Perfume of the Lady in Black Blu Ray Review

(aka "Il Profumo della Signora in Nero" or "The Perfume of the Lady in Blackness")

directed past Francesco Barilli
Italy

Sylvia Hacherman (Mimsy Farmer, FOUR FLIES ON Grey VELVET) is a young workaholic chemist living alone in an erstwhile flat building in Rome (the outside facade of which afterwards showed upwardly prominently in the Rome sequence of Dario Argento'south INFERNO). When she attends a political party with her geologist boyfriend Roberto (Maurizio Bonuglia, TOP SENSATION/THE SEDUCERS) for African university professor Andy (Jho Jenkins, SHAFT IN AFRICA), she is unnerved when the talk turns to black magic and human sacrifice. She is farther unnerved when she subsequently pricks her finger on a nail while playing tennis with Andy, Roberto, and neighbor Francesca (Donna Jordan, 50'Flirtation). When Roberto goes abroad for a week, Sylvia starts to have hallucinations involving her dead female parent and her perverted lover. Francesca drags Sylvia to a party where a blind psychic (Nike Arrighi, THE DEVIL'S Own) recounts the drowning decease of Sylvia'southward crewman begetter and the mysterious decease of her mother. Sylvia's apartment is and so invaded by a malicious younger version of herself (Lara Wendel, TENEBRE) who tells her that everyone else is evil and out to get her. When Francesca mysteriously dies, Sylvia retreats into isolation. When she discovers that her mother's lover Nicola (Orazio Orlando, POLICEWOMAN) has been spying on her, she believes the answer may lie in her traumatic past, but the solution may exist something more sinister and shocking.

Although she started out as an AIP contract player in the sixties, Farmer constitute much of her success abroad starting with Barbet Schroder's More than and George Lautner's ROAD TO SALINA. Having already played father-obsessed, paranoid neurotics in Dario Argento's

FOUR FLIES ON Grey VELVET and Armando Crispino'south Dissection, she was perfect for director Francesco Barilli's riff on ROSEMARY'S BABY (with a dash of REPULSION) and she'south upward to the job of this semi-1-woman-bear witness. Although Farmer shares the screen with an interesting supporting cast, the script dials back characterization on about of them since they are seen through Sylvia's distorted worldview (the film as well shows her friends, colleagues, and strangers she has encountered engaged in vague, sinister interactions outside of her sensation, but this may too exist function of her mirage). Oscar winner Nicola Piovani's score recalls Krzysztof Komeda'due south score for the Polanski film, weaving a lullaby that is anything but soothing throughout several cues in different arrangements. Barilli's only other genre directorial attempt PENSIONE PAURA is only bachelor on Italian DVD without English options (Barilli - along with Lucio Fulci - contributed to the scenario of Giuseppe Petroni Griffi's erotic thriller LA GABBIA/THE TRAP [1985] with Tony Musante, Florinda Bolkan, and Laura Antonelli).

Eric Cotenas

Posters

Theatrical Release: 29 March 1974 (Italy)

Reviews More than Reviews DVD Reviews

Comparison:

Raro Video/E1 Amusement - Region 0 - NTSC vs. Raro Video - Region 0 - PAL vs. Raro Video The states - Region FREE - Blu-ray vs. 88 Films - Region 'B' - Blu-ray

Big thanks to Eric Cotenas for all the DVD Screen Caps!

1) Raro Video/E1 Entertainment - Region 0 - NTSC - LEFT

2) Raro Video - Region 0 - PAL - SECOND

three) Raro Us - Region FREE - Blu-ray - THIRD

iv ) 88 Films - Region 'B' - Blu-ray - Right

Box Covers
Distribution	Raro Video/E1 Entertainment Region 0 - NTSC	Raro Video Region 0 - PAL	Raro Video USA Region Gratuitous - Blu-ray	88 Films Region 'B' - Blu-ray
Runtime	1:43:24	1:39:18 (4% PAL speedup)	1 :43:29.203	1:43:35.584
Video	1.84:1 Original Aspect Ratio 16X9 enhanced Boilerplate Bitrate: seven.25 mb/south NTSC 720x480 29.97 f/due south	1.84:1 Original Aspect Ratio 16X9 enhanced Average Bitrate: half-dozen.2 mb/s PAL 720x576 25.00 f/southward	Disc Size: 23,639,049,398 bytes Feature Size: fifteen,873,429,504 bytes Total Bitrate: xv.00 Mbps Single-layered Blu-ray MPEG4 - AVC	Disc Size: 32,842,486,201 bytes Characteristic Size: 31,324,557,312 bytes Total Bitrate: 35.00 Mbps Dual-layered Blu-ray MPEG4 - AVC
	Notation: The Vertical axis represents the bits transferred per 2nd. The Horizontal is the fourth dimension in minutes.
Bitrate: Raro Video/E1 Entertainment
Bitrate: Raro Video
Bitrate: Raro Blu-ray
Bitrate: 88 Films Blu-ray
Sound	Italian Dolby Digital 2.0 mono; English Dolby Digital 2.0 mono	Italian Dolby Digital 2.0 mono; English Dolby Digital 2.0 mono	DTS-HD Primary Audio Italian 2043 kbps two.0 / 48 kHz / 2043 kbps / 24-chip (DTS Cadre: ii.0 / 48 kHz / 1509 kbps / 24-fleck) DTS-Hd Master Audio English 2038 kbps 2.0 / 48 kHz / 2038 kbps / 24-bit (DTS Core: 2.0 / 48 kHz / 1509 kbps / 24-bit / DN -1dB)	LPCM Audio English 1536 kbps 2.0 / 48 kHz / 1536 kbps / 16-bit LPCM Audio Italian 1536 kbps 2.0 / 48 kHz / 1536 kbps / 16-flake
Subtitles	English, none	English, Italian, none	English, none	English, none
Features	Release Data: Studio: Raro Video/E1 Entertainment Aspect Ratio: Widescreen anamorphic - 1.84:i Edition Details: • PORTRAIT IN Blackness documentary (4:iii; 26:07 - in Italian with English language subtitles) • Managing director Filmography/Biography DVD Release Date: 2March 22nd, 2011 Amaray Chapters 12	Release Data: Studio: Raro Video Attribute Ratio: Widescreen anamorphic - 1.84:one Edition Details: • RITRATTO IN NERO documentary (4:3; 23:27 - in Italian with optional English language subtitles) • Director Biography/Filmography DVD Release Engagement: Amaray Chapters 10	Release Information: Studio: Raro Video U.s. Disc Size: 23,639,049,398 bytes Feature Size: 15,873,429,504 bytes Total Bitrate: 15.00 Mbps Single-layered Blu-ray MPEG4 - AVC Edition Details: � The Knight Errant (23:34) � Barilli (xv:30) � Trailer (3:22) Blu-ray Release Engagement: May tenth, 201six Standard Blu-ray case inside paper-thin slipcase Capacity 10	Release Information: Studio: 88 Films Disc Size: 32,842,486,201 bytes Feature Size: 31,324,557,312 bytes Total Bitrate: 35.00 Mbps Dual-layered Blu-ray MPEG4 - AVC Edition Details: • Theatrical Trailer (3:20) • Italian Opening and Closing Credits (2:24) • Reversible Sleeve with original Italian IL PROFUMO DELLA SIGNORA IN NERO artwork Blu-ray Release Engagement: June 26th, 2017 Transparent Blu-ray case within cardboard slipcase Chapters: 12

Comments

Note: The beneath Blu-ray captures were taken directly from the Blu-ray disc.

ADDITION: (July 2017) 88 Films Region 'B' - Blu-ray : 88 Films transfer is quite a significant comeback over the Raro. It has more than than double the bitrate and the resulting prototype is far richer, colors have more than depth and the grain texture is luscious and consistent. It looks very impressive and far more film-like than the weak transfer of the Raro. This is even more than axiomatic in-motion than in the static capture matches beneath.

Raro have a slight advantage with the audio going 24-bit over 88 Films linear PCM (16-bit) also offered in both English and Italian (with English language subtitles). Nicola Piovani's (Night of the Shooting Stars, Footprints) dramatic score still sounds clean and tight exporting some desirable Giallo-esque atmosphere. The 88 Films Blu-ray is Region 'B;'-locked.

Simply a trailer, the Italian credits (English language credits are used in the feature presentation) and the package has a beautiful reversible sleeve with original Italian IL PROFUMO DELLA SIGNORA IN NERO artwork:

The 88 Films Blu-ray , even with sparse supplements, is worth the double-dip indulgence, in my stance, as the Raro image was significantly flawed by comparison. An excellent Giallo - a case could easily be made to take information technology included in our Top fifteen Gialli on Blu-ray HERE. Admittedly destined for the 'keeper' shelf.

* **

ADDITION: Raro - Region FREE - Blu-ray April xvi' : Firstly, there are some compression artifacts and egregious racket equally Raro'due south 1080P transfer has a very low bitrate. They are quite poor and noticeable. The new BD image is much brighter with libation skin tones and we tin see some compression anomalies. Those sensitive to the weaknesses won't exist pleased. I call back this blockiness is actually unnecessary and yous could probably chalk it up to the minor transfer rate. We have seen this with Raro's releases before - see their Blu-ray of Love in the City (although that had unlike issues.)

Audio fares better with the choice of DTS-HD Master 2.0 channels (24-fleck) for both Italian (with English subtitles) and English. Dialogue is make clean and the post-product sync wasn't unacceptable for fans who are familiar.

Extras include a 24-minute short from Francesco Barilli entitledThe Knight Errant and a 1/four hour interview with the writer/director as well as a trailer for the film. This is a very watchable Giallo and fans will certainly enjoy the suspense but those sensitive to HD transfer inferiorities may find these visual weaknesses too unsightly to advance their appreciation.

***

ON THE DVDs: Never shown theatrically or released on video in the United States, Barilli's film was previously only bachelor to English-speaking audiences as grey market dubs of the movie'southward rare English-dubbed, Greek-subtitled PAL cassette release. The Italian arm of Raro Video released the film on disc in 2004 with English and Italian sound and subtitle options as well as an interview with director Francesco Barilli with optional English subtitles.

Raro/E1'due south DVD ports over the extras (minus the deafening Nocturno Horror Club logo) and audio options (merely drops the Italian subtitles) along with a higher bitrate presentation at film speed. The English subtitles on the Raro/E1 disc are smaller, thinner, and less obtrusive. The Raro/E1 audio seems louder (both discs' audio tracks have had some racket reduction with some faint hiss remaining). There does not seem to be any edge enhancement on either transfer. The Raro Italy transfer is a hair brighter, but the darker Raro/E1 version may be truer. The short booklet essay "The Perfume of the Lady in Black within the context of 1960's horror" is the same ane that appears in the Raro Italy booklet (which provides it in both Italian and English). The comeback may not be dramatic, but the Raro/E1 disc is a fine (and readily available) substitute/upgrade for the import edition.

- Eric Cotenas

DVD Menus
( Raro Video/E1 Entertainment - Region 0 - NTSC - LEFT vs. Raro Video - Region 0 - PAL - Right )

Raro USA - Region Gratuitous - Blu-ray