Ìý Banned for 26 years, we can finally lay our eyes upon the gothic masterpiece of sex-laced horror and fantasy that is Walerian Borowczyk's "La Bête". Remember the TV series "Beauty and the Beast"? It's as mad as that, except this time the beast really gets to work on the beauty in a series of increasingly bizarre erotic encounters. If you haven't already placed your order for this DVD, here's what to expect.
Really, you'll spend so much time gasping and uttering phrases like "What the ****!" that you may not notice much about the DVD. Nouveaux Pictures has used a print that's in surprisingly good condition. Combine that with an anamorphic transfer and you have a picture that's clearer than most 70s sex masterpieces that spring to mind.
Sound is in mono, and it's just fine. We really don't need any disturbing enhancements here!
Nouveaux has added Borowczyk's short film "La Maree" (The Tide) as an extra feature for the DVD. Somehow sea tide tables become confused with oral sex, but it's shot with a bleak veneer that even the most oppressive arthouse movie would find hard to match.
For those of you who remember the early days of video with great affection, where all sorts of curiosities surfaced, this is the type of DVD release that should definitely form part of your collection.
Region: 2
Chapters: 12
Ratio: 1.85:1 (anamorphic)
Sound: Dolby Digital 2.0 (mono)
Extra Features: Scene selection, "La Maree" (The Tide), photo gallery, director filmography, and subtitles.
This DVD was reviewed on a JVC XV-S57 DVD player.
