Strangler Vs. Strangler

I had no idea what to expect when I popped STRANGLER VS STRANGLER into my blu ray player, but what I got was a bizarre slice of filmmaking from a region I have never experienced before. STRANGLER VS STRANGLER is a Serbian serial killer/dark comedy/quasi documentary about a man with the gnarliest of Opedil complexes killing women who won’t buy flowers from him, while a post punk musician becomes fixated on his crimes and lands a chart topping hit based off of them. To be honest with you, I was completely blown away by how much I enjoyed this movie. It is weird with a capitol W, the whiplash this movie gives you from its changes in tone is enough to break your neck, going from stark murders to goofy comedy, to the just plain bizarre. Taško Načić I have to single out in particular, he is incredible as the lead. With looking like the Serbian Peter Lore, he gives such a committed performance as Pera. The movie looks fantastic too, a real time capsule of early 80’s Belgrade. Writer/director Slobodan Šijan really knocked this one out of the park, I truly can’t think of another movie I’ve seen like it that nails these completely differing tones and styles and makes it all stick.

Mondo Macabro bring STRANGLER VS STRANGLER to blu in a really nice package for such an obscure movie, giving it the usual care that they give their releases. For such an obscure and low budget movie the picture quality is great. A new 2K restoration from its original negative, it keeps the movies natural grain but the details are all very clear, and there is really really vibrant colors, especially during its many night club scenes. The Serbian LPCM 2.0 mono is clear, no hiss or pops that I could hear, for such an obscure movie the presentation is really top notch.

Extras are a little on the lighter side, you have a critic commentary with Dejan Ognjanović and Igor Stanojević and an interview with the director. Also offered is an English language dub that was commissioned when of all companies Cannon acquired the film and sent it to TV. It is……something to put it lightly. I highly recommend starting with the original language track, easily the preferred way to watch.

-Billy Jarrett