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“THE STRANGE VICE OF MRS. WARDH” leads trio of international terrors on Severin Blu-ray; details & art

Friday, March 27, 2020 | Blu-ray/DVD, News

By MICHAEL GINGOLD

A giallo favorite is just one of three cult-fave horror movies from around the world that are coming to hi-def disc in May. Read on for the full details and the assorted cover art.

Severin Films has announced that it will issue Sergio Martino’s THE STRANGE VICE OF MRS. WARDH (pictured), the original Indonesian shocker SATAN’S SLAVE and the German-made HORRORS OF SPIDER ISLAND on Blu-ray as well as DVD May 26. STRANGE VICE teamed director Martino with co-writer Ernesto Gastaldi and stars Edwige Fenech and George Hilton a year before they collaborated on ALL THE COLORS OF THE DARK, with Fenech as an unfaithful diplomat’s wife stalked by a razor-wielding psycho. Newly scanned in 4K from the internegative, the movie will be accompanied by:

  • “Of Vice and Virtue”: Interview with director Sergio Martino
  • “Cold As Ice”: Interview with screenwriter Ernesto Gastaldi
  • “Vienna Vice”: Interview with actor George Hilton and Italian genre historian Antonio Bruschini
  • Archive interview with actress Edwige Fenech
  • Introduction by actor George Hilton
  • Audio commentary by Kat Ellinger, author of ALL THE COLORS OF SERGIO MARTINO
  • Trailer
  • CD Soundtrack (limited to 3,000 units, Blu-ray edition only)

SATAN’S SLAVE, written and directed by Sisworo Gautama Putra, was a game-changer when it first opened in Indonesia in 1980, and has inspired numerous Asian filmmakers since (including Joko Anwar, who remade it in 2017). The occult shocker about a teenager haunted after his mother’s death is scanned from the original negative, with these bonus features:

  • “Satan’s Box Office”: Interview with producer Gope T. Samtani
  • “Indonesian Atmosphere”: Interview with screenwriter Imam Tantowi
  • “SATAN’S SLAVE Obsession”: Audio interview with remake director Joko Anwar

The adults-only fright flick HORRORS OF SPIDER ISLAND was originally banned in Britain and released in the U.S. with its nudity deleted; this release will present both the complete uncensored version scanned from a dupe negative and the alternate American cut titled IT’S HOT IN PARADISE scanned from a pristine low-con print. The supplements are:

  • “The History of Spider Island,” With Prof. Dr. Marcus Stiglegger
  • Audio interview with actor Alexander D’Arcy by horror historian David Del Valle
  • Alternate clothed scenes
  • Trailer
  • Limited-edition slipcase (limited to 3,000 units, Blu-ray edition only)

The discs can be pre-ordered at the Severin webstore, which is also offering assorted bundles with extra merch like reproductions of rare original French Foto-Comics of STRANGE VICE and SPIDER ISLAND, an original STRANGE VICE T-shirt and a SPIDER ISLAND figure.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SJgST80bDCA

Michael Gingold
Michael Gingold (RUE MORGUE's Head Writer) has been covering the world of horror cinema for over three decades, and in addition to his work for RUE MORGUE, he has been a longtime writer and editor for FANGORIA magazine and its website. He has also written for BIRTH.MOVIES.DEATH, SCREAM, IndieWire.com, TIME OUT, DELIRIUM, MOVIEMAKER and others. He is the author of the AD NAUSEAM books (1984 Publishing) and THE FRIGHTFEST GUIDE TO MONSTER MOVIES (FAB Press), and he has contributed documentaries, featurettes and liner notes to numerous Blu-rays, including the award-winning feature-length doc TWISTED TALE: THE UNMAKING OF "SPOOKIES" (Vinegar Syndrome).