SHOCK
(1977)Director: Mario Bava
Anchor Bay Entertainment
SHOCK
(1977)Mario Bava was one of the finest horror directors of all time, a true pioneer in gothic elegance and innovative special effects. SHOCK represents the maestro's last theatrical release, and although it's not his best work, it's still an exemplary finale to a brilliant career.
Released as BEYOND THE DOOR II stateside, the plot focuses on the relationship between a young woman (Daria Nicolodi), her new husband (John Steiner, who previously played Joan Collins sleazy ex-lover in 1975's THE DEVIL WITHIN HER), and her son from a previous marriage (creepy little David Colin Jr.). The house they live in has a strange history: Daria's first spouse--a frenzied drug addict--died (or was murdered) there. The mysterious circumstances of his death cause a crisis for the family, as the house now seems to be cursed.
David Colin Jr., also appeared in BEYOND THE DOOR, a box office hit, causing Film Ventures to retitle Bava's film for U.S. distribution. Although the two films are totally unrelated, Colin Jr.'s character in SHOCK becomes possessed by his late dad, making him do rotten things to his mom, even suggesting incest between the two characters. Daria Nicolodi, with her offbeat good looks and rigid performance, can easily be declared as a top-notch scream queen, offset by her varied work in most of Dario Argento's best efforts. SHOCK also features Ivan Rassimov in a rather sympathetic role for a change.
SHOCK is rather ordinary as far Bava films go, but it's still full of fast scares and clever camera work. It comes out of the wake of possession films of the 70s, but also works as a precursor to inferior early 80s Hollywood pics like POLTERGEIST and THE ENTITY. Bava's knack for homegrown special effects is well documented in an interview with his son Lamberto, which is featured as a bonus on the disc. Lamberto (who looks like a heavier, bearded version of his famous pop) was assistant director on this project and gleefully recollects the experience. He goes on to explain how Mario contrived simple, yet outstanding effects without the use of CGI (computer generated effects), making his films far more interesting than anything produced today.
The film is nicely presented in the 1:85.1 aspect ratio, and is 16x9 enhanced, transferred from the usual clean source material that you can expect from Anchor Bay. The Dolby Digital mono sound aptly showcases the Argentoesque soundtrack by I Libra, a group formed by former Goblin member, Walter Martino. Other extras include bios on both Bavas and Nicolodi, the original Euro trailer (in Italian), and two U.S. BEYOND THE DOOR II TV spots, one that highlights a double-bill with John Bud Cardos' THE DARK. The film's soundtrack is also accessible in English, Italian or French with removable English subtitles. (George R. Reis)