| Mill of the Stone Women |  | Director: Giorgio Ferroni
Actors: Herbert A.e. Boehme, Pierre Brice, Dany Carrel, Scilla Gabel, Marco Guglielmi
Studio: Mondo Macabro
Category: DVD
List Price: CDN$ 30.14
Buy New: CDN$ 24.11
You Save: CDN$ 6.03 (20%)
New (1) Used (1) from CDN$ 24.11
Rating:  5 reviews
Format: Import, Ntsc, Subtitled
Languages: English (Subtitled), English (Original Language), French (Original Language)
Aspect Ratio: 1.66:1
Shipping Weight (lbs): 0.2
Dimensions (in): 7.1 x 5.4 x 0.6
UPC: 634991181228
EAN: 0634991181228
ASIN: B0001DMX1A
Theatrical Release Date: 1963
Release Date: March 16, 2004
Shipping: Eligible for Super Saver Shipping
Availability: In stock soon. Order now to get in line. First come, first served.
| |
| Similar Items:
|
| Customer Reviews:
 Anyone else had problems? June 8, 2004
Loud Music Fan (UK)
0 out of 2 found this review helpful
I get to Chapter 14 or thereabouts, and - Aaargh - I'm back on the menu screen. Right at the end of the film...brA re-press please, Mr Macabro!!!!!!!!!!!!!!brAnyone else had problems like this?
Rediscover a real horror gem. June 1, 2004
A. Griffiths (London)
1 out of 1 found this review helpful
Mill Of The Stone Women is one of those strange movies that has been hailed by critics and yet hardly seen by anybody. This is a real shame because it deserves to be seen and appreciated by anybody with an interest in horror cinema. The plot treads well-worn ground with the story of a man driven to murder young women as the only way keep his beautiful (but afflicted with a rare and deadly medical condition) daughter alive. The resulting dead bodies are disguised as statues, a plot-device that has been done many times, but here the setting that the action unfolds within takes a further step into the bizarre. Instead of a wax museum, the crazed father owns a windmill which powers a moving carousel of statues of famous murderesses and tragic historical heroines. When the attraction is open and the windmill sails are turning, the statues career unstably around a little stage as a melancholy tune cranks out of a music box (also powered by the sails). The effect is startling, even today, and quite surreal. pThe action of the film follows a handsome young researcher who takes a job at the windmill, and unwittingly attracts the amorous attention of the daughter (the stunning Scilla Gabel). Sadly, the young man already has a fiancee...so guess who's soon destined for a place on the carousel? Of course the action id predictable, but the presentation of it is wonderful. Colours are deep and rich, and the lighting makes wonderful work of the many elaborate sets, populated as they often are with many sculptures and statues in various states of completion. The acting is mostly effective, although it depends on which soundtrack you are watching (Mondo Macabre have given three options here), especially in the case of the mad mill-owner, whose voice makes him almost a different character in each dub! Unfortunately for those of us wanting it in English, it is the French dub that looks the most effective (it looks like the actors were speaking their original lines in French, and the UK and US dubs end up very poorly lip-synched). Still, it's great to see the film at all, and in this condition, you really can't complain. It appears to be fully uncut, even better than previous full editions I have seen. The process of curing the sick daughter and what happens to the bodies of the victims is shown at great length, and some of the sequences are quite surprising given the time the film was made (1960). Equally effective is the rousing climax, which you'll have to see for yourself, but look out for some amazing final shots of the carousel statues as the film comes to a close. pThis has been a very hard to find film for a long time, but thanks to Mondo Macabro it has at last been revived in a gorgeous new transfer that really brings the movie to life. Plus you even get extra scenes and a massive photo gallery. Throw away those old video copies and previous DVD releases, they don't stand a chance against this one.
 A masterpiece from Italy ! April 18, 2004
nussbaum22 (France)
2 out of 2 found this review helpful
Mill of the stone women is a masterpiece. Everything is perfect in this landmark of italian horror movies. Pierre Brice better known (specially in Europe) as Winnetou gives a good performance. The scenes of hallucination where he think he had killed Elfi (Scilla Gabel), the sick daughter of Professor Wahl are amazing. There are also the german actor Wolfgang Preiss (also known as Dr. Mabuse in the sixties) and the surprising Robert Boehme as Professor Wahl. At first he seems so kindly, but behind this mask he's gruesome and obsessed to cure his daughter, whatever the price will be !brA word about the feminine parts: Scilla Gabel (double of Sophia Loren) is a wonderfull actress and she's perfect as Elfi. Dany Carrel, a french actress, plays the woman in love of Pierre Brice. Don't forget Liana Orfei, one of the victims of Professor Wahl.brThe music score of the carillon with his wax mannequins will obsess you. There's no gothic castle here but a mysterious windmill. The final scene is a real climax. This movie is much more than a simply horror flick ! There's something of a dark tragedy.brThe DVD looks simply great. The bonus are very interesting (deleted scenes, theatrical trailer, a huge stills and poster gallery). I've choosen the french audio track which sounds very good, better than the English one.brGiorgio Ferroni created a masterpiece. Don't miss it !
FIVE STARS FOR RARE EURO-SHOCKER.... April 7, 2004
Mark Norvell (HOUSTON)
2 out of 2 found this review helpful
I've had an inferior copy of Mill of the Stone Women on disc for some time now and never thought I'd see a good print. Mondo Macabro has delivered one and I'm quite happy with it. Beautiful print and good sound (with only minor static here and there) make this rare and unusual French-Italian horror film a collector's item. Set in Holland around the turn-of-the-century, it tells of a mad art professor (Wolfgang Preiss) who runs a windmill that serves as a museum of sorts with a carousel of infamous female murderers done in stone with wax faces that revolves around to eerie music. He also keeps his strangely beautiful daughter (dying of a bizarre disease) alive with blood transfusions from girls his equally mad unscrupulous assistant (a disposed physician stripped of his license) obtains for him. Once drained of blood, the professor then injects the bodies with a serum that mummifies them into statues for the carousel. A young writer (Pierre Brice) working on the history of the carousel meets the daughter, Elfie (Scilla Gabel) and unwittingly opens a Pandora's box of terror when she falls in love with him. His fiancee (Dany Carrel) is placed in danger when it's discovered that she has the rare blood type needed to restore the daughter to permanent health. Mill is full of wonderful imagery and creepy Gothic atmosphere primarily involving the well staged interiors of the windmill and it's macabre carousel. The film score is perfectly chilling. This is one of those nightmarish Euro horror films that relies on it's atmosphere instead of gore. Lovers of European Gothic horror should not be disappointed. It's in Technicolor and the colors are used to great effect to create shuddery mood and horror sequences like Brice's drug induced hallucination after he thinks he's killed Elfie. The DVD contains alternate sequences, cast bios and a French title sequence but I would like to have seen a booklet included with more information. However, just to have a rarely seen film like this in such fine condtion is reason enough to be satisfied. Highly recommended all round for old style Gothic Euro horror lovers. A keeper.
Beautifully Done March 21, 2004
Michael Johnson (Birmingham, Alabama United States)
2 out of 2 found this review helpful
I had read glowing reviews of this film for years and finally Mondo Macabro issued it on DVD. It is an excellent transfer of what appears to be the uncut widescreen version of the film. The colors and black levels are quite accurate and the sound quality is good for a film of this vintage. I found the print to be pretty clean with very little damage or scratches and the menus are logical and easy to navigate. There are several extras such as several different posters and lobby cards as well as two alternate scenes and a French alternate title sequence. The movie itself is interesting and will hold your attention throughout and manages to keep the plot moving forward without bogging down too much (a flaw of some Euro-horror films). The sets and music are great and the lighting is low-key and creepy. The acting is also quite good, with likeable characters (the lead reminds me of Gregory Peck). My only complaint is that the film froze on a couple of scenes but I switched to a newer DVD player and it played fine so I suspect the problem was with my player. If you are a fan of Mario Bava, Riccardo Freda or Hammer Films, then you'll want to check this one out. One of the best.
|
|
|
|
| |
