The Witches + Viva l’Italia on Blu-Ray

Arriving this week on Special Edition Blu-ray are “The Witches” and “Viva l’Italia”.

“The Witches” (Originally titled “Le Streghe”) is the 1967 anthology film produced by the late Dino De Laurentiis.  The five-stories were directed by Italian filmmakers, Mauro Bolognini, Vittorio De Sica, Pier Paolo Pasolini, Franco Rossi and Luchino Visconti.  Each story focuses on witches and even features a young Clint Eastwood in the final story. Arrow Academy has delivered a brand new 2K restoration, so you can enjoy “The Witch Burned Alive”, “Civic Sense”, “The Earth as Seen From The Moon”, “The Sicilian Belle” and “An Evening Like the Others” in beautiful HD.

SPECIAL EDITION CONTENTS

  • Brand new 2K restoration from original film elements produced by Arrow Films exclusively for this release
  • High Definition Blu-ray (1080p) presentation
  • Original Italian mono audio (uncompressed LPCM)
  • Brand-new audio commentary by film critic and novelist Tim Lucas
  • Interview with actor Ninetto Davoli, recorded exclusively for this release
  • English-language version of Vittorio De Sica s episode, An Evening Like the Others, starring Clint Eastwood
  • Reversible sleeve featuring original and newly commissioned artwork by Graham Humphreys
  • FIRST PRESSING ONLY: Illustrated collector s booklet featuring new writing on the film by Pasquale Iannone and Kat Ellinger

Arrow Academy delivers a brand new 2K restoration of Roberto Rossellini’s 1961 Italian drama, “Viva l’Italia” (known as “Garibaldi” in the States).  This is the films first North American home video release in any format.  Done in a neo-realist mode, this biopic of Giuseppe Garibaldi was commissioned by the Italian Government. This is a title that many fans of Italian cinema have been waiting for and now it’s available with a ton of bonus content.

SPECIAL EDITION CONTENTS

  • Brand new 2K restoration from the original negative
  • High Definition Blu-ray (1080p) presentation
  • Original Italian mono soundtracks with optional English subtitles
  • Garibaldi, an alternate shorter cut of the film originally prepared for the US market
  • Brand-new interview with Roberto Rossellini’s assistant on the film, Ruggero Deodato, recorded exclusively for this release
  • ”I Am Garibaldi”, a brand-new visual essay by Tag Gallagher, author of The Adventures of Roberto Rossellini: His Life and Films
  • Reversible sleeve with original and newly commissioned artwork by Sean Phillips
  • FIRST PRESSING ONLY: Illustrated collector’s booklet containing new writing on the film by filmmaker and critic Michael Pattison

By: Marc Ferman