Gothic Fantastico is about the lesser-known pictures that came about in the 1960s boom of gothic horror in Italy. Directors like Mario Bava and films like Black Sunday were responsible for that explosion, but this set concentrates on the movies in that shadow, with a quadrilogy consisting of Lady Morgan’s Vengeance (1965), The Blancheville Monster (1963), The Third Eye (1966), and The Witch (1966). Each are vivid tales of the supernatural that explore deception, betrayal, and powers beyond comprehension.
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A young Franco Nero has his first leading role in The Third Eye, where he plays a young man attached to a domineering mother who disapproves of his choice of fiancée. Coincidentally, his fiancée tragically dies in a car accident, which leaves him alone with the family maid, who has always had a thing for him. But even she’s shocked when the fiancée’s sister shows up, who surprisingly looks identical to her sibling. Finally, in The Witch, a man named Sergio answers a newspaper advert for a librarian and finds an elderly lady needing assistance to translate some literature. However, he doesn’t bank on her stunning daughter Aura showing up. But is she really her daughter – and will he find a way out of this nightmare?
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The latter two are really fascinating pictures, with The Witch a supremely sexy flick that’s very much about gaslighting and manipulation. The Third Eye is the best film in the set, with a manic Nero taking on Norman Bates with his own mother issues and subsequent spree of doing terrible things, exploring the effect of both childhood and accident-based trauma on the psyche.
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Arrow have really outdone themselves with this set, not only on the choice of films but also the presentations and special features. Certainly all of the films deserve better reputations than they have, so this at least gives them a chance to get that. Highly recommended.
Gothic Fantastico: Four Italian Tales of Terror is out now on Blu-ray from Arrow Video.