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MPAA Rating: NR Content Advisory: Violence, Adult Situations, Not For Children Movie Release: 1963 DVD Release: 08/01/2000 Format: DVD - Enhanced Wide Screen Letterbox for 16x9 TV Edition: Special Collection Audio Tracks: Italian Subtitles: English SwapaDVD Credits: 1 Number of Discs: 1 Run Time: 1 hrs 32 mins Studio: Image Entertainment Members Wishing: 4 Genres: Horror, Supernatural Horror See Also: Black Sabbath

This anthology features three chilling horror stories. "Il Telefono" is credited to Guy de Maupassant, although he never wrote such a story, and concerns a woman (Michele Mercier) receiving telephone calls from beyond the grave. "Wurdulak", by Alexei Tolstoi, stars Boris Karloff as an aging vampire who can only feed on those he loves. Co-starring Mark Damon and Susy Andersen, it is clearly the best story of the three. The final tale, "La Goccia d'Acqua," is falsely credited to Anton Chekhov. It features Jacqueline Pierreux stealing a ring from a corpse she is preparing for burial, only to be murdered by the old woman's ghost. The American version differs in four major areas: the print is shorter, the stories appear in a different order, there is a linking device with Karloff speaking directly to the audience from a foggy void, and Roberto Nicolosi's musical score is replaced with one by lounge-icon Les Baxter. The American release of the film is also missing a comic coda featuring Karloff riding on horseback (or is he?); this appears in most Eurpoean prints of the film, including Mario Bava's original cut. ~ Robert Firsching, All Movie Guide

Boris Karloff - Gorca
Michele Mercier - Rosy
Mark Damon - Vladimir d'Urfe
Lydia Alfonsi - Mary [The Telephone]
Jacqueline Pierreux - Helen Corey

Part of the Mario Bava Collection from Image Entertainment, this disc presents the director's trademark color schemes in an extremely well-balanced print. Some minor pixelation is evident, but vibrant colors persist throughout the film. It is presented in a widescreen anamorphic transfer (aspect ratio of 1.85:1) and the sound is in Dolby Digital 2.0 (mono). For this edition, the original soundtrack by Roberto Nicolosi has been restored and the audio is in Italian with English subtitles. The disc also features a thorough bio of Mario Bava by Video Watchdog editor Tim Lucas as well as a filmography. There is an incredible animated photo and poster gallery with over 80 images. The final feature is a theatrical trailer in widescreen and in Italian. It is great to see one of maestro Bava's finest films given this superb treatment. ~ A.R. Ferguson, All Movie Guide