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The success of Dario Argento’s The Bird with the Crystal Plumage ushered in a host of imitators, seeking to capitalise on this new, modern take on the giallo thriller. Many were highly derivative, but a number nonetheless rose above the crowd thanks to skilful execution and a willingness to experiment stylistically. Once such example is The Fifth Cord ¬– which, in the hands of director Luigi Bazzoni (The Possessed, Footprints on the Moon), turns a conventional premise into a visually stunning exploration of alienation and isolation.

When a man barely survives a brutal assault en route home from a New Year’s party, washed-up, whisky-swilling journalist Andrea Bild (Franco Nero, Django) is assigned to report on the case. Before long, the maniac strikes again, this time with fatal results. As the body count rises, Andrea falls under suspicion himself, making it even more imperative that he crack the case. His only clue lies in a series of black gloves found at the location of every attack, each with a finger cut off…

Adapted from a novel by David McDonald Devine, The Fifth Cord boasts a complex, Agatha Christie-esque plot, outstanding cinematography courtesy of future Oscar-winner Vittorio Storaro (Apocalypse Now) and supporting appearances by a raft of genre stalwarts, including Silvia Monti (A Lizard in a Woman’s Skin), Edmund Purdom (Nightmare City) and Rossella Falk (Sleepless). Debuting here in high definition, arguably the most visually stunning giallo ever made now shines like never before.

SPECIAL EDITION CONTENTS

• Brand new 2K restoration from the original camera negative
• High Definition Blu-ray (1080p) presentation
• Original lossless mono Italian and English soundtracks
• English subtitles for the Italian soundtrack
• Optional English subtitles for the deaf and hard of hearing for the English soundtrack
• New audio commentary by critic Travis Crawford
• Lines and Shadows, a new video essay on the film’s use of architecture and space by critic Rachael Nisbet
• Whisky Giallore, a new video interview with author and critic Michael Mackenzie
• Black Day for Nero, a new video interview with actor Franco Nero
• The Rhythm Section, a new video interview with film editor Eugenio Alabiso
• Rare, previously unseen deleted sequence, restored from the original negative
• Original Italian and English theatrical trailers
• Image gallery
• Reversible sleeve featuring original and newly commissioned artwork by Haunt Love

FIRST PRESSING ONLY: Illustrated collector’s booklet featuring new writing on the film by Kat Ellinger and Peter Jilmstad

Just watched this and was very impressed by both the film and by Arrow's treatment of it. In both the liner notes and commentary track, however, there's such a strong emphasis on links between Fifth Cord, Possessed and Footsteps on the Moon, that Arrow's not having gone the Box Set route seems more than ever like a real missed opportunity. A Fifth Cord/Possessed set would have been a natural and fascinating pairing; a Box containing the entire "trilogy" (although I've no idea about rights to Footsteps) would have been amazing.

Footsteps is on DVD from Shameless in the UK, so that would be unlikely unfortunately (I hope that it is the next candidate for Shameless to upgrade to Blu-ray), but hopefully someone might get to The Possessed in its own right at some point.

colinr0380 wrote: ↑

Sat Jan 05, 2019 12:54 pm

Footsteps is on DVD from Shameless in the UK, so that would be unlikely unfortunately (I hope that it is the next candidate for Shameless to upgrade to Blu-ray), but hopefully someone might get to The Possessed in its own right at some point.

Arrow is releasing The Possessed on the same day as The Fifth Cord

Ah, I had missed that. Thanks dwk!

dwk wrote: ↑

Sat Jan 05, 2019 1:33 pm

Arrow is releasing The Possessed on the same day as The Fifth Cord

Exactly. So why didn't Arrow just go the extra half-mile and combine these two films into a nice set? They've certainly paired less naturally related films before.

Are they from the same rightsholder? If not, it’s more of a challenge.

They both appear on Surf Films' site.

Re Footprints: Don’t Arrow own Shameless now? If so isn’t it possible that they will take over the rights (if Shameless still have it) and give it the better treatment, if not in the UK then at least Stateside?

What are the available materials? Could this be highly problematic? Given that the Shameless DVD was a “fan edition” (or something) compiled from apparently bootleg sources? Has anyone been digging and found adequate materials - and what would be the extent of restoration work required?

Footprints is definitely essential and of all the fascinating Italian genre / art films, most in need of upgrade (given terrible earlier editions) along with, say, lost Italian treasure Spider Labyrinth (last seen in an amateur DVD-R edition).

I believe Arrow only distribute for Shameless.

This is a great giallo (despite, or maybe because of, a plot that's almost arbitrary enough to be classed as a post-modern joke). Bazzoni once again demonstrates a sharp visual eye, and this film is full of classic 'modernist alienation' cinematography by Vittorio Storaro. It might also be the cinema's grandest example of staircase porn. Multiple examples of arresting staircases or steps, or staircases / steps shot in an arresting way (e.g. a frame filled top to toe with a single vast set of steps, a tiny Franco Nero in long shot the only other element of the composition, floating in abstract architectural space), plus a near obsessive need to include spiral staircases in the backgrounds of otherwise stair-free scenes. This is a lethal drinking game just waiting to happen.

As for the mystery of why Arrow didn't package the "trilogy" together, once you've seen the films it's no mystery, because it's no trilogy. Bazzoni directed five films. Two were westerns. This doesn't make the remaining three a trilogy!

You clearly don't work in marketing.

I would love to see a good edition of Footsteps on the Moon, though.

This is brilliant, I must rewatch,have to get The Possessed, and Footprints is on my “wish list” near the top.

Very positive work from Arrow.

Adam X wrote: ↑

Wed Feb 27, 2019 12:06 am

You clearly don't work in marketing.

I would love to see a good edition of Footsteps on the Moon, though.

According to the press release for the new edition of Kier-La Janisse’s House of Psyxhotic Women, Severin has done a new restoration of Footsteps on the Moon.

I just saw this. Cannot wait, and they've got Ernesto Gastaldi's Libido coming too.