Plot: What’s it about?
An ancient tomb is opened as part of an archaeological mission, but little do the workers know what they’ve unleashed. One of the men on the excavation has brought along his young daughter, who is given a beautiful, but mysterious charm. Soon, her father is struck blind as he explores, due to some strange connection between him, his daughter, the charm, and the tombs he & his men have been exploring on this mission. But the madness really kicks in when the family returns to Manhattan, where a rash of violent crimes begin and soon enough, mutilated bodies begin to turn up on a regular basis. It seems as though when that tomb was opened, a violent curse was unleashed and now it has followed these people home, to reign terror upon the citizens of a new area, one loaded with people. Can something be done to end this lethal curse soon, or will it begin to take aim on Manhattan on a much larger scale?
A stylish, very Gothic horror flick, Manhattan Baby is a very well made effort, one of Fulci’s best, I think. This film doesn’t have the waves of blood you see in some of Fulci’s projects, but it has a tense atmosphere and supplies more than enough suspense, so the gore isn’t missed much. Yeah, some blood and gore might have spiced up a few scenes, but Fulci made sure that even without oodles of the red stuff, Manhattan Baby was a good horror movie. I think the pace is a little slow for gorehounds and slasher fans, but if you’re a fan of horror cinema on the whole, I think you will be pleased with this one, to be sure. The storyline is pretty out there and there’s not much gore, but the visuals are mesmerizing and in the end, Manhattan Baby is a terrific picture. I think fans of Fulci’s will be most interested, but anyone who enjoys Italian horror cinema should give this one a spin, as it is memorable, to be sure.
As some of Lucio Fulci’s lesser known works are released onto DVD, I think some fans of his more famous works will be let down, as his style changes more than a little. In his more popular pictures, Fulci dashes the screen with blood often and to great impact, but eases off in terms of atmosphere and visuals. In this case, he still uses some blood in the mix, but chooses to focus on atmosphere and visuals, which I think works out very well. I can understand why this kind of flick won’t win over those only interested in gore, but I think they’re missing out on a great horror movie that conjures up one spooky experience. Other films directed by Fulci include The Beyond, Zombie, The Black Cat, The New York Ripper, City of the Living Dead, and The Smuggler. The cast includes Christopher Connelly (Django Strikes Again, Jungle Raiders), Martha Taylor, Giovanni Frezza (A Leap in the Dark, Demons), and Brigitta Boccoli.
Video: How does it look?
Manhattan Baby is presented in a 2.35:1 anamorphic widescreen transfer. Fulci loved to film in this wide format and it shows, as he fills the screen with intense visuals, little to no screen space is wasted here. I’ve never seen this film look so good either, which is good news since it offers such lush, potent visuals. The print used shows minimal specks and debris, although some grain is evident and at times, can be heavier than I’d like. The colors look bold, however and show no real flaws, while contrast is well balanced throughout. Given the film’s age and budget, this is a tremendous transfer and Anchor Bay deserves some praise, to be sure.
Audio: How does it sound?
As you might expected, the included mono track can be a little thin at times, but ends up a more than adequate presentation. I heard none of the usual mono flaws like hiss or distortion, which is good news indeed. I was pleased with how clean and sharp the track was, as I’d only heard less than crisp VHS editions prior to this release. The excellent and eerie musical score is well presented, while all the sound effects come through as well as can be expected, given the limitations of mono and the film’s age. No problems with dialogue however, I never had to adjust the volume or rewatch scenes to catch dialogue, as it is always at a proper clarity and volume.
Supplements: What are the extras?
This disc includes Fulci’s talent file, an eight minute interview with writer Dardano Sacchetti, and the film’s theatrical trailer.
