Caltiki the Immortal Monster

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Ribs
Joined: Fri Jun 13, 2014 1:14 pm

Caltiki the Immortal Monster

#1 Post by Ribs » Fri Jan 13, 2017 11:55 am

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Arrow Video presents a collaboration between two giants of Italian cult cinema – Riccardo Freda (The Vampires, The Horrible Dr Hichcock) and Mario Bava (5 Dolls for an August Moon, Blood and Black Lace)!

A team of archaeologists led by Dr John Fielding (John Merivale, Circus of Horrors) descends on the ruins of an ancient Mayan city to investigate the mysterious disappearance of its inhabitants. However, the luckless explorers get more than they bargained for when their investigation of a sacrificial pool awakens the monster that dwells beneath its waters – the fearsome and malevolent god Caltiki.

Though Riccardo Freda received sole directing credit, a significant portion of the film was in fact the work of Mario Bava, who also served as its cinematographer and was responsible its striking special effects. Drawing on a diverse array of influences, from The Quatermass Experiment to the works of HP Lovecraft, Caltiki the Immortal Monster is a unique and unforgettable sci-fi chiller which showcases these two legendary filmmakers at their most inventive. Presented here for the first time in a newly restored high definition transfer, Caltiki shines – and terrifies! – like never before.

Special Edition Contents:

Brand new 2K restoration of the film from the original camera negative
High Definition Blu-ray (1080p) and Standard Definition DVD presentations
Original mono Italian and English soundtracks (lossless on the Blu-ray Disc)
Newly translated English subtitles for the Italian soundtrack
Optional English subtitles for the deaf and hard of hearing for the English soundtrack
New audio commentary by Tim Lucas, author of Mario Bava: All the Colors of the Dark
New audio commentary by Troy Howarth, author of The Haunted World of Mario Bava and So Deadly, So Perverse: 50 Years of Italian Giallo Films
From Quatermass to Caltiki, a new discussion with author and critic Kim Newman on the influence of classic monster movies on Caltiki
Riccardo Freda, Forgotten Master, an archival interview with critic Stefano Della Casa
The Genesis of Caltiki, an archival interview with filmmaker Luigi Cozzi
Archival introduction to the film by Stefano Della Casa
Alternate opening titles for the US version
Reversible sleeve featuring original and newly commissioned artwork by Graham Humphreys

FIRST PRESSING ONLY: Illustrated collector’s booklet featuring new writing by Kat Ellinger and Roberto Curti

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Ribs
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Re: Caltiki the Immortal Monster

#2 Post by Ribs » Fri Jan 13, 2017 12:13 pm

This looks like quite a tremendous package of features for a film I don't think very many people care about

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domino harvey
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Re: Caltiki the Immortal Monster

#3 Post by domino harvey » Fri Jan 13, 2017 12:15 pm

Ribs wrote:This looks like quite a tremendous package of features for a film I don't think very many people care about
I believe that's Arrow's mission statement

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tenia
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Re: Caltiki the Immortal Monster

#4 Post by tenia » Fri Jan 13, 2017 12:18 pm

I was thinking pretty much the same, and thought "that might be a way to try and push regular Arrow buyers to give it a try".
The same way they're putting an O-Card on Catfight.

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Banasa
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Re: Caltiki the Immortal Monster

#5 Post by Banasa » Fri Jan 13, 2017 1:06 pm

I believe they said before that they wanted to release anything Bava had a hand in directing. So this would include Caltiki. There are some rabid Bava fans out there, but I am more surprised they have a Blu ray of this while I Vampiri is just a bonus dvd disc on Black Sunday.

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tenia
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Re: Caltiki the Immortal Monster

#6 Post by tenia » Fri Jan 13, 2017 1:09 pm

I believe the issue with I Vampiri is that there currently isn't any material up to be properly released in HD.

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L.A.
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Re: Caltiki the Immortal Monster

#7 Post by L.A. » Mon Jan 16, 2017 1:00 pm

It seems some of the extras are from the decade old Italian DVD.

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L.A.
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Re: Caltiki the Immortal Monster

#8 Post by L.A. » Thu Apr 27, 2017 2:30 pm


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Ribs
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Re: Caltiki the Immortal Monster

#9 Post by Ribs » Thu Apr 27, 2017 2:48 pm

Love how even though the package was already totally stacked Arrow just threw on a second aspect ratio like nothing

I'm actually really interested in this entirely as a product of how big this release is; will probably pick it up at the next Arrow sale or offer.

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Gregory
Joined: Tue Nov 02, 2004 4:07 pm

Re: Caltiki the Immortal Monster

#10 Post by Gregory » Thu Apr 27, 2017 5:40 pm

Looks like a great release.

I always find it odd when films like this are marketed with copy suggesting that they're still terrifying. A movie about a blob coming from a lake in Guatemala with an over-complicated scientific backstory—still chilling in the 21st century. I just find it interesting that apparently it's just that unfashionable to sell things as camp anymore.

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knives
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Re: Caltiki the Immortal Monster

#11 Post by knives » Thu Apr 27, 2017 7:39 pm

Just because something is not scary does not make it camp.

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Gregory
Joined: Tue Nov 02, 2004 4:07 pm

Re: Caltiki the Immortal Monster

#12 Post by Gregory » Thu Apr 27, 2017 7:40 pm

Yes, that's true. I didn't argue that it's camp because all films that aren't scary anymore are camp. I was wondering about claims like the one that Caltiki terrifies "like never before." Is that credible? If the earnestness is sincere in a label claiming that a late '50s horror film like this one is as effective now as in the era it was made for (or more so), then I respect that, but it seems like perhaps it's described as such out of a desire to avoid camp connotations in marketing.

In this case it's likely related to building up Bava's entire body of work as an auteur, perhaps overshooting by claiming that Caltiki is chilling and terrifying—which maybe it is to some. If so, more power to you.

Orlac
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Re: Caltiki the Immortal Monster

#13 Post by Orlac » Thu Apr 27, 2017 8:00 pm

It's a surprisingly grisly movie, parts of it made me wince! The ending is pure toy-town, but charming nevertheless.

Freda ammuses me; his name is on several horror cult faves, but I wonder if he really directed them! I'd love to see Blus of I Vampiri and The Witch's Curse (or any peblum for that matter!)

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knives
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Re: Caltiki the Immortal Monster

#14 Post by knives » Thu Apr 27, 2017 8:12 pm

He directed most of them. Even something like The Vampires is mostly his work with Bava shooting only for a seventh of the production time.

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Mr Sausage
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Re: Caltiki the Immortal Monster

#15 Post by Mr Sausage » Fri Apr 28, 2017 6:32 am

I don't think much of either I Vampiri or Caltiki, but Freda's later The Horrible Dr. Hitchcock is a great bit of outrageous early 60's Italian horror. Worth a view.

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Banasa
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Re: Caltiki the Immortal Monster

#16 Post by Banasa » Fri Apr 28, 2017 9:25 am

Roberto Curti, who seems to be the go to person for Italian genre cinema information lately, has written the first English-language book on Freda this year. Freda is mostly known for his horror films for modern cinema audiences which he apparently was not all that crazy about doing as soon as he hit I Vampiri, he was at his b-film point in his career, while his previous film adaptations (predominantly adventure and period films) were the films he was most profitable from and the ones he seemed to enjoy doing the most.

Not that I would leap to recommend...I don't know, The Seventh Sword to criterionforum readers, but judging Freda by his horror films is probably not the most representative examples of his work.

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