When Kier-La Janisse’s book House of Psychotic Women came out in 2012, I had declared it one of the finest books on film I had read in many years. It has left a lingering effect even after a decade, and I will say is probably one of the greatest books on film to be released in the post-2000’s period. I know Janisse has a long working reputation with Severin Films, so it is good to see that the book being connected with them in the form of the House of Psychotic Women – Rarities Collection. This set collects 4 films that are analyzed in the book, restores them and adds extra features bringing them into further context.
The set opens with Identikit, an Elizabeth Taylor starring film that has seen some releases in the past, but none of this quality. The film plays well into some of Taylor’s repertoire like Who’s Afraid of Virginia Wolfe? And Secret Ceremony. Taylor plays a woman named Lise, who is planning a trip to Rome as the film opens. She meets people along the way and acts in a demanding and occasionally demeaning way. The film then begins to flash around to interrogations into her death, and back to sections of her in Rome acting strangely.
I won’t say this is Taylor’s most bizarre film, but it certainly charts among them. The film plays with a non-linear style that plays with Lise’s fate, but also showing us these episodic bits of her interactions with people in a demeaning way. The film was shot by Vittorio Storaro and as such looks gorgeous. I feel like this one will require multiple viewings to truly put together.
The 2nd film in the set is the Polish vampire comedy I Like Bats. I have to admit this is the first film in the set I put on, I couldn’t resist with a title like that. This is a 1986 film directed by Grzegorz Warchol and stars Katarzyna Walter as Izabela. Izabela works in an antique shop that is run by her Aunt, however, her interest is less antiques and more… bats. Izabela spends her nights in a dark wig, haunting the clubs of her city stalking people and drinking their blood. She would, however, prefer not to be doing this and living life as a regular person. This is something she only reveals to her counselor and doctors.
This one is a kind of light hearted oddity. There isn’t a typical vampire to be seen, and it’s more romantic and comedy oriented than horror. The production values are quite decent, and the film itself looks great. This one took me by surprise, and I wouldn’t be surprised if this one was a repeat view in the near future.
The third film, and the one I was honstly the most excited about was Luigo Bazzoni’s Footprints (on the Moon). Bazzoni is most known in genre circles for his classic giallo the Fifth Cord. However, this film might be his best (granted his filmography is sadly quite limited). The film stars Florinda Balkan (Don’t Torture the Duckling) as Alice, a woman who reports to her translation job only to be fired, for missing 3 days of work. She finds a postcard for a place called “Garma”, and has flashbacks to an older sci-fi film called “Footprints on the Moon. She decides to travel back to Garma to find the missing pieces of her existence. This is not a typical giallo, and if it came out 10-15 years later would be described as Lynchian. It’s more of an atmospheric mood-piece than it is a murder driven mystery. Still it’s just a brilliant affair, and Bolkan is wonderful in the role. Nicolette Elmi appears as a young girl that seems to know Alice.
Severin includes the US and Italian cut across 2 discs. Both are very much worth watching.
The final film in the set is the Jane Arden film the Other Side of the Underneath. The film is based on a stage play Arden had put on the year prior to taking on the cinema adaptation. The film itself was a collaboration between Arden and her theater group, and the film itself carries over a specific feeling of theatricality. It involves a woman with schizophrenia being brought to a remote mental hospital for treatment. As she undergoes treatment, everything appears real to her, but whether it is, or isn’t is constantly under question. This is a film that is as hard to describe as it is to review. But I will say it is an emotionally demanding experience, and a visual explosion that demands a viewers attention during its entire run time.
Severin presents all 4 films in their OAR (1:85:1 for Footprints and Identikit, 1:33:1 for Other Side…, and 1:66:1 for I Like Bats) Identikit and Footprints were restored in 4K, while the other 2 films were restored in 4K. The most well restored film in the set is Footprints with a clean very film like and exceptionally detailed transfer. All the other films look absolutely marvelous as well, but there are instances of print damage and age related material that do show up here and again.All 4 films have mono tracks and sound quiet solid with audio coming through crisp and clear.
All 4 films include a thorough and in depth introduction by Janisse. There are commentaries on every film aside from Other Side of the Undereneath. Interviews with cast members of Footprints, cast and crew interviews for Other Side of the Underneath. A featurette with a film historian on Identikit, outside of that Footprints and Other Side… include multiple versions. There are also trailers, TV spots and much more.