Mark of the Devil

[antnield]

Once proclaimed as “positively the most horrifying film ever made”, Mark of the Devil finally arrives uncut in the UK.

A bloody and brutal critique of religious corruption, Mark of the Devil sees horror icon Udo Kier (Flesh for Frankenstein, Suspiria) play a witchfinder’s apprentice whose faith in his master (Herbert Lom) becomes severely tested when they settle in an Austrian village. Presided over by the sadistic albino (a memorably nasty turn from Reggie Nalder), the film presents its morality not so much in shades of grey as shades of black.

Written and directed by Michael Armstrong, who would later pen Eskimo Nell, The Black Panther and House of the Long Shadows, this classic shocker has lost none of its power over the years – especially now that British audiences can finally see it in one piece.

SPECIAL EDITION CONTENTS

- High definition digital transfer
- Newly created and exclusive content including interviews with cast and crew!
- Reversible sleeve featuring original and newly commissioned artwork by Graham Humphreys
- Collector’s booklet featuring new writing on the film and more!
- More to be revealed closer to the release date

Dual-format release: August 4th

[manicsounds]

Just saw the introduction to the trailer for Mark Of The Devil on the Video Nasties DVD by Alan Jones, as well as comments by director Michael Armstrong. Made me very keen to see what Arrow had lined up for special features on this, but looks like it hasn't been revealed yet.

[Koukol]

I already have the German import.

Love this film along with it's gorgeous score.

[manicsounds]

I already have the German import.

Love this film along with it's gorgeous score.

The introduction kept saying that movie is banned in Germany currently. So is this German import is....?

[Koukol]

I already have the German import.

Love this film along with it's gorgeous score.

The introduction kept saying that movie is banned in Germany currently. So is this German import is....?

From Mediabook.

[Minkin]

I already have the German import.

Love this film along with it's gorgeous score.

The introduction kept saying that movie is banned in Germany currently. So is this German import is....?

From Mediabook.

That's from Austria. Looks to be rated "indiziert" in Germany currently (treated like pornography, cant be sold openly/advertised/online). This should be considered an improvement though, as the film was seized in 2000 and 2005. Is the uncut bluray actually available in German shops now? (odd that it goes from police raids to indiziert after only 7 years, though there has been some liberalization to the system since then, so maybe Germans can actually see the film uncut for the first time since VHS -legally).

IDK, the whole German ratings bureau is so idiotic/fucked that the UK folks should feel lucky to have the BBFC. Shit like this or my favorite: when they confused the Romero original with the Savini remake of Night of the Living Dead, ended up banning both, whoops.

[Koukol]

I got mine off E-Bay Germany when it came out.

BTW~It looks fantastic.

[Minkin]

I got mine off E-Bay Germany when it came out.

The German government has come down hard on online retailers in the past few years. Amazon.de had to pull hundreds of product listings, after being outed by Der Spiegel at the end of 2012. Something similar happened in 2009 when the government went after the UK version of Amazon for selling banned films to German citizens. So that ebay seller probably took some risk to sell it to you (or was based outside of Germany). There has been an on/off a program to try to allow online orders-but that requires an additional €5+/item for delivery, and all sorts of identification loops that have to be jumped through (would be nice if something similar was implemented in the UK, so that Arrow wouldn't be so screwed when they release more pornographic titles).

Sorry, since I'm sure everybody is loving this diatribe, and since the preliminary question has been answered long ago. I suppose it is just sad that a German film is censored/banned/difficult to see in its own country.

[MichaelB]

(would be nice if something similar was implemented in the UK, so that Arrow wouldn't be so screwed when they release more pornographic titles).

Indeed. I was on tenterhooks waiting for the BBFC verdict on the longer cut of Borowczyk's A Private Collection, because even though we removed a few seconds of unambiguously illegal material there was still a risk of an R18 instead of an 18.

And if that had happened, we'd simply have dropped it altogether. With obvious regrets, of course, but an R18 for a single item means an R18 for the whole package, just as an 18 for an extra on the PG-certificate Blanche makes that entire release off limits to under-18s. But at least we can still sell Blanche anywhere, whereas an R18 would effectively make it undistributable in any sense that might allow the project to break even.

[manicsounds]

Sorry, since I'm sure everybody is loving this diatribe, and since the preliminary question has been answered long ago. I suppose it is just sad that a German film is censored/banned/difficult to see in its own country.

I'm sure that "Triumph of the Will" and other Nazi propaganda movies are banned as well, right?

[Minkin]

(would be nice if something similar was implemented in the UK, so that Arrow wouldn't be so screwed when they release more pornographic titles).

And if that had happened, we'd simply have dropped it altogether. With obvious regrets, of course, but an R18 for a single item means an R18 for the whole package, just as an 18 for an extra on the PG-certificate Blanche makes that entire release off limits to under-18s. But at least we can still sell Blanche anywhere, whereas an R18 would effectively make it undistributable in any sense that might allow the project to break even.

I suppose the idea of introducing online purchases by an MP would probably be disastrous to their future then? The German system is indeed a pain in the ass, what with being charged 5Euro for each movie (not just an order) that has to be delivered in such a way, then you have to prove your credit card credentials, and have an appropriate government ID when the mailman delivers. Its annoying when you're doing this for just a Friday the 13th film or Texas Chainsaw Massacre. This would be more justifiable for projects like the Boro set. It seems that, with the stupid increase in costs the BBFC is charging now (for disc extras), you might as well get perks like online sales of pornographic titles. Oh well. Perhaps Arrow should just move their headquarters to Sealand.

Sorry, since I'm sure everybody is loving this diatribe, and since the preliminary question has been answered long ago. I suppose it is just sad that a German film is censored/banned/difficult to see in its own country.

I'm sure that "Triumph of the Will" and other Nazi propaganda movies are banned as well, right?

Yeah, those are equally screwed as well. Technically they're owned by the FWMurnau-Stiftung/German government under copyright and can't be shown legally without their approval (same sort of BS with Mein Kampf in Germany). They only approve rare screenings shown in an educational forum, and require a professor of Holocaust studies or something similar to give a lengthy talk before and after the film screens. So it is unlikely that most Germans will get to see many of the films on the banned list (even when the majority of films on the banned list are nowhere near as offensive or "dangerous" as Triumph of the Will or Jud Süß). Seems a shame that the only way people will be able to see these are when they fall into public domain (which will happen in the next few years for some films). So much for Germany "forgiving but not forgetting" by trying to shove these films into obscurity rather than allowing the public to deal with their past demons (the German government even tried to destroy all copies of these films at one point...).

Anyway, Mark of the Devil. Great film, can't wait to purchase the Arrow release. Looking forward to seeing what the extras are. Need someone to discuss German censorship?

[Thornycroft]

As noted in the Arrow store link in the first post, this has been pushed back to September 29th.

[antnield]

Full specs:

• High Definition Blu-ray (1080p) and Standard Definition DVD presentation of the feature, transferred from original film elements – available uncut in the UK for the first time!
• Optional English and German audio
• Optional English subtitles for the deaf and hard of hearing
• Newly translated English subtitles for the German audio
• Audio commentary by Michael Armstrong, moderated by Calum Waddell
• Mark of the Times – exclusive feature-length documentary from High Rising Productions on the emergence of the ‘new wave’ of British horror directors that surfaced during the sixties and seventies, featuring contributions from Michael Armstrong, Norman J. Warren (Terror), David McGillivray (Frightmare), Professor Peter Hutchings (author of Hammer and Beyond) and famed film critic Kim Newman
• Hallmark of the Devil – author and critic Michael Gingold looks back at Hallmark Releasing, the controversial and confrontational distributor that introduced Mark of the Devil to American cinemas
• Interviews with composer Michael Holm and actors Udo Kier, Herbert Fux, Gaby Fuchs, Ingeborg Schöner and Herbert Lom
• Mark of the Devil: Now and Then – a look at the film’s locations and how they appear today
• Outtakes
• Gallery
• Reversible Sleeve featuring original and newly commissioned artwork by Graham Humphreys
• Illustrated collector’s booklet featuring new writing on the film by Adrian Smith and Anthony Nield, plus an interview with Reggie Nalder by David Del Valle, all illustrated with original stills and artwork

Region: A/B+1/2
Rating: 18
Cat No: FCD967
Duration: 91
Language: English Mono / German Mono
Subtitles: English SDH / English
Aspect Ratio: 1.66:1
Colour

[Orlac]

Note to dvd companies: Kim Newman = instant sale

[effigy105]

Arrow do it again. This isn't a film I'm overly enamoured with, although it certainly has its vile charms, but with supplemental material like that I'll gladly snap up a copy.

[manicsounds]

So somehow Arrow were able to get this region AB for blu-ray and region 1/2 for DVD? Interesting.
I assume the DVD will be NTSC if that's the case

[antnield]

It will.

[EddieLarkin]

Beaver

Exceeds all of my expectations image wise. Looks like quite a recent high quality scan.

[David M.]

It's Region A+B, BTW - not just B as DVDBeaver says.

BTW, there is an undocumented feature on the BD that someone will eventually find that MOTD aficionados should be interested in.

[manicsounds]

Arrow also hinted about the easter egg on facebook

[antnield]

Mondo Digital.

[David M.]

Carried over here from the Blue Underground release are the four video interviews (Kier, Fux, Fuchs, and Schoner)

They're actually not the same, BU's DVD had cut-down versions of the interviews whereas the new Arrow version has the full length originals.

[Banasa]

A little late, but Blu-ray.com has high marks for the US release in all departments but the film itself.

[Rayon Vert]

Watched this film tonight for the first time. Not completely enamoured of it. It's like Witchfinder General again but pushed that much further in terms of the exploitation, but with diminishing returns. It gets a little repetitious, and if anything it's a bit like watching an ancestor of torture porn!