Cheap Mill of the Stone Women (DVD) (Giorgio Ferroni) Price

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Rediscover a real horror gem.
"Mill Of The Stone Women" is one of those strange movies that has been hailed by critics and yet hardly seen by anybody. This is a real shame because it deserves to be seen and appreciated by anybody with an interest in horror cinema. The plot treads well-worn ground with the story of a man driven to murder young women as the only way keep his beautiful (but afflicted with a rare and deadly medical condition) daughter alive. The resulting dead bodies are disguised as statues, a plot-device that has been done many times, but here the setting that the action unfolds within takes a further step into the bizarre. Instead of a wax museum, the crazed father owns a windmill which powers a moving "carousel" of statues of famous murderesses and tragic historical heroines. When the attraction is open and the windmill sails are turning, the statues career unstably around a little stage as a melancholy tune cranks out of a music box (also powered by the sails). The effect is startling, even today, and quite surreal.

The action of the film follows a handsome young researcher who takes a job at the windmill, and unwittingly attracts the amorous attention of the daughter (the stunning Scilla Gabel). Sadly, the young man already has a fiancee...so guess who's soon destined for a place on the carousel? Of course the action id predictable, but the presentation of it is wonderful. Colours are deep and rich, and the lighting makes wonderful work of the many elaborate sets, populated as they often are with many sculptures and statues in various states of completion. The acting is mostly effective, although it depends on which soundtrack you are watching (Mondo Macabre have given three options here), especially in the case of the mad mill-owner, whose voice makes him almost a different character in each dub! Unfortunately for those of us wanting it in English, it is the French dub that looks the most effective (it looks like the actors were speaking their original lines in French, and the UK and US dubs end up very poorly lip-synched). Still, it's great to see the film at all, and in this condition, you really can't complain. It appears to be fully uncut, even better than previous "full" editions I have seen. The process of curing the sick daughter and what happens to the bodies of the victims is shown at great length, and some of the sequences are quite surprising given the time the film was made (1960). Equally effective is the rousing climax, which you'll have to see for yourself, but look out for some amazing final shots of the carousel statues as the film comes to a close.

This has been a very hard to find film for a long time, but thanks to Mondo Macabro it has at last been revived in a gorgeous new transfer that really brings the movie to life. Plus you even get extra scenes and a massive photo gallery. Throw away those old video copies and previous DVD releases, they don't stand a chance against this one.

A masterpiece from Italy !
"Mill of the stone women" is a masterpiece. Everything is perfect in this landmark of italian horror movies. Pierre Brice better known (specially in Europe) as Winnetou gives a good performance. The scenes of hallucination where he think he had killed Elfi (Scilla Gabel), the sick daughter of Professor Wahl are amazing. There are also the german actor Wolfgang Preiss (also known as Dr. Mabuse in the sixties) and the surprising Robert Boehme as Professor Wahl. At first he seems so kindly, but behind this mask he's gruesome and obsessed to cure his daughter, whatever the price will be !
A word about the feminine parts: Scilla Gabel (double of Sophia Loren) is a wonderfull actress and she's perfect as Elfi. Dany Carrel, a french actress, plays the woman in love of Pierre Brice. Don't forget Liana Orfei, one of the victims of Professor Wahl.
The music score of the carillon with his wax mannequins will obsess you. There's no gothic castle here but a mysterious windmill. The final scene is a real climax. This movie is much more than a simply horror flick ! There's something of a dark tragedy.
The DVD looks simply great. The bonus are very interesting (deleted scenes, theatrical trailer, a huge stills and poster gallery). I've choosen the french audio track which sounds very good, better than the English one.
Giorgio Ferroni created a masterpiece. Don't miss it !