Stars:
Camille Keaton, Eron Tabor, Richard Pace, Anthony Nichols and Gunter Kleemann
Writer:
Meir Zarchi
Director:
Meir Zarchi
Feature
length: 100 minutes
Extras:
Commentary With Writer/Director Meir Zarchi, Commentary With Cult Film Guru Joe
Bob Briggs, Theatrical Trailers, TV Spots, Radio Spots, Still Gallery, and
Reviews
Languages:
English DTS Digital 5.1 Theatrical Surround Sound, Dolby Digital 5.1 Surround
Sound, and Monaural Sound
Subtitles:
N/A
Packaging:
Alpha Keep Case
Chapter
Stops: 24
Sound:
DTS Digital 5.1 Theatrical Surround Sound, Dolby Digital 5.1 Surround Sound, and
Monaural Sound
Year
of Theatrical Release: 1978/DVD Release: 2002
Home
Video Distributor: Elite Entertainment
MPAA
Rating: Not Rated
Reviewer:
Mark A. Rivera
When
I was in high school I remember hearing about “I Spit On Your Grave” and
even seeing the box in video stores while people would pick it up in silent
discussion about some of the graphic scenes in the film. Ironically despite all
the word of mouth I never saw it until screening this newly released
“Millennium Edition” DVD from Elite Entertainment. Perhaps I would be more
shocked had I not seen so many films like it in the past years that I have been
reviewing films. I would say the films this reminds of are Wes Craven’s
“Last House On The Left,” “Deliverance,” and “Death Wish,” but by
the time “I Spit On Your Grave” was produced under the film’s original and
Director preferred title “Day Of The Woman,” there had been many films that
dealt with the inhumanity of man to man, man to woman, and whatnot. Perhaps the
biggest difference with this film is that we have a woman played by Camille
Keaton who goes through a horrific trial by fire where she is gang raped by four
men three times and left for dead only to emerge stronger like a phoenix from
the ashes and exact poetic revenge upon her attackers. The film contains scenes
of full frontal nudity, simulated sodomy, and emasculation. The most memorable
scene in the film where one of the rapists has his penis chopped off in a
bathtub after being seduced by the victim turn avenger will have men of all ages
grabbing their packages with a cringe that would rival such disturbing sounds
and images as rubbing Styrofoam together or a person scratching a chalk board
with their fingernails magnified to infinity. Yet the film is compelling in the
simplistic storytelling style and the absence of music, which gives the film a
more voyeuristic atmosphere.
“I
Spit On Your Grave AKA Day Of The Woman” is definitely not for everybody, but
what film is. One’s taste in cinema is like one’s taste in food. Some people
have a limited palette for various reasons and the same holds true for films and
television. How many movies does one remember watching when they were a kid that
just isn’t viewable now that he or she is an adult or a film they thought was
dull that they now appreciate with age? What about the sweet treat that you
loved as a kid, but can’t imagine how you could have eaten such a sugar coated
product now that you’re an adult and that dish that you would never touch as a
kid, but as an adult you’ve developed a taste for? Self evolution for better
or worse changes how one views anything so while I can understand why someone
would find “I Spit On Your Grave AKA Day Of The Woman” disturbing and
exploitive, I also think that if the film were any less raw than it is in the
unrated version then the visceral effect that both repulses and attracts the
viewer to stick with the film through to the very end would be diminished.
Personally I liked “I Spit On Your Grave AKA Day Of The Woman” a whole lot
more than I expected and despite a few elements that seem a bit contrived,
overall this is an interesting amoral tale to understate the obvious.
Previous
available on DVD through Elite Entertainment, this latest addition to Elite’s
“Millennium Edition” series presents “I Spit On Your Grave AKA Day Of The
Woman” with a THX certified anamorphic widescreen (1.85:1) aspect ratio
complete with the THX Optimizer® program for proper picture and sound
calibration. The results are a picture that is remarkably clean and bright with
only a little shimmering here and there. A new English DTS Digital 5.1
Theatrical Surround Soundtrack as well as an English Dolby Digital 5.1 Surround
Sound, and the original English Monaural Soundtrack are included. The DTS
soundtrack mix has a slightly edgier feel, but overall both new 5.1 mixes sound
about the same. They are clear and remarkably not hollow sounding.
Writer,
Producer, and Director Meir Zarchi gives an insightful feature length audio
commentary for this DVD release where he mixes readings from critical essays on
the film with a collection of blurbs from various reviews of the film and even
excerpts from the screenplay while going into great detail the real life
inspiration behind the screenplay and the subsequent backlash that marred the
film’s 1978 and 1980 theatrical releases and how in the end the dawn of VHS
eventually bought the film to the cult status it now holds. Cult Film Guru Joe
Bob Briggs also contributes an excellent and quite humorous feature length audio
commentary that favorably discusses the film in a way unlike anyone else I have
ever heard. He shares all sorts of witty observations and anecdotes that include
the fact the film is still banned in Australia.
Four
(1.85:1) theatrical trailers are included and once you have seen the film on
this DVD and then see the trailers, I think a greater appreciation for this
restored transfer will occur. The trailers, TV spots, and radio spots can be
viewed or in the case of the radio spots, listened to individually or as one
reel for each topic. The various spots consist of the “Day Of The Woman”
theatrical trailer (2:41), a Spanish Subtitled “Day Of The Woman” trailer
(3:25), and two “I Spit On Your Grave” theatrical trailers running at (2:54)
and (2:59) respectively. The three (1.33:1) TV spots and the three radio spots
have collective run times of (1:41) and (1:13) respectively. All of the
trailers, TV and radio spots feature English Two-Channel Monaural Soundtracks.
Various
text excerpts from various favorable and unfavorable reviews are also included
along with a gallery of international VHS, VCD, and DVD cover art as well as the
one-sheet and still photographs that wrap up the extra features included on this
DVD.
The
DVD features full motion scene selection menus and animated transitions to
standard interactive still frame menus from an animated main menu and all are
easy to navigate. Elite Entertainment’s “I Spit On Your Grave AKA Day Of The
Woman: Millennium” is another great effort if not an impressive carefully put
together definitive DVD edition of this famous and infamous cult film. “I Spit
On Your Grave AKA Day Of The Woman: Millennium Edition” is available on DVD-Video
now at retailers on and offline from Elite Entertainment.
©
Copyright 2003 By Mark A. Rivera
All Rights Reserved.