Friends, yesterday I was faced with a dilemma that most every horror fan is faced with at one time or another. It went something like this: like most every horror fan, I love Edwige Fenech. Yet, I have never seen
The Strange Vice of Mrs. Wardh (aka
Blade of the Ripper). Lo and behold, I came across a VHS copy of the USA release of the film, under the title
Next Victim. Now, I know that edition has about 15 minutes cut out of it (stupid America), but the wondrous DVD release is out of print and selling for approximately ONE MILLION DOLLARS. Okay, maybe $70. But still, even
I won't pay that much for a DVD. So. Do I pick up the VHS? Well, it was only two bucks, so yes, I picked it up. Now, however, I debate if it's worth watching. I suppose it is, but the entire time I'll wonder what I'm missing.
So there's my dilemma, which I guess isn't really a dilemma and honestly, I'm not sure why I shared it at all beyond, you know, how sharing is nice and the such. It does tell you what caused me to do the FENECH edition of AMPF, though, so I guess my lame story was worth something after all!
Wow, I either need a lot more coffee or a lot less.
PS - No, I didn't include
Hostel II because looking at the posters for it, they just didn't seem like it would fit in with all of these beauts. New vs old, everything was better back then, blah blah blah.
You can also watch The Strange Vice of Mrs. Wardh at the end of October at the Silent Theater in LA.
ReplyDeleteAh, well there you go. There are sooooo many great movies playing around the city next month- I need to make a schedule. Thanks for the heads-up!
ReplyDeleteThose Dr. Jeckyl posters both rock! The first because of the gnarly Mr. Hyde and the second... well, let's just say I like my heroine's dressed in lace and sticking they're butt out. ;)
ReplyDeleteItalian painted posters are, so, sooo cool.
ReplyDeleteI've seen a handful of her movies through Netflix, but that was ages ago; they don't carry a lot of them anymore. Some sneaky Netflixers out there...
ReplyDeleteI'm going to copy and paste - technology, ho! - the comment I left on your Facebook page to here because maybe then I can get twice the rec's! Anyway...
ReplyDeleteA hypothetical person I know in Canada hasn't seen enough of her movies. If this hypothetical person I know in Canada were going to seek out her movies, which ones should this hypothetical person I know in Canada see? Just hypothetically, of course.
But besides that, I really like the Hostel Part II poster with the image of my beloved Heather Matarazzo dangling upside down, I gotta say. The meat one too. They're def. a different vibe than these classic ones, but I think those two make for successful modern posters.
But they don't come close to freaking me out like that one with the melting eyes and warped screaming face thru the giant keyhole. JINKIES.
Ahhhh, 70's Euro-Goddesses.... Is there anything better? You don't see women like Edwidge Fenech, Monica Vitti or Barbara Bouchet on screen anymore.
ReplyDeleteWow, these are lovely, and possibly my favouite AMPF set so far, if only for the cohesive vintage euro feel of them all. That last one is very Mills and Boone.
ReplyDeleteMy favorites are the 3rd from the bottom (suuuuuuch a beauty) and 7th, the black All the Colors... with her and the hand.
ReplyDeleteI agree...Italian painted posters are scrumptious.
Also, "scrumptious" is a great word.
"They're Coming To Get You" is Basil Gogos showing us how it's done.
ReplyDeleteI really do need to settle on a username/ID... this "anonymous" crap just rankles my spleen. It rankles it, I tell you!
ReplyDeleteAnyway... I'm writing to thank (CURSE) you for showing me Poster #6, the one with the woman's face looking through the keyhole and mmmeeellttiiing...
That is soooo gross.
Her mouth. Distended. Has anyone ever used the word "distended" to discuss anything that's NOT horrifying?
And her eyes...
oh sweet baby jesus, her eyyyyyyes...
You should defintely see it on the big screen. I love this film. (I own the DVD... nya!)
ReplyDeleteDaaaaammn you Wilsoooonnnnnn! I think I'm going to hold off on watching the VHS for now and wait for the Cinefamily screening...or until I cat burgle you.
ReplyDeleteWait, pretend you didn't read that last part.
The Strange Vice... was the first giallo I ever saw. Also one of my favorite movies ever.
ReplyDeleteThough I don't own the movie, I do have the soundtrack on vinyl. It's amazing.
I love Wardh and All the Colors of the Dark. "Un Delitto poco comune" was released in the US as "Phantom of Death". It stars Michael York as a pianist who moonlights as some sort of ninja, and might be a serial killer, but then gets his face burned and becomes the phantom of the opera. I swear to Christ.
ReplyDeletegod i love Fenech.
ReplyDeleteLove the posters, esp the Doctoor Jekyll one with the rolling pin & the All the Colours of the Dark one with the bloody hand.
Re the overpriced, OOP DVD of Strange Vice...
THe film is also available as Blad of the Ripper from MYA (this is sorta the same guys as NoShame, now that NoShame is defunct)
It's the same print of the film, with the English dub track and the Italian with subs.
It doesn't have the cool extras that the OOP NoShame version had, but you get a non boot copy of the film with a nice print with subs for about $20 i think.