Eureka’s new Masters of Cinema Blu-ray box set collects a selection of 1960s West German crime films, aka krimis. Bridging the gap between more conventional, classic U.S. film noir and Italy’s later seedy, lurid giallo films, these black-and-white krimis dabble in sleeze while remaining fairly mainstream. The films in this set are all loosely associated with British crime novelist Edgar Wallace and his son, Bryan Edgar Wallace, combining murder mysteries with gothic horror for a pulpy blend of fun. That forced literary association results in perhaps the most confounding concession: the films are all set in England with English characters, but filmed in German entirely at CCC Film in Germany.
Buy Terror In The Fog: The Wallace Krimi At CCC Blu-ray setThe Wallace association was utilized primarily as a marketing tool, with the elder Wallace having no involvement with the films and the son riding his father’s coattails to market his valuable name, or at least his middle and last name. The krimis borrow Wallace book titles, but make up their own original stories, something akin to the James Bond films on a much smaller budget. It’s unlikely that many current viewers care about the Wallace connection, and indeed the films stand perfectly well on their own with no knowledge of their literary heritage, so the only lingering influence is the inescapable English settings and characters.
While the box cover art indicates that the set includes five movies, it also tucks in a sixth complete film as a bonus, solely omitted from the count because it was only currently available from CCC Film in standard definition. Having seen the film, the definition is still plenty robust, the print is fairly clean, and the production is so solid all the way around that it is a fully worthy addition to the rest of the collection.
The Curse of the Yellow Snake starts in Hong Kong, where a murder traces back to London and a strange cult of robed, hooded members. It features some Asian actors, but regrettably the principal half-Asian character is played by a white actor with eye prosthetics. The film also boasts an innovative electronic score, with its early bleeps and bloops reminiscent of early Doctor Who soundtracks.
The Strangler of Blackmoor Castle focuses on diamonds and murder, with another electronic soundtrack by the same composer. It feels like Dark Shadows due to its setting at a spooky Gothic estate. The story centers on a hooded prowler trying to steal stolen diamonds from the estate’s shady uncle, with subterfuge the order of the day.
The Mad Executioners features another secret society of masked men, this time acting as vigilantes who track down bad guys and sentence them to death in their scary Secret Court. Meanwhile, a mad scientist is experimenting on young women by beheading them and attempting to transfer their brains to robots, with disastrous results. The dual plotlines eventually converge, leading to a thrilling and gruesome conclusion. Electronic music is jettisoned in favor of a jazzy orchestral score.
The Phantom of Soho is the bonus standard definition film. It is set in the seedy Club Sansibaro, where a stabber wearing glitter gloves is knocking off the strippers who work there. In an inspired move, it features a bumbling inspector who offers comic relief to the harrowing investigation.
The Monster of London City is amusingly set at the exact same club, primarily because it was ramping up production just as the prior film was wrapping. It follows actors performing in a Jack the Ripper play while a real killer is on the loose in the community, blurring the line between the stage and reality, especially when the killer tries to frame the Jack actor. This one is too talky, but the intriguing scenario makes it worth a watch.
The Racetrack Murders wraps up the set, and indeed the heyday of krimis at CCC, with a financially diminished production that was deliberately shot in 4:3 aspect ratio for ease of TV-broadcast sale. It’s no less effective than the rest of the films, and reportedly it never did make the jump to TV at the time. The story kicks off when a thoroughbred is murdered by a rival owner, leading to a series of jockey murders by a masked assailant.
The 2000-copy limited edition box set is housed in a hardcase with new artwork by Poochman, and includes a 60-page collector’s book with an intro to the Wallace krimi cycle, an essay about the Wallaces, and new notes about each film. The six films are spread across four discs housed in two Criterion-style standard Blu-ray cases. The five restored films are presented in 1080p HD from 2K scans of the original film elements. Picture and sound quality are excellent all the way around, with very little noticeable debris and crisp audio. Optional and newly revised English subs and English dubs are available for all films. Each film also has a roughly 10-minute informative introduction by genre expert Tim Lucas, and each film includes a new audio commentary track. Bonus features explore the influence of the krimis on giallo films and American slasher films, as well as an enlightening interview with the daughter of CCC founder and producer Artur Brauner, herself now the managing director of CCC Film.
These krimis are a fascinating piece of film history that fill in the blank between noir and giallo. They’re also a precursor to our own slasher films, most notably with the recurring first person perspective of gloved killer’s hands approaching their prey. Whether you’re new to krimi or a genre aficionado, the new box set is certain to delight.
