door into darkness : bread love dreams

The untimely demise of indie DVD distributor NoShame Films left a hole no other company has been able to fill. Specializing in Italian cult and classic releases, there were a plethora of titles still in the hopper when the curtain was drawn...titles few others would have the courage to release. So, like the miraculous happy ending of some breezy comedy, it comes as no small relief to see MYA Communications pick up the baton and race across the Region 1 finish line with four relatively obscure Italian titles, each with a great deal of niche appeal. Most notable is Dario Argento’s Door into Darkness, a 2-disc set that includes 4 episodes of the famous horror director’s foray into television production. Milking his international title as “The Italian Hitchcock,” Argento serves as the host of each story and directs (under a pseudonym) the episode entitled “The Tram” about a murder committed in plain sight on a crowded trolley car. Pushing the limits of acceptable TV violence, although far less than anything seen in Italian theaters at the time, MYA’s presentation is remastered from the RIA network tapes, the original film elements having been long since destroyed. Door Into Darkness features Italy’s most famous director of grand guignol working at the height of his abilities. How could anyone pass that up? The Maniacs showcases yet another well-known Italian horror icon, director Lucio Fulci, well before he became known as the “Godfather of Gore.” A comedy anthology very much in the vein of early Mel Brooks or similar sketch TV shows, The Maniacs features innumerable Italian comedians poking fun as social mores, political debate and sexual repartee. The scattershot approach keeps each scene from getting too stale, and the humor translates surprisingly well. Fulci, like many Italian directors, proves himself to be adept at handling any sort of genre. And here he is paired up with famed horror actress Barbara Steele and composer Ennio Morricone. In a similar vein, The Inveterate Bachelor stays a bit more grounded in its “he said, she said” storyline about two young lovers whose relationship is soured by that most infamous of institutions: marriage. Told in flashback as the husband faces trail for murder, the script vacillates between two exaggerated descriptions of the same situation from the male and female perspectives, while the presiding judges stretch out the trial in order to consummate their own illicit affairs. Legendary comedian / director Vittorio De Sica pops up in a small but important role as a professional bachelor who schools our leading man in the dangers of making that long-term commitment. But the real surprise of all MYA’s titles is Bread, Love and Dreams, a ridiculously charming romantic comedy starring De Sica and Gina Lollabrigida and a fine example of the so-called Pink Neo-realism movement which opened the genre to lighter themes and fuller figures. Indeed, Lollabrigida looks exceedingly alluring as “Frisky,” a loud-mouthed local girl who pines after a shy Carbabinieri while being pursued by the new Marshall (De Sica). It’s a star-making performance which earned her numerous accolades and spawned two sequels. Director Luigi Comencini creates a painterly scene of small-town Italy, full of likable characters and blossoming romance. Bread, Love and Dreams may not be on any fan’s radar, but it’s a remarkably endearing film premiering on DVD in the US for the first time with a bonus photo gallery.