray debut of TRAGIC CEREMONY, newly restored from its original negative.
directed by: Riccardo Freda
starring: Camille Keaton, Tony Isbert, Máximo Valverde, Luigi Pistilli, Luciana Paluzzi
1972 / 87 min / 1.85:1 / Italian Mono (with English subtitles)
Additional info:
Region Free Blu-ray
Newly scanned & restored in 2k from its 35mm original camera negative
Commentary track with film historian and author Samm Deighan
“Camille’s European Adventures” - an archival interview with actress Camille Keaton
Camille Keaton Still Gallery
Reversible cover artwork
English SDH subtitles
--
SEX OF THE WITCH:
The wealthy patriarch of the Hilton family has just died, and his heirs have gathered at the family castle to collect on their inheritances. However, it's not long before a black clad killer strikes, bumping off several members of the Hilton clan, in gruesome fashion. As the police begin their investigation, long buried secrets are revealed, including curses and connections to black magic.
An almost impossibly trashy mix of gothic horror, sex drama, and giallo overtones, Angelo Pannacciò's (Holocaust II) SEX OF THE WITCH is a gloriously perverse slice of Eurosleaze. Featuring Camille Keaton alongside Jessica Dublin (Toxic Avenger II & III), Franco Garofalo (Virus), and Donald O'Brien (Zombie Holocaust), Vinegar Syndrome presents the world Blu-ray debut of SEX OF THE WITCH, newly restored from its original techniscope negative and including nearly 10 minutes of additional, long lost, sex!
directed by: Angelo Pannacciò
starring: Camille Keaton, Jessica Dublin, Franco Garofalo, Donald O'Brien
1973 / 95 min / 2.35:1 / Italian Mono (with English subtitles)
Additional info:
Region Free Blu-ray
Newly scanned & restored in 2k from its 35mm original camera negative
Commentary track with film historian and author Kat Ellinger
Original trailer
Camille Keaton Still Gallery
Reversible cover artwork
English SDH subtitles
Would someone who has seen these films care to rank them? I've seen mixed reviews for them; Dull is often used as a descriptive term I just want an idea which one to throw on first.
Would someone who has seen these films care to rank them? I've seen mixed reviews for them; Dull is often used as a descriptive term I just want an idea which one to throw on first.
I would rank them:
Tragic Ceremony
Madeleine
Sex of the Witch
I decided my watch order based on their length, starting with the longest: Madeleine, Sex of the Witch, and then Tragic Ceremony. If you're planning on watching all 3 in one sitting, I'd recommend that order.
Would someone who has seen these films care to rank them? I've seen mixed reviews for them; Dull is often used as a descriptive term I just want an idea which one to throw on first.
I watched all three in the last 48 hours. Madeline is easily the worst and probably the worst movie I've watched in the last 12 months. Had a hard time getting through it. The best is easily Tragic Ceremony, but it does have a few points where it does get a little dull, but a certain scene in the middle of the film is pretty epic. Sex of the Witch is kind of the middle of the road. Liked it overall and is pretty much a giallo with a slight twist.
I watched all three in the last 48 hours. Madeline is easily the worst and probably the worst movie I've watched in the last 12 months. Had a hard time getting through it. The best is easily Tragic Ceremony, but it does have a few points where it does get a little dull, but a certain scene in the middle of the film is pretty epic. Sex of the Witch is kind of the middle of the road. Liked it overall and is pretty much a giallo with a slight twist.
I actually really enjoyed Madeleine.. it had me in a trance from the beginning and didn't let go...
I actually really enjoyed Madeleine.. it had me in a trance from the beginning and didn't let go...
Different strokes for different folks. I thought it was a poorly made film and outside of the opening as boring as it gets. I just wanted it to end which is the worst sign for a film. Still, if you enjoyed it, that's what matters.
Different strokes for different folks. I thought it was a poorly made film and outside of the opening as boring as it gets. I just wanted it to end which is the worst sign for a film. Still, if you enjoyed it, that's what matters.
I almost added ''different strokes'' to my initial post.
Sex of the Witch is the one I had a hard time getting through...
The best is easily Tragic Ceremony, but it does have a few points where it does get a little dull, but a certain scene in the middle of the film is pretty epic.
Yes, while love movie it`s a pity after ceremony it starts to drag little bit. Felt like scripter did run out steam and plotwise very little happens. Was quite amusing how little quartet talked about event they experienced.
Do like the ending when doc wraps things up for police.
Yes, while love movie it`s a pity after ceremony it starts to drag little bit. Felt like scripter did run out steam and plotwise very little happens. Was quite amusing how little quartet talked about event they experienced.
Do like the ending when doc wraps things up for police.
Yeah, I thought it was pretty funny that the Doc basically told the cops that a ghost just killed a bunch of people and if they wanted to stop it from happening again, they need to go after a ghost.
They're not blockbusters, that's for sure. I'm glad Vinegar Syndrome thinks there's 8000 people out there that want these unknown movies. I've had MADELEINE and SEX OF THE WITCH for years. But these are def for the die hard Italian giallo collector. V.S. thinks they've got 8,000 fans for these movies. I clicked the link to the eBay pages. Seems no one is too interested as the sellers don't seem to be selling any. That's who bought the majority of those 8,000 copies: retailers. You can't count the sales to retailers as "Omg! People really want these! Let's release more!" F Vinegar Syndrome. They started off being bootleg buyers/fans and all of a sudden became the purveyors of horror films? I thought their niche was old 42nd Street smut. Pffffft
They're not blockbusters, that's for sure. I'm glad Vinegar Syndrome thinks there's 8000 people out there that want these unknown movies. I've had MADELEINE and SEX OF THE WITCH for years. But these are def for the die hard Italian giallo collector. V.S. thinks they've got 8,000 fans for these movies. I clicked the link to the eBay pages. Seems no one is too interested as the sellers don't seem to be selling any. That's who bought the majority of those 8,000 copies: retailers. You can't count the sales to retailers as "Omg! People really want these! Let's release more!" F Vinegar Syndrome. They started off being bootleg buyers/fans and all of a sudden became the purveyors of horror films? I thought their niche was old 42nd Street smut. Pffffft
These sets aren't likely going to retailers... only a handful get their slips/boxes
Looking forward to seeing/reading more reviews. I'm going to keep this one sealed until then
Nah, rip into that thing, watch 'em and make your own judgements. Mine arrived yesterday, so that's what I'm doing tonight. I've liked too many films others have hated and hated too many others have loved to have a reviewer guide my actions. I don't know anything about these films, but I do like Camille Keaton so that's enough for me.
We meet young, pregnant Madeleine (Camille Keaton - Raw Force) as she sits by a pond, knitting a pair of booties for her unborn child. Suddenly, whispers feel the air from the nearby cane fields. They taunt and threaten Madeleine, sending her fleeing through the fields and into the woods. Reality turns into a nightmare as time falls into slow motion and several figures appear in the distance. The gap closes and the figures take the shape of several witches wearing clown wigs. Terrified she ran into a Jean Rollin film, Madeleine stops to fight the women who only laugh at her pitiful attempts. They claim her soul as their own. All of a sudden, a race car materializes. It and the driver are engulfed in flames. The witches cackle as they toss a baby-sized coffin into the fire. Madeleine can only watch in horror as the flames grow higher.
[Show spoiler]Director Roberto Mauri's (The Porno Killers) opening sequence is filled with beautiful imagery backed with a haunting melody that lays the foundation for a tale of the supernatural mixed with the harsh realities of mental illness and grief much like a psychedelic Euro-gothic or Let's Scare Jessica to Death. It's not. The elements of this fantastical sequence are quickly pushed aside to deliver an erotic drama with uneven results. The eroticism stems from Madeleine showing off her body, laying on the ground with a man or two, and rubbing another woman's thigh. The drama comes from the viewer as they struggle to understand why everyone acts like an alien from another world.
In-between the bouts of erect nipples and acts of cartoonish adultery are moments of fun entertainment. By that, I mean the level of fun depends on how hilarious you find random observations. The men and their fascination with speedos, teleportation, murder-by-hypnotism, frenetic saxophone playing (according to the subtitles), and random stripping are but a few choice selections. My favorite is the topless horseback riding scene taking place on a beach. The funky music and the way it's filmed is parody material. I'm certain that if the camera moved a little to the right, you could spot Chis Isaak wrestling around on the sand while crooning "Wicked Game".
The horrific opening and the strange life of Madeleine do culminate in a revelation that satisfies to an extent. Answers are given. Maybe a little too late as the viewer is left to draw their own analogy connecting the individual sequences of reality and make believe with Madeleine's psyche. It's asking a lot from the viewer, especially from a story walking the line between meandering and alluring.
Just finished Madeleine. I thought it was decent. Definitely weird. The twist ending was kind of clever. I still think Tragic Ceremony is a better film though—I'll have to watch Sex of the Witch this weekend. In the interview Camille gave on the Madeleine disc, she mentions that she never had a script for Sex of the Witch and that she and some of the other actors were as baffled and clueless as she was as to what the film was actually about—that alone piques my interest.
In Tragic Ceremony, mediocre acting (stupid characters), terrible editing. The script is stupid as if a schoolboy wrote. I was killed by the scene where the doctor explains the ending of the film A tragic waste of time.
Sex of the Witch. On the technical side, the most stupid thing is the editing. For example, at one scene Susan is alone with her boyfriend, he tells her "We have to make a decision." She tells him to stop talking, and then they start having sex.
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Camille Keaton in Italy Set from Vinegar Syndrome
I just want an idea which one to throw on first.
A tragic waste of time.
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