COLLECTOR'S CRYPT - THE CASE OF THE BLOODY IRIS (CELLULOID DREAMS 4K UHD)
What makes a “great” Giallo? Tropes like black-gloved killers, femme fatales, and logic-defying plots are all staples of the genre, but they don’t necessarily contribute to the quality of the film overall. Some of the most well-regarded Giallo, like Deep Red or Blood and Black Lace, offer up macabre mysteries punctuated by eccentric characters and some inventive kill scenes. They take aspects of noir, crime drama, and horror and put them all in a blender to create a killer smoothie of cinematic excess. Just like any other genre, some feel that Giallos are often too similar and as such, not as exciting. The casual fan may agree, but the die-hards know that Giallos offers just as many unique variations as any other genre and has heavily influenced some of the thrillers in the 80s to the present day. There is an argument to be made that Rian Johnson’s “Knives Out” is a Giallo, but we will save that discussion for another day. Newly minted boutique label, Celluloid Dreams, debuts their 4K UHD release of “The Case of the Bloody Iris”, a Giallo that may or may not ring familiar to casual observers. Is this newly minted restoration fitting like a slick, black glove on a killer's hand or does it falter under the flimsiness of Giallo-style storytelling?
WHAT’S IT ABOUT?
The gruesome murders of two young women send a shockwave of fear through the tenants of a high-rise apartment building. For photo models Jennifer and Marylin, it presents a welcome opportunity to move in together in one of the emptied flats.
But the aura of terror catches up with everyone and soon, Jennifer feels like prey, stalked and targeted by the gloved killer. As her paranoia grows, Jennifer suspects everyone--her fanatic ex-husband, her spinster neighbor, the lesbian from down the hall, and even her boyfriend. But she is determined to stay one step ahead of the depraved killer!
HOW IS IT?
“The Case of the Bloody Iris” (“Bloody Iris” for brevity) has all the hallmarks of a solid giallo film; a poetically worded title, a glove-wearing killer, eccentric detectives, and Edwige Fenech. It celebrates a time now over 50 years removed from our current day, one where funky jazz soundtracks provide the musical backdrop for what could now pass for sleazy Lifetime movies. “Bloody Iris” also harbors some of the same trappings that hold the genre back, such as wobbly 2nd acts that fail to maintain proper pacing. Nevertheless, “Bloody Iris” is a perfect boilerplate Giallo that fans of the genre should seek out even if it won’t win over anyone on the fence.
“Bloody Iris” is so textbook Giallo that if you were to describe the plot to anyone without giving the title is like looking for a needle in a haystack. Fenech plays Jennifer, a model who moves into the vacated apartment of a recently murdered model in a building where someone is killing a lot of these women off. As the film carries on, you get all the things you’d come to expect like police officers who are cartoonishly weird yet somehow perfectly capable. In this case, our detective collects stamps and even goes so far as to take one from a crime scene because of its rarity. You also get heaps of melodrama between characters flirting with each other and engaging in petty disagreements over shared ambitions. Jennifer is a model and lives with another model, Marylin, who is both her peer and competitor for career and love interests. These overly dramatic relationships are part and parcel with the laissez-faire world in which Giallo’s like “Bloody Iris” exist because they are more concerned with style than logic. To the film’s credit, the humor here is far less broad and more genuine than you get in most Giallo and that does help ease some of the unintended silliness.
Visually, “Bloody Iris” is a perfect example of why many love the genre for its aesthetic qualities. The pastel colors create an almost dreamlike look for these films where everything feels hot and sexy. Certain shots will cause you to go back and rewatch them because of how masterfully they are done, like an elevator keypad with the side profile of a man shot with perfect depth perception to create an illusory effect. Cinematographer Stelvio Massi knows what he’s doing, and uses the same psychedelic effects to display flashbacks of Jennifer’s ex-husband and their polygamous situationship, another trope of the genre. The biggest disappointment with “Bloody Iris” is that it suffers from the dreaded boring second act. The first act's pacing is efficient and fun which even carries into the first moments of the second, but then it gets bogged down in red herrings and melodrama. The ending is satisfactory, if not belabored, and overall “Bloody Iris” is a better-than-average example of Giallo that fans should own and curious parties may want to rent.
HOW DOES IT LOOK?
“Bloody Iris” is Celluloid Dreams’ inaugural release, and if this is what we can expect going forward we are all in for a real treat! Restoring old films on 4K is a tough business, and getting it right is as much science as art. Thankfully, this release is drop-dead gorgeous. The colors are so vibrant that they pop, and artifacts of wear are almost all but gone. Even better, the film retains a natural grain that doesn’t interfere with the integrity of the film’s age by overcorrecting color. From the liner notes, “This release’s transfer was scanned in 2023 at Cinema Communications Services, Rome from the film’s original 2-perf Techniscope camera negative in 4K resolution on a pin-registered Arriscan.” The 2160p picture quality comes with a 2.35:1 aspect ratio and images from the discs can be seen throughout this review and below.
HOW DOES IT SOUND?
Much like the visual elements, the audio ones for “Bloody Iris” are superb. There are only two audio options, both 1.0 mono DTS-HD and in Italian and English respectively. These audio tracks were also sourced from the original negatives per the liner notes, and the overall sound was quite full and delightful. Despite not taking advantage of more than one channel, there is still clarity and robustness that is only slightly hampered in parts with some pops and crackles.
ANYTHING SPECIAL?
As a new entrant to the boutique label industry, Celluloid Dreams certainly comes out swinging with its supplemental features. The one we took in was Drops of Giallo: Interview Featurette with Ernesto Gastaldo and Guiliano Camimeo. This newly commissioned interview brings together the writer and director of “Bloody Iris” to talk about their work on the film as well as their backgrounds. Gastaldo is quite an interesting interview in that he speaks candidly about how he and Camimeo drifted apart over time, while also discussing how frustrated he gets with directors who can’t direct a kill scene. Lamenting on how in other genres they let it slide that people die instantly from non-mortal wounds, but in Giallo, he always felt there was an emphasis on seeing people die slowly rather than immediately. One thing of note is that the majority of the interview is with Gastaldo with Camimeo only having the first 5-7 minutes. It is hard to know why this is, but using what Gastaldo shared it may have been because Camimeo wasn’t as keen on working in the Giallo realm, and it didn’t bring him as much joy. This could explain why his following directorial efforts were lighter in tone and more comedic. A full list of special features included with this release is listed below.
SPECIAL FEATURES:
“Flowers of Blood” Interview Featurette with George Hilton
“Marylin” Interview Featurette with Paola Quattrini
“Drops of Giallo” Interview Featurette with Ernesto Gastaldo and Giuliano Carnimeo (NEW)
Commentary Track (NEW)
Outtake Reel
Image Gallery
English & Italian Trailers
LAST RITES
“The Case of the Bloody Iris” is definitely in the mid-high echelon of Giallo films with interesting technical filmmaking and a pace that will keep most non-fans engaged. The overall presentation from Celluloid Dreams is outstanding with top-notch A/V mastering and some interesting special features which makes this release a must-buy for Giallo fans!
THE GORY DETAILS
Thank you to the fine fiends over at MVD ENTERTAINMENT for providing a review copy for the crypt! The Case of the Bloody Iris Limited Edition is available NOW and can be purchased via MVD DIRECT!
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