Search - The Hanging Woman on DVD

Classic Example of the Genre

Michael E. Mitchell | Minocqua, WI USA | 02/15/2010

(4 out of 5 stars)

"Troma's release of "The Hanging Woman" is flawed, but probably this is the sort of film that may never get to feel the loving touch of the restorer. Right off, one may notice that it plays like a pretty low-quality VHS tape. After a bit, you will notice that the picture changes...this was clearly pieced together from various sources to present the film as completely "uncut" as possible. Who knows if this is actually every part of this hithertofore hacked-up film? It seems to flow pretty well, but there are a few apparent "lapses", which may simply be due to the bizarre directorial technique used in many such films! This is dubbed in English...that's it. Not other language/soundtrack/subtitle choice. IN MY OPINION, this is one of the most classic examples of 60s-70s Euro-Gothic (and by "Gothic" I don't mean rich, dejected whiners with the lastest shade of black fingernail polish who are REALLY afraid of the dark and would die of an apoplectic seizure before letting a real vampire come anywhere near them) genre. The buildings and their environs are spot-on, the various CATACOMBS we are treated to are deliciously creepy and usually well-lit (unrealistic, I know, but preferable to the UN-lit sets we sometimes see!), some of the characters have a tangible PERSONALITY(all parts are good-to-well acted, especially the kind've cool cat hero played by Stelvio Rosi's alter ego "Stan Cooper" and the wacky, blustery detective), there are instances of nudity and even semi-steamy sex, some keen NON-computer-animated GORE...and some really, really eerie corpses...dead AND living ones! From what I recall from the too-many-for-my-own-good Horror films I've seen, these are some of the coolest and most unique corpses I've seen. No they are not scientifically correct, no they are not super-Tom Savini style, but they definitely impress. This was some make-up artist's idea of turning living actors into very gruesome dessicated monuments to death. Not much gore drooling and flesh ripping for these revenants, just plain super DEAD good looks. Really elevates this film above the competition. Plenty of graveyard lurking and yes, Paul Naschy rolls his eyes as a gravedigger named IGOR who prefers the exact opposite of the HOT BABE that offers herself to him. Naschy is not a major character, however. AS EXCELLENT AS THAT ALL SOUNDS, though, this film suffers from pacing. It isn't nearly as bad as some such films, as it does have a lot sprinkled throughout to keep ones interest, but there were a few longish segments when I was tempted to hit the FF on the remote; I did not because the story is just intriguing enough to make you actually want to pay attention...and, yes, most of the mysterious happenings are explained (another cut-above other such films!). If you like ANY Euro-Gothic films, you will beyond any doubt like this one; you will want to watch it again, but upon subsequent viewings you'll know which segments to FF over! There is another full-length movie included on this, called "Sweet Sound of Death", but I haven't watched it yet...according to my research it has one of the main females from "The Hanging Woman", Dyanik Zurakowska(Polish?). It is from 1965, B+W, and about 87 min. long. The other bonus features I looked at are the trailer (pretty funny, with a female announcer intoning all the usual warnings of shock!), and a gallery of poster art and lobby cards, which is quite voluminous. Not a great movie, but quite ahead of most of the similar pack."