Plot: What’s it about?
Miria (Jacqueline Dupre) is a beautiful young woman, but she suffers from some unusual issues. She has been hearing the voice of her mother, which doesn’t seem that odd, except that her mother is dead. Miria’s mother killed herself to escape her own family and now, she’s back. The voice tells Miria not motherly advice, but instead murderous demands to help her mother settle the score from beyond the grave. Her mother holds great ill will against those around her, so she begins to push Miria toward some rather dark actions. Her own father Antonio (Aldo Sanbrell) is cruel to his crippled son and has lustful feelings toward Sol (Mariangela Giordano), a nun who lives with the family. When Antonio suspects that the family’s physician has plans of his own for Sol, he plots a lethal intervention. As tensions in the mansion continue to rise at a rapid rate, will Miria be able to control her mother’s spirit and who will fall victim to the family’s murderous wrath?
Given that even the most obscure sub-genres have seemed to thrive on DVD, I am surprised how little nunsploitation is available. I can report that Severin Films has helped the cause a little, with the release of Satan’s Baby Doll. This movie features not only the kind of naughty nuns you’d expect, but also incestuous demonic possession and yes, even the living dead. So Satan’s Baby Doll had the potential to be a sleaze epic, but sadly, it never reaches those heights. The film just lacks the visceral presence it needs, perhaps due to Mario Bianchi’s detached direction and the miniscule budget involved. I wanted Satan’s Baby Doll to revel in the sinful nuns, almost constant nudity, and general sleaze atmosphere, but that doesn’t happen. There are a lot of naked women here, including some very hot women, but there isn’t much passion. Even so, the movie is decent nunsploitation fun and for fans of the genre, Satan’s Baby Doll is worth a look.
Video: How does it look?
Satan’s Baby Doll is presented in 1.66:1 anamorphic widescreen. This is a terrific transfer, one that looks much better than I had anticipated. The print is clean and the image is crisp, with clearer detail than expected. I didn’t find a lot of depth, but basic detail looks great and that works here. The most impressive element has to be the color though, bright and bold hues that really draw you into the visuals. No concerns as far as contrast either, black levels are stark and accurate at all times. All in all, a great visual effort and fans should be quite thrilled.
Audio: How does it sound?
An Italian soundtrack is provided, but keep in mind even this is a dub track, so some minor synch issues arise. The entire track has a thin presence, but this is again due to the production methods, not this release. I found dialogue to be fine, though I don’t speak Italian and the basic sound effects were decent also. The music sounds good too, but as I said, the audio here is thin and kind of hollow, so don’t expect the world. This disc also includes optional English subtitles.
Supplements: What are the extras?
This disc includes a solid eighteen minute interview with director Mario Bianchi, as well as the film’s theatrical trailer.
