Plot Synopsis:
From the mind of one of Italian genre cinema's most outrageous and uncompromising filmmakers comes Black Magic Rites (Riti, magie nere e segrete orge nel Trecento... aka The Reincarnation of Isabel), Renato Polselli's (The Vampire and the Ballerina) delirious masterpiece of erotic horror.
When beautiful Laureen throws a wild party at the castle which she has just inherited, she is blissfully unaware that its dark cellar harbours an occult sect that is hellbent on avenging the death of Isabel, who was burned at the stake 600 years earlier as a witch. The occultists' satanic rituals call for the blood of virgins… Could Laureen be next?
Starring Mickey Hargitay (Will Success Spoil Rock Hunter?) and Rita Calderoni (A Quiet Place in the Country) this bizarre, psychedelic fusion of eroticism and Italian Gothic horror is presented in an all-new 4K restoration from the original negative.
Special Features and Technical Specs:
- NEW 4K RESTORATION OF THE FILM from the original negative by Powerhouse Films
- Original Italian mono soundtrack
- Audio commentary with critics and authors David Flint and Kim Newman (2023)
- The Seventh Art According to Ralf Brown (2023): far-reaching documentary on the first half of Renato Polselli's career featuring an archival interviews with the filmmaker and his actor-collaborator Mickey Hargitay, as well as new contributions from director and programmer Luca Rea
- Gianfranco Reverberi on 'Black Magic Rites' (2023): the composer revisits his haunting score
- Lovely Jon on Gianfranco Reverberi (2023): the DJ and soundtrack enthusiast deconstructs the film's delirious compositions
- Stephen Thrower on 'Black Magic Rites' (2023): the author and musician analyses Polselli's nightmarish cult classic
- Alternative The Reincarnation of Isabel title sequence
- Original theatrical trailer
- Image gallery: promotional and publicity materials
- New and improved English translation subtitles
- Limited edition exclusive 80-page book with a new essay by Miranda Corcoran, a career-spanning archival interview with director Renato Polselli by Jay Slater, an archival autobiographical piece by Polselli, a look at the career of actor Mickey Hargitay, an overview of contemporary critical responses, and full film credits
