Collecting records and books was a big part of the teenage years in the ’80s. Who could imagine something horrific happening when while flipping through bins of vinyl and shelves of paperbacks? Luckily two people in Europe did. Adrian Garcia Bogliano’s Black Circle from Spain and Dario Argento’s Tenebrae from Italy will make you think twice before entering the Record Hole or Reader’s Corner. Black Circle involves a record that will do more than set the mood when the needle drops in the groove. Tenebrae has a book that’s inspiring a killer. Both films are coming out from Synapse Films in September. Dario Argento’s Tenebrae gets pushed up in resolution with a 4K UHD release. Here’s the press release from Synapse Films:
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Synapse Films Delivers Terrifying Sci-Fi Horror
and Dark, Grisly Giallo in September
Black Circle
9/5/23
Tenebrae
9/26/23
On September 5th, acclaimed Spanish horror director Adrian Garcia Bogliano’s Black Circle comes to Blu-ray in an impressive edition that includes its original soundtrack on CD.
When sisters Celeste and Isa play a mysterious vinyl record from the 1970s, neither had any idea what they would unlock. They soon discover that the record, meant to induce calmness, created duplicates of themselves. As their doppelgängers grow in strength their only hope lies in finding the hypnotist who created the recording years ago. Featuring a mesmerizing score by Rickard Gramfors and a haunting performance by Christina Lindberg (Thriller: A Cruel Picture), Black Circle is a film you won’t soon forget.
The Blu-ray edition includes the original motion picture soundtrack on an included CD; an audio commentary with director Adrian Garcia Bogliano; the original teaser trailer; Don’t Open Your Eyes – an original short film; an interview with Adrian Garcia Bogliano and Christina Lindberg; Inside Black Circle – a behind-the-scenes featurette; and a still gallery.
Next up, on September 26th, Synapse Films unleashes Dario Argento’s Tenebrae on 4K UHD from a new 4K restoration from the original camera negative, presented in Dolby Vision (HDR10 compatible) in its original 1.85:1 aspect ratio with restored original DTS-HD MA lossless mono Italian and English soundtracks and English subtitles for the Italian soundtrack.
As mystery writer Peter Neal (Anthony Franciosa) is promoting his newest novel Tenebrae, a serial killer begins to murder their victims in the very manner Neal describes in his book! As those around him are being picked off one by one and the police look at Neal as the sole suspect, the author must investigate and find the murderer himself before he’s either killed or framed for the murders. Featuring performances by Franciosa, John Saxon, Daria Nicolodi, and John Steiner makes Tenebrae an all-star murder mystery not to be missed, with Argento at his very best.
The two disc 4K UHD + Blu-ray set features an audio commentary by authors and critics Alan Jones and Kim Newman; an audio commentary by Argento expert Thomas Rostock; an audio commentary by Maitland McDonagh, author of Broken Mirrors/Broken Minds: The Dark Dreams of Dario Argento; Yellow Fever: The Rise and Fall of the Giallo, a feature-length documentary charting the genre from its beginnings to its influence on modern slasher films, featuring interviews with Dario Argento, Umberto Lenzi, Luigi Cozzi and more; Being the Villain, a newly edited archival interview with actor John Steiner; Out of the Shadows, an archival interview with Maitland McDonagh; Voices of the Unsane, an archival featurette containing interviews with writer/director Dario Argento, actresses Daria Nicolodi and Eva Robins, cinematographer Luciano Tovoli, composer Claudio Simonetti and assistant director Lamberto Bava; Screaming Queen, an archival interview with Daria Nicolodi; The Unsane World of Tenebrae, an archival interview with Dario Argento; A Composition for Carnage, an archival interview with Claudio Simonetti; an archival introduction by Daria Nicolodi; an international theatrical trailer; a Japanese “Shadow” theatrical trailer; an alternate opening credits sequence; “Unsane” end credits sequence; and image galleries.
Black Circle
Two sisters, Celeste and Isa, fall under the terrifying spell of a mysterious vinyl record from the 1970s.
GOOD CANNOT EXIST WITHOUT EVIL Two sisters, Celeste and Isa, fall under the terrifying spell of a mysterious vinyl record from the 1970s. Used to help with stress and bring the listener to a state of calming self-hypnosis, the recording has the unfortunate side-effect of manifesting a doppelganger of the listener into our world. This “double” then grows stronger by the day to copy and take over the life of the person who played the vinyl. Seeking the help of the woman who originally created the recording, hypnotist Lena Carlsson (Christina Lindberg, Thriller: A Cruel Picture), Celeste and Isa try to banish the doppelgangers back to their own world before their lives are lost forever. Directed by internationally acclaimed horror master Adrian Garcia Bogliano (Here Comes the Devil, Late Phases), Black Circle is “top-notch psychological horror with a sci-fi bent that, as a doppelganger tale, rivals the best of the remakes of, and films inspired by, the original Invasion of the Body Snatchers” (scariesthings.com).
Media
Bonus Materials
- Haunting original motion picture soundtrack on included Compact Disc
- Audio commentary with director Adrian Garcia Bogliano
- Original teaser trailer
- Don’t Open Your Eyes – Original short film
- Interview with Adrian Garcia Bogliano and Christina Lindberg
- Inside Black Circle – Behind-the-scenes featurette
- Still Gallery
Tenebrae
An American writer in Rome is stalked and harassed by a serial killer who is murdering everyone associated with his work on his latest book.
Italian horror master Dario Argento elevates the giallo genre to new heights with 1982’s TENEBRAE, a darkly humorous and notoriously grisly murder-mystery that many consider to be one of his finest works. American mystery author Peter Neal (Anthony Franciosa, Death Wish II) comes to Rome to promote his newest novel, Tenebrae. A razor-wielding psychopath is on the loose, taunting Neal and murdering those around him in gruesome fashion just like the character in his novel. As the mystery surrounding the killings spirals out of control, Neal investigates the crimes on his own, leading to a mind-bending, genre-twisting conclusion that will leave you breathless! Co-starring John Saxon (A Nightmare on Elm Street), Daria Nicolodi (Phenomena), John Steiner (Caligula) and featuring beautiful cinematography by Luciano Tovoli (Suspiria), this stunning 4K UHD (2160p)/Blu-ray (1080p) combo set includes hours of extras.
Media
Bonus Materials
- 4K UHD (2160p) & Blu-ray (1080p) Combo Pack
- 4K (2160p) UHD Blu-ray™ presentation in Dolby Vision (HDR10 compatible) in its original 1.85:1 aspect ratio
- Original Italian and English front and end titles and insert shots
- Restored original DTS-HD MA 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
- Audio commentary by authors and critics Alan Jones and Kim Newman
- Audio commentary by Argento expert Thomas Rostock
- Audio commentary by Maitland McDonagh, author of Broken Mirrors/Broken Minds: The Dark Dreams of Dario Argento
- Yellow Fever: The Rise and Fall of the Giallo, a feature-length documentary charting the genre from its beginnings to its influence on the modern slasher film, featuring interviews with Dario Argento, Umberto Lenzi, Luigi Cozzi and more
- Being the Villain, a newly edited archival interview with actor John Steiner
- Out of the Shadows, an archival interview with Maitland McDonagh
- Voices of the Unsane, an archival featurette containing interviews with writer/director Dario Argento, actresses Daria Nicolodi and Eva Robins, cinematographer Luciano Tovoli, composer Claudio Simonetti and assistant director Lamberto Bava
- Screaming Queen, an archival interview with Daria Nicolodi
- The Unsane World of Tenebrae, an archival interview with Dario Argento
- A Composition for Carnage, an archival interview with Claudio Simonetti
- Archival introduction by Daria Nicolodi
- International theatrical trailer
- Japanese “Shadow” theatrical trailer
- Alternate opening credits sequence
- “Unsane” end credits sequence
- Image galleries
