Info
- Director: Giulio Berruti
- Starring: Anita Ekberg, Joe Dallesandro, Lou Castel, Alida Valli, Paola Morra
- Year: 1979
- Runtime: 88 Minutes
- Company: Blue Underground
- Format: Blu-ray
- Discs: 1 - 25GB
- Video: 1.85:1 - 1080p - AVC
- Audio: English & Italian DTS-HD Mono
- Region: All
- Released: 4/24/2012
Film
The "nunsploitation" sub-genre is one of the most ridiculous creations of celluloid to ever materialize. I truly mean that in the best possible way. Why? Well, it has something to do with the copious amounts of unclothed flesh belonging to statuesque European beauties, for starters. I also adore it for it's mockery of religion. Nunsploitation grabs religion (and everything holy related it entails ) by the throat and knocks it off it's high & mighty pedestal. It's an indulgence of sin & evil, and goddammit it's highly entertaining.
Sister Gertrude (Anita Ekberg, La Dolce Vita) is having a hard time recovering from a recent brain tumor extraction. To cope with the pain, Sister Gertrude treats herself to a steady diet of heroin and sex in between her holy duties, which results in her frequently blacking out & waking up to discover brutal murders that she may-or-may-not have committed. As the body count rises, Sister Gertrude begins to slip further away from reality as she questions her sanctity & innocence.
Killer Nun (Suor Omicidi) embodies all the sinsational characteristics that are expected to be showcased throughout this esteemed genre, with a walloping dose of hallucinogenic imagery throughout. A declared "Video Nasty" and supposedly inspired by true events, Killer Nun has it's fair share of gory moments but is more of a psychological thriller that plays out like a giallo with it's whodunit theme. Anita Ekberg is a total bombshell and shines most when administering punishment amongst the geriatric patients.
Much of the nudity is provided by the bodacious Sister Mathieu (Paola Morra, Behind Convent Walls), Sister Gertrude's female lover who's fancy of sleeping in the nude is a sight to behold. The chronic hallucination's Sister Gertrude experiences are a doozy and one of the highlights of the film. Above all, Killer Nun is a batshit, Euro-glazed outing that should be at the top of your to-watch list.
Blu-ray
- Video
Blue Underground brings Killer Nun to Blu-ray for the first time, with a 1.85:1 framed, 1080p transfer that's definitely nice but shares similarities with some of their more problematic releases. First, the good. Print damage is pretty much non existent, flesh tones are strong and colors are very vibrant with strong detail throughout. To echo other reviewers sentiments, the bad news is a couple of scenes tend to suffer from some sort of watercoloring that makes the image slightly murky and jittery. All things considering, this HD transfer is quite serviceable and is an easy recommendation.
- Audio
Two tracks are included, English & Italian DTS-HD Mono. I chose the Italian mix, which comes recommended since it is the original recorded dialogue. Audio is as expected center speaker focused, with all of the dialogue and groovy soundtrack coming through crystal clear.
Bonus Features
- Featurette - "From the Secret Files of the Vatican"
An interview with Director/Co-Writer Giulio Berruti who goes into detail about how he became involved within the film scene, the real life behind the scenes story that served as inspiration for Killer Nun and the casting process.
- Theatrical Trailer
- Poster & Still Gallery
Purchase
