79 I vampiri

[Finch]

A mad scientist captures young women in Paris and drains them of their blood in service of an evil Duchess. Also known as Lust of the Vampire, Riccardo Freda’s I vampiri mixes the Bathory and Frankenstein stories to create its gothic tale, Italy’s first horror film. Made as a challenge by Freda at breakneck speed, cinematographer Mario Bava would complete direction and post-production of the film, adding his signature in the process. With its baroque imagery and stunning visuals, I vampiri forged the path for Italian horror and remains a landmark of Italian cinema history.

LIMITED EDITION BLU-RAY SPECIAL FEATURES

2K restoration of the film presented with Italian and English audio
Audio commentary by Tim Lucas (2023)
Thirst of Blood - a featurette on the making of the film with Fabio Melelli, Mario Bava and Dario Michaelis
Interview with Lamberto Bava
Interview with Leon Hunt, author of Mario Bava: The Artisan as Italian Horror Auteur (2024)
Trailers
Reversible sleeve featuring artwork based on original posters
Booklet featuring new writing by Roberto Curti, author of Italian Gothic Horror Films, 1957-1969
Limited edition of 3000 copies, presented in full-height Scanavo packaging with removable OBI strip leaving packaging free of certificates and markings

[What A Disgrace]

I would have preferred The Ghost, but its nice to see this film treated as its own entity and not just as a special feature to Black Sunday.

[TechnicolorAcid]

Watch Vinegar Syndrome shadow ban this like they did with Radiance’s other Riccardo Freda title. But anyways I’m excited to check this out as it’s always nice to find another Bava related title.

[Tuppence]

Specs updated, and these are the two major additions:

- Alternate presentation of the UK Lust of the Vampire cut, newly transferred for this release from archival materials courtesy of the BFI National Archive (1959, 66 mins)

- Alternate SD presentation of the US The Devil’s Commandment cut (1960, 72 mins)

[Orlac]

Specs updated, and these are the two major additions:

- Alternate presentation of the UK Lust of the Vampire cut, newly transferred for this release from archival materials courtesy of the BFI National Archive (1959, 66 mins)

- Alternate SD presentation of the US The Devil’s Commandment cut (1960, 72 mins)

Sweet!

[CSM126]

I vambeaveri

[TechnicolorAcid]

I vambeaveri

Not to be confused with I Robeaver

[Orlac]

Specs updated, and these are the two major additions:

- Alternate presentation of the UK Lust of the Vampire cut, newly transferred for this release from archival materials courtesy of the BFI National Archive (1959, 66 mins)

- Alternate SD presentation of the US The Devil’s Commandment cut (1960, 72 mins)

Al Lewis is billed for a contribution that you'd miss if you blinked - he is on screen for 10 seconds in the shadows doubling for one of the Italian actors!

[domino harvey]

Checked this one out after learning about Freda in conjunction with the MacMahonists (amusingly their skeptical publisher tried to stop them from bolstering the director as their latest “discovery” because he thought they were just trying to redux their rehabilitations of Matarazzo and Cottafavi), can’t say I found much of interest in it beyond the film’s mise-en-scene being heavily modeled on the Fox house style. Was really expecting to learn it was some kind of international coproduction with the studio’s input beyond the CinemaScope licensing, but apparently not

[Mr Sausage]

Didn’t Bava also co-direct the film?

Hard to imagine anyone getting worked up over Freda. He’s…fine. But he’s not particularly memorable among peers like Bava or Margheretti.

[MichaelB]

Didn’t Bava also co-direct the film?

Not officially - he was the cinematographer - but he took over directing at the very end when Freda had a contractual dispute of some kind and walked out on the project with two days still to shoot (out of a two-week schedule, so a bigger chunk than that might initially appear).

[nowhereisaplace]

In fact, I believe Godard references this MacMahonist tendency in his 1962 Cahiers interview - he mentions how it was hard enough getting people on board with Hitchcock and Hawks, but now he is being asked questions regarding Freda's genius, which he obviously feels pushes things too far.

[MichaelB]

There's very little question that the visuals in the film were down to Bava! With a two-week shooting schedule, I suspect Freda was happy to let him handle the lighting while he focused on the actors.