The Death Walks Twice set is another homerun from Arrow Video. The two-movie collection, which should’ve been three if they included Forbidden Photos of a Lady Above Suspicion, are two examples of the giallo genre (which I’m still new to) and although a bit lengthy, both are entertaining
Death Walks Twice
(1971-72)
REVIEW NAVIGATION
The Movie | Special Features | Video Quality | Audio Quality | Overall
Genre(s): Horror, Suspense/Thriller
Arrow Video | NR – 108/102 min. – $69.95 | April 5, 2016
Date Published: 04/05/2016 | Author: The Movieman
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THE MOVIE – 3.5/5 |
| Death Walks on High Heels (1971) — 3.75/5
Nicole Rochard (SUSAN SCOTT a.k.a. NIEVES NAVARRO) is an exotic dancer who finds herself terrorized by a black-clad assailant determined on procuring her murdered father’s stolen gems. Fleeing Paris, in hopes of evading her knife-wielding pursuer, Nicole, with the help of charming Dr. Robert Matthews (FRANK WOLFF) after suspecting her boyfriend Michel (SIMON ANDREU) is behind it, arrives in England only to discover that death stalks her at every corner. Quick Hit Review: Director Luciano Ercoli isn’t as well known for the giallo genre with the likes of Dario Argento being the master of it but Death Walks on High Heels, which was actually the second of three movies Ercoli did, the first being Forbidden Photos of a Lady Above Suspicion (for some reason not in this collection), is a fun mystery-thriller. The film is probably a good 10-minutes too long but even so, the cast give great performances headlined by Navarro and the twists and turns make it more than worthwhile to check out. It also has some levity with an inspector providing some light-hearted comedic moments. Death Walks at Midnight (1972) — 3.5/5
Valentina (SUSAN SCOTT a.k.a. NIEVES NAVARRO) is a model who, in the midst of a drug-fuelled photoshoot, witnesses a brutal murder in the apartment opposite hers. But when the authorities refuse to believe that a crime has been committed, Valentina is forced to assume the role of amateur sleuth in order to unravel the mystery. Quick Hit Review: Death Walks at Midnight has been called Luciano Ercoli’s “masterpiece” and while it is technically better made in comparison with Heels, I wasn’t as enamored though, as before, Navarro is great in her role and plays a bigger part playing part victim, part investigator as she attempts to uncover a murder she may or may not have seen while under the influence of a hallucinogen. Although the film does meander a bit, the final scene saves the film making it fairly entertaining. |
SPECIAL FEATURES – 4.0/5 |
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Each movie (which comes on Blu-ray and DVD) comes housed in its own clear HD Keep Case. Both cases are contained in a sturdy slip case. Also included is a 60-page essay booklet with photos from both films. Death Walks on High Heels — 4.25/5 From Spain with Love (24:21; HD) – This interview with Director Luciano Ercoli and Actress Nieves Navarro was conducted at their home in Barcelona in 2012 as they talk about the movie, how it was made and the characters. Master of Giallo (32:33; HD) is a new interview that was filmed last year with screenwriter Ernesto Gastaldi where he discusses Death Walks on High Heels and how to write a successful giallo. Death Walks to the Beat (26:28; HD) covers the music with a new interview with composer Stelvio Cipriani as he discusses a lifetime of making music for the movies, including a look at his work on Death Walks on High Heels. Trailers (5:38; HD) Death Walks at Midnight – 4.0/5 Death Walks at Midnight: TV Version (1:46:04; SD) – This version of the movie contains footage not present in the theatrical cut. It’s in rough shape but still interesting to watch. Crime Does Pay (31:03; HD) is a new interview with screenwriter Ernesto Gastaldi reflecting on his career and on the movie, DWAM. Desperately Seeking Susan (27:54; HD) – This is a visual essay written by Michael Mackenzie exploring the distinctive giallo collaborations between director Luciano Ercoli and star Nieves Navarro. |
VIDEO – 4.5/5 |
| Both Death Walks on High Heels (4.5/5) and Death Walks at Midnight (4.5/5) both are presented in their original 2.35 widescreen aspect ratio and given 1080p high-definition transfers. In both instances, a fair amount of work was done with this HD transfer. Each movie is clean, free of dust marks, debris, artifacting, aliasing and other flaws. I did notice, in the case of Midnight a minor instance of a film scratch but it’s minimal and not distracting. |
AUDIO – 3.75/5 |
| Each movie comes with the choice of an Italian or English DTS-HD Master Audio Mono track but as a purist, I preferred the original language track (these English dubbings tend to be awful). In either case, the track is decent enough showcasing the classic music/score for the genre while the dialogue levels were generally clear though at times it does top out. There were no major instances of hisses or crackles so as with the picture, it appears some nice restoration work had been done. |
OVERALL – 4.0/5 |
| Overall, the Death Walks Twice set is another homerun from Arrow Video. The two-movie collection, which should’ve been three if they included Forbidden Photos of a Lady Above Suspicion, are two examples of the giallo genre (which I’m still new to) and although a bit lengthy, both are entertaining thanks in part to engrossing performances by Nieves Navvaro. The Blu-rays offer a nice array of bonus material while the video/audio transfers are both well done. |
Check out some more screen caps by going to page 2. Please note, these do contain spoilers.