Blu-ray Review: Cold Light Of Day

Several years ago I got on kick of reading true crime books, specifically books about serial killers, and one of the books that stuck with me was Brian Masters’ Killing For Company: The Case Of Dennis Nilsen. That book told the story of a man who killed at least a dozen young men and disposed of their remains at his home, burying them under the floor boards, and later, when he had moved to another home, flushing bits of their bodies down the toilet. It was that latter method that led to his crimes’ eventual discovery by a plumber. I found the story fascinating, and of course I wasn’t alone in that. Four years after that book was published, a young filmmaker named Fhiona Louise made Cold Light Of Day based on the case of Dennis Nilsen. It came out in 1989, and it seems not a lot of folks saw it. But now, thanks to Arrow Films, people are getting another chance to view the film. Not only that, they are also getting a chance to hear from the director in one of the Blu-ray release’s two commentary tracks.

The film opens with the killer’s arrest, with almost no dialogue, but rather the sound of a steady pounding, like a storm, like a heart about to explode (perhaps a nod to The Tell-Tale Heart?). That sound is revisited later in the film. A title card tells us: “This film is based on actual events, but not on an account. Names have been changed to protect innocent parties.” They seemed to have also been changed to protect the guilty parties, for Dennis Nilsen is named Jorden March. He is played by Bob Flag, whom you will recall as the face of Big Brother in 1984. As the police inspector begins his interrogation of Jorden March, we then see the killer’s story, presumably as it is being described to the police.

Jorden March seems a quiet, unassuming fellow, but he manages to pick up a handsome, younger man named Joe (Martin Byrne Quinn) at a bar and takes him home to his rather sparsely furnished apartment. After hearing a bit of Joe’s story, Jorden tells him, “You sound totally without redemption, dear boy,” but tells him he can stay with him as long as he needs to. Jorden is also shown helping out an elderly neighbor. He seems kind, if maybe a bit awkward. Of course, we can’t help but wonder if this is exactly how things really happened, since the story is being told to the police. Might he try to make himself seem a better, more sympathetic person? Soon Joe is taking advantage of the situation, of Jorden. Yet Jorden is more upset when Joe announces he’s found a job, for now he is worried that Joe will leave him. And when the first murder occurs, that pounding sound from the opening accompanies the action. It is brutal in its reality, the camera remaining stationary throughout the scene.

Interestingly, there is a flashback to Jorden’s childhood, to the time of his grandfather’s death, a church bell sounding relentlessly, like the pounding of the present. Also, as the story goes on, the film cuts back to the police station with increasing frequency. There are some interesting camera moves, as when Jordan goes to peek in on Joe in the bath. It is like the camera is sneaking in for a look too, the camera being as curious as Jorden is, as curious as we are. There are some unusual shots in this film, actions shown at strange angles, as when Jorden is in the bathroom in the morning, those shots having an unsettling effect. The film also makes interesting use of mirrors, as when Jorden goes to a prostitute. The low-budget, grainy feel adds to that unsettling sensation, and gives the film a gritty and honest look.  The film slowly but surely works its hooks into you and includes several disturbing images that will stay with you.

Special Features

The Blu-ray disc contains plenty of bonus material, including two commentary tracks. The first commentary track is by film historians Dean Brandum and Andrew Nette. Andrew talks about Dennis Nilsen and the actual crimes. At the beginning of the commentary, they indicate that another mystery is Fhiona Louise. “She appears to have just vanished off the face of the earth,” Dean says. They give what details they know of her life. But the second commentary is by Fhiona Louise herself. She talks about her interest in the film’s subject, and about making the promotional short film. She also mentions a sex scene that was cut from the film.

Playing The Victim is an interview with actor Martin Byrne-Quinn, who talks about Cold Light Of Day being his first feature film, and how he got the part. He talks about the process of method acting, the locations, and the scene of his strangulation. This featurette is approximately sixteen minutes. Risky Business is an interview with actor Steve Munroe, who talks about shooting his scene without anyone on the street realizing it, and about how his dialogue isn’t really audible in the final film. In Scenes Of The Crime, director Fhiona Louise revisits the locations of the film. At the bridge location, she explains the film’s title card, “For those too sensitive for this world.” This featurette is approximately twelve and a half minutes. The trailer for the film’s re-release is included.

The Blu-ray also includes the original short film that was used to raise funding for the feature. As with the feature, it stars Bob Flag and Martin Byrne-Quinn. A lot of the dialogue seems to be the same, but in this short film, Jorden uses a belt rather than a necktie to strangle his victim. The short also includes a bit of voiceover narration. Two other short films are included on this disc, Metropolis Apocalypse and Sleepwalker, both directed by Jon Jacobs and featuring Fhinoa Louise as an actor.

Cold Light Of Day was directed by Fhiona Louise, and this special limited edition Blu-ray disc was released on October 27, 2020 through Arrow Films.

Blu-ray Review: Daughters Of Darkness

I have long been intrigued by the Elizabeth Bathory story. She was a Hungarian countess who murdered between two hundred and eight hundred young women (the accounts vary), possibly believing that bathing in their blood would halt the aging process. When she was finally arrested, she was confined in her castle, bricked into a room. Obviously, her story is perfect fodder for a horror film adaptation, and several have been made. One of the best, and my personal favorite, is Daughters Of Darkness, which was directed by Harry Kümel and released in 1971. The film stars Delphine Seyrig, Danielle Ouimet, John Karlen, Andrea Rau. It has now received a deluxe treatment by Blue Underground, released as a three-disc limited edition set, including a 4K Ultra HD disc, a Blu-ray disc and a CD of the soundtrack. I’ve seen this movie several times, and on this new Blu-ray release it looks absolutely fantastic.

Elizabeth Bathory was a contemporary of William Shakespeare, but this film takes place in modern times, the idea being that she has managed to live all these years, that the blood not only kept her looking young, but made her immortal. It is an unusual sort of vampire story. The action opens on a train, where newlyweds Stefan (John Karlen, whom you know from his work on Cagney & Lacey) and Valerie (Danielle Ouimet) are making love. They jokingly profess that they do not love each other, a nice, playful touch. And before long we wonder if there might not be at least a bit of truth in that. The train has stopped in the middle of nowhere because another train has gone off the tracks. Stefan and Valerie are not in any immediate danger, but there is still a sense of foreboding. And we hear of Stefan’s mother, who it seems will be displeased by news of the sudden marriage. It’s actually an excellent opening scene.

Soon they arrive at their hotel, where, it being off season, there are no other guests. The atmosphere is excellent, with something mysterious, something eerie, but something you can’t quite put your finger on. Valerie urges Stefan to call his mother, and Stefan asks the hotel desk clerk to announce there was no reply at the house, increasing the air of mystery. And that is established before the entrance of Elizabeth Bathory (Delphine Seyrig, whom you know from Last Year At Marienbad and The Discreet Charm Of The Bourgeoisie) and her sexy servant, Ilona (Andrea Rau). The desk clerk recognizes Elizabeth from her visit forty years earlier, when he was a young bell boy, and is shocked to find she has not aged at all. “My mother, perhaps,” Elizabeth says, but is clearly not concerned whether he believes her or not, which is wonderful. And when she spies Stefan and Valerie, Elizabeth remarks, “Look, how perfect they are,” an excellent moment, for we know their fate will be tied to hers before they are even aware of her.

I love the style of this film. It is beautifully shot. Even that wide shot of the dining room where Stefan and Valerie are the only customers is excellent. There is also a fantastic sequence where Stefan and Valerie are relaxing on a boat, as an ambulance rushes to a crime scene on the road next to them. There are also interesting relationships, like that between Elizabeth and Ilona (Ilona tells her early on, “I wish I could die”), as well as that between Stefan and Valerie. Valerie is frightened by Stefan’s reaction to the crime scene they stumble upon, that he seems pleased to see a dead girl. “We’re getting to know each other,” he tells her. We get a stronger sense of Stefan during that great shot of Elizabeth standing at the back of his chair as Stefan recounts what he knows of the Countess Bathory. As he speaks of the legend of the countess keeping young girls chained up for their blood, Elizabeth’s fingers lightly stroke his shoulder. She is lost in memory, a sort of ecstasy. And he seems to share that ecstasy, becoming aroused as he describes the horrors he has read about. It is sexy and haunting. The film has so many great moments like this one. And Stefan seems even more interesting when we meet his “mother.” We begin to wonder just who presents the greater danger to Valerie – the Countess or Stefan.

Special Features

This set contains quite a few special features, including three commentary tracks. The first of these is by director Harry Kümel, moderated by David Gregory. Harry mentions the various titles the film has had and the different versions due to censorship. He talks about how each of the actors came to be a part of the cast, and talks about some other actors he admires. He talks a bit about style, the effect of the empty city, and how movies are like dreams. And, yes, he does talk about the idea behind the mother character. The second commentary track is done by actor John Karlen, with journalist David Del Valle. John talks about his experiences during the production of the film, and about his character and his fellow cast members. This is a pretty fun commentary track, and John Karlen is clearly having a good time recalling his moments on this film. There is a good amount of laughter on this track. About the film’s characters, he joyfully says, “We’re all beautifully perverse, wonderfully perverse, and just wonderful human beings at the same time.” The third commentary track is done by Kat Ellinger, author of Devil’s Advocates: Daughters Of Darkness, a book about this film. She is clearly a big fan of the movie, and has quite a lot of knowledge about it, which she shares on this track. She also puts it into the context of other vampire films, as well as other films about Elizabeth Bathory.

In Locations Of Darkness, director Harry Kümel and co-writer Pierre Drouot revisit the Astoria Hotel in Brussels, where they talk about the film, offering some interesting anecdotes. They are adorable as they remember things differently. At the end of this featurette, there is a bit shot at the other hotel used in the film. This featurette is approximately twenty-one and a half minutes. Playing The Victim is an interview with actor Danielle Ouimet, who talks a bit about her first couple of films, in addition to Daughters Of Darkness. She recalls with humor the sex scenes of this film. This featurette is approximately fifteen and a half minutes. Daughter Of Darkness is an interview with actor Andrea Rau, who talks about how her career as an actor began, about certain scenes from Daughters Of Darkness, and about her comfort with nudity.

The special features also include the alternate U.S. main titles sequence, three trailers for the film, four radio spots, and a photo gallery of posters and other promotional materials. There is also a booklet containing photos and a piece written by Michael Gingold, in which he talks about Harry Kümel’s work, including a proposed sequel titled Mothers Of Darkness, which sounds great.

The set’s third disc, as I mentioned, is the film’s soundtrack, approximately fifty minutes of music composed by François De Roubaix, including several bonus tracks. This music can be beautiful and enchanting at times, particularly tracks like “Red Lips” (which was also one of the film’s other titles) and “Valerie, Ilona And Stefan.” There are also more frantic moments, such as at the end of “Ballad In Bruges.” The bonus tracks include “The Bruges Band,” which has a lighter, more fun atmosphere, and cool remixes of “La Nuit Sous La Mer” and “Ilona’s Jazz.” The disc concludes with the song “Vampire.”

Daughters Of Darkness was directed by Harry Kümel, and this limited edition was released on October 27, 2020 through Blue Underground.