Danger: Diabolik — Danger: Diabolik (UHD/Blu Ray)

Danger: Diabolik is a camp, cool, and often groovy slice of 60’s supervillain action. Helmed by Mario Bava- it features, as you’d expect a great eye for colour, amazing set design, and clever shot composition. There’s a moody/ doesn’t say a lot supervillain, with futurist underground hideout, and some great suspenseful set-ups, going from high up in the sky, to deep down in the ocean. Here from Eureka is dual disc UHD/ Blu Ray release of the film. It takes in a 4k scan, three commentary tracks, and some most instresting extras.

Released in 1968, Danger: Diabolik was the 20th feature from Bava. It was based on the Italian comic Diabolik, which started in the early sixties going to rack-up nine hundred issues in its lifetime.

The one hour and forty five minutes film opens with precredit showing balding comb back haired Inspector Ginko (Michel Piccoli)and his men backing up a car for transport with cash- they are sure it’ll trick Diabolik (John Phillip Law) this time, but just as near the port. The cars pulled up by a giant crane- with various coloured smoke cannons going off, largely hiding the dressed in black leather head to foot masked Diabolik.

Next up supervillain swaps cars in a tunnel where his blond girlfriend Eva(Marisa Mell), before driving together disappearing into their underground hid, as the spinning colour credits spiral. After the car sized lift stops- we see a vast underground lair- full of huge and round sofa set-ups, his and hers showers, etc.

Basically, the film is fairly episodic as Diabolik, focuses on stealing one thing after, with stakes getting more ridiculous on each robbery. Moving from the stealing then bathing in of bank notes, onto climbing up a coastal castle walls to steal a huge necklace, and huge gold monolith.

Aside from Inspector Ginko trying to stop and capture the master criminal. We have the grey haired and gravley voiced career criminal Adolfo Celi (Ralph Valmont) try to get his hands on the skin tight black full body suited Diabolik.

For the first quarter and the last quarter there is a real keen pace to the whole thing- with each one action scene, chase, or flighty interaction unfolding prefectly. I must say there are a few moments of lull in the middle, which did get me glancing at my watch- but these do move on, and we’re back in the comic book supervillain campness.

John Phillip Law is fine as our lead- very much portraying our moody, yet as times very loving towards Eva supervillain. Both Piccoli and Valmont ham it up nicely, as they are always been foiled and deceived by Diabolik

The film features an effective score from Ennio Morricone- which moves from a groovy & searing guitar with female vocals title track. Onto dramatic guitar stings & horn flirts, and more darkly moody ambience.

For the most part I enjoyed Danger: Diabolik, maybe there could have been a little more comic relief/ bumbling humour, though I think I was wanting it to be more like André Hunebelle’s Fantomas films- but this is a different and slightly more serious toned beast.

Moving onto this new release and the 4k truly looks lovely- really enhancing/ pick out details of the set design, the wonderful use of colour, and vibrate skin tones. The audio balance between the dialogue and score is prefect. All in all Eureka has done a truly splendid job.

On the extras side we find a nice selection of largely new extras. First off we have three new commentary tracks- one is with actor John Phillip Law and Bava authority Tim Lucas. One is film historians Troy Howarth and Nathaniel Thompson. And one is with Tim Lucas on his own. I played the first of the tracks, and it’s excellent as we get a nice blend of Lucas in-depth researched & informed option, with Law’s memories of the filming/ interaction with Brava/ cast. They begin by talking about Brava’s very clever use of matt painting to give more depth to scenes, as well as create that slight detached from reality comic book feel. We get bios of actors as they appear on screen, and comment on when the Morricone score cleverly switches from dark to whimsical.Law talks about practicing in the mirror a lot to get Diabolik’s look just right. They chat about how the films score got ranked the third best score in GQ, though ironically it’s never got a full proper release. Law discusses Mell, and how they had a real chemistry. They point out where matt paints end and sets begin, and when they are skilfully blended. Later on they comment on the brief moment of Sadean torture in the film, and how there are always moments of this throughout Brava’s filmography. They touch on the gold motif that appears throughout the picture. We find out the earlier attempt at filming the comic- which had cast in place, and did two weeks of filming but of course was never fully realized. Plus, much more of course- a well worth a play track.

Otherwise on the new side we have: Criminal Intent (21.44) which finds Leon Hunt, author of the Cultographies volume on Danger: Diabolik- discussing the origins of the comic & it’s impact, how it developed, and how the comic differs from the film. He also touches on the more recent three film adaptation of the comic books. A most interesting watch. And then there’s Radical Behaviour( 26.47) a video essay on Danger: Diabolik, and how it made the character become anti-establishment pop culture figure by Italian genre cinema expert Rachael Nisbet.

On the archive side we have: From Fumetti to Film featurette( 20.23). Body Movin’ – music video by Beastie Boys, with optional commentary by Adam “MCA” Yauch. Teaser trailer & theatrical trailer.

The finished release comes with a sixty-page book featuring new essays on Danger: Diabolik by Italian film historian Roberto Curti and comic book scholar Jochen Ecke, a new introduction to fumetti neri by crime genre expert Sergio Angelini and new writing on the film’s director by Troy Howarth, author of The Haunted World of Mario Bava.

If you either a fan of camp action, super hero films, or the work of Mario Bava- this new release from Eureka is a no brainer. With it’s lovely and lush 4k scan, and great selection of interesting extras.