Tweet
Released by: Retromedia
Released on: 2/25/2003
Director: Piero Vavarelli
Cast: Magda Konopka, Julio Pena, Umberto Raho
Year: 1969
Purchase From Amazon
The Movie:
Only one of the series of popular European superhero/spy films produced during the 60s in Italy and France, Satanik was based on the comic book of the same name which was used as the source material for the feature film presented here.
The story revolves around Dr. Bannister, an older woman whose better years are far behind her and who is quickly losing her looks to old age and some really nasty facial deformities, including but not limited to a nasty birthmark that really doesn't do her much good in the looks department.
Anyway, she and her professor friend have created a secret formula that works as an anti aging agent when tested on laboratory animals and she decides to try it out on herself so that she can be beautiful again. He's not too keen on this idea, but she doesn't want to hear any of it and makes short work of him.
She chugs back the mixture and immediately turns into a knockout brunette with a face to kill for and legs that just won't quit. She also goes a bit loopy and turns to a life of crime where she seduces gullible men and robs them of their riches. Unfortunately, the formula is only temporary and she has to consume more and more of it, and as she does, she heads further into insanity.
Comparisons to Bava's Danger Diabolik! and the Fantomas movies are unavoidable but whereas those films were more action oriented, Satanik is a little more subdued. With the exception of the one nightclub scene, the characters wear normal clothes rather than leotards and masks.
Video/Audio/Extras:
The fullframe presentation is noticeably cropped from its original aspect ratio of 2.35.1 so there is obviously going to be some picture missing. Why they released this fullframe, I have no idea as the movie does suffer because of it. Colors are faded and there is print damage and a moderate amount of grain visible throughout.
The Dolby Digital Mono audio track is dubbed into English and has a bit of minor hiss during its entire run, but it's understandable for the most part and you shouldn't have any problems following the dialogue. The score is great on this release and it would have been nice to have a cleaner audio track.
There's a great still gallery featuring some wonderful Satanik fumetti covers and a few stills, as well as some liner notes by Mirek Lipinski that were unfortunately misprinted. I would have loved to find a separate audio channel for the soundtrack, but no dice.
The Final Word:
While this is hardly a great presentation, it'll do until something better comes along and until then at least we have it on DVD and at least it's uncut.