PIC of the Week – The Day of the Beast
Article Series by Ray Schillaci
Severin prides itself as a purveyor of only the best in horror, exploitation, sleaze and more. Well, they may not be the best in horror, but they certainly have an impressive lineup of the weird, wild and unusual in their film library. Such bizarre treasures as Alejandro Jodorowsky’s Santa Sangre, Wax Mask, written by Dario Argento and Lucio Fulci, along with giddy exploitive titles such as Escape From Women’s Prison, The Beast in Heat and Emanuelle and the Last Cannibals. Gotta love that last title.
So, it should not surprise anyone that Severin would release not only a Blu, but a 4K along with it of the long sought after outrageous black comedy/crime/horror by Alex de la Iglesia, El Dia de la Bestia, translated The Day of the Beast. A priest dedicates himself to commit as many sins as possible because he believes it’s the way to prevent the coming of the Antichrist. He is aided by a Black Metal fanatic and an Italian expert of the occult in this deranged and frantic tale not for the easily offended.
I have often praised the talents of writer/director Alex de la Iglesia – the frenetic energy he brings to the screen along with his freakish visuals and his brand of dark humor. His films, like Guillermo del Toro’s, are very distinctive.
Witching and Bitching was about an out of control robbery that had the perpetrators flee to a small, out of the way village only to encounter a coven of witches. The film also dealt with the vast differences and war between men and women. Extremely funny. The Last Circus is another dark comedy about a Republican Militia forcing a circus troupe to join their fight in the Spanish Civil War. The militia feel their strongest weapon is a machine gun-touting clown. At the same time de la Iglesia weaves a love story between the clown, a strong man and a trapeze artist.
The Day of the Beast is one of his earlier films and one can easily see he is far from attempting to be mainstream. Angel is a Basque priest who whispers to another priest of his plans. Whatever they are, the reasoning is believable to the other priest. What Angel goes on to do is funny and, at times, cringe-inducing. After recruiting Jose, a so-called Satanist and heavy metal fan that works at a record store, Angel then intends to kidnap an occult TV show host, Professor Cavan, and insists that Cavan help him sell his soul to Satan. Once becoming a minion, he believes during the birth ceremony of the Antichrist, he will be able to kill him.
The outrageousness that follows will either have you laughing, shocked, or offended while the adventures of these three lead to the seeking of virgin blood, drugs, a shotgun wielding mother, gang members, police, and a wild chase involving Three Wise Men and the emergence of a he-goat. The frantic pace can be exhausting. But, you cannot deny the inventiveness of this wild man’s vision.
Severin has been known for some excellent transfers and this one is no exception. Let it be known, this is not a film known for it’s beauty. De la Iglesia’s movie is very grungy looking with appropriate grain that does not do harm to the esthetic of the film. If anything, it enhances it. Attention to detail is almost too good. I say that because I found it hard to watch the heavy metal rocker with his piercings. Of course, that’s not the only thing that is hard to watch.
This is a film with a limited budget, but that does not affect the quality of the work. Colors are bold at times and beautifully recreated. I had only seen a pirated copy on DVD before. So, this iteration on 4K is a sight to behold, and the Blu is visually excellent as well.
There are three audio options: Spanish DTS-HD MA 5.1 mix, DTS-HD MA 2.0 stereo mix and English dubbed DTS-HD MA 5.1 mix. Do yourself a favor, read the subtitles and go with the superior Spanish mix. The other mixes are well done, but the dubbing is just okay and for me it takes away from the film. Great atmospherics and surround are most notable with the Spanish mix.
Here’s the best part, Severin treats us to nearly two hours of bonuses. Why can’t the big scale studios do this? For fans and the newly initiated, this is a real treat and everything is in HD.
• Heirs of The Beast
• Antichrist Superstar – Interview with Alex de la Iglesia
• The Man Who Saved The World – Interview with Armando de Razza
• Beauty and the Beast – Interview with Maria Grazia Cucinotta
• Shooting the Beast – Interview with Flavio Martinez Labino
• Mirindas Aseninas Short Film (1990)
• Trailers
Severin’s release of this 4K and Blu is a real find for fans. But, it is not for mainstream audiences. People who like watching raw, powerful talent at work with no boundaries will be amazed by de la Iglesia’s audacity. Kind of like watching Ken Russell for the first time.
So, this film is not for everybody. For those that like their humor pitch black and are ready for a psychedelic ride, The Day of the Beast should quench your thirst for the unusual and bizarre. And, if you wish to seek out more from this outrageous director, check out Perdita Durango (translated – Dance With The Devil) starring a very young Rosie Perez and Javier Bardem
Lowest Price – $34.99 – Amazon
The Day of the Beast can also be viewed on the streaming site Shudder for free for a limited time.
Visit Ray’s blog at themonsterinmyhead.com
