The lead into this film from Arrow reads ‘Before Black Sabbath, before I Vampiri, director Giorgio Ferroni (The Lion of Thebes, Blood for a Silver Dollar) introduced audiences to period horror Italian-style with his chilling 1960 shocker Mill of the Stone Women’. Relating it as much to Hammer Horror as it does to the great director of Italian horror, it runs over the details of the timeline and as such the importance of a film like it. Then it jumps into a vague plot. An art student called Hans von Arnam (Pierre Brice) has been sent to study under Professor Wahl (Herbert Böhme). He has a famed exhibition of brutality and perversion in Holland. Hans wants to write a monograph about these celebrated sculptures of women in the throes of death and torture, but seems to become enamoured with the beautiful and mysterious daughter of his subject Elfi (Scilla Gabel). Though this was the first Italian horror film to be shot in color, MILL OF THE STONE WOMAN is far from the best and as such is a collectors or fans purchase and not for the fan of later Italian works. So if you love Argento, Adore Bava or even enjoy Hammer hero Fisher, this is far and away from those masters.

The restoration lacks some of the more essential notes of colour but does dress the film up into a more interesting thing than it actually is. This might be due to all four versions (each are over bloated and each have the same colour issue) are in 1080p transfers. The best extras here are again from the studio stalwarts, Tim Lucas and Kat Ellinger. One gives a comparison and insight into the Euro centric delight of the production and the other examines the gothic nature of the film in the age of Hammer and that controlling interest.

https://www.arrowfilms.com/blu-ray/mill-of-the-stone-women-limited-edition/13278478.html

2-DISC LIMITED EDITION CONTENTS

• New 2K restoration from the original negative by Arrow Films
• 1080p Blu-ray™ presentations of four different versions of the film: the original 96-minute Italian and English export versions, the 90-minute French version, containing exclusive footage, and the 95-minute US version, containing alternate dubbing, re-ordered scenes and added visual effects
• Limited edition packaging with reversible sleeve featuring original and newly commissioned artwork by Adam Rabalais
• Illustrated collector’s booklet featuring new writing on the film by Roberto Curti, an in-depth comparison of the different versions by Brad Stevens, and a selection of contemporary reviews
• Fold-out double-sided poster featuring original and newly commissioned artwork by Adam Rabalais
• Six double-sided, postcard-sized lobby card reproduction artcards

DISC 1 – THE ITALIAN AND ENGLISH EXPORT VERSIONS

• Restored original lossless mono Italian and English soundtracks
• Newly translated English subtitles for the Italian soundtrack
• Optional English subtitles for the deaf and hard of hearing for the English soundtrack
• New audio commentary by Tim Lucas, author of Mario Bava: All the Colors of the Dark
• Mill of the Stone Women & The Gothic Body, a new visual essay on the trope of the wax/statue woman in Gothic horror by author and critic Kat Ellinger
• Turned to Stone, a newly edited featurette containing archival interviews with actress Liana Orfei and film historian Fabio Melelli
• A Little Chat with Dr. Mabuse, an archival interview with actor Wolfgang Preiss
• Rare opening titles from the UK release, re-titled “Drops of Blood”
• German opening titles
• US and German theatrical trailers
• Image galleries

DISC 2 – THE FRENCH AND US VERSIONS (LIMITED EDITION EXCLUSIVE)

• Restored original lossless mono French soundtrack for the French version
• Restored original lossless mono English soundtrack for the US version
• Newly translated English subtitles for the French soundtrack
• Optional English subtitles for the deaf and hard of hearing for the English soundtrack