- Actors: Richard Johnson, Joanna Cassidy, Ida Galli, Nicoletta Elmi, Edmund Purdom
- Directors: Massimo Dallamano
- Writers: Massimo Dallamano, Franco Marotta, Laura Toscano
- Producers: Fulvio Lucisano, William Reich
- Format: PAL
- Language Italian
- Subtitles: English, Italian
- Region: Region 2 (This DVD may not be viewable outside Europe. Read more about DVD formats.)
- Aspect Ratio: 16:9 - 2.35:1
- Number of discs: 1
- Classification: 15
- Studio: 01 Distribution
- DVD Release Date: 2 Feb 2006
- Run Time: 87 minutes
- Average Customer Review: 2.5 out of 5 stars See all reviews (2 customer reviews)
- ASIN: B000F0H79C
- Amazon Bestsellers Rank: 109,127 in Film & TV (See Top 100 in Film & TV)
What Other Items Do Customers Buy After Viewing This Item?
Product details |
Reviews
Italy released, PAL/Region 2 DVD: LANGUAGES: Italian ( Dolby Digital 2.0 ), English ( Subtitles ), Italian ( Subtitles ), ANAMORPHIC WIDESCREEN (2.35:1), SPECIAL FEATURES: Biographies, Filmographies, Interactive Menu, Photo Gallery, Scene Access, SYNOPSIS: The Cursed Medallion may not be a household title, but it certainly has received generous airplay on the many UHF television stations throughout the land. The titular medallion is a gift presented to young Nicole Elmi. Once the girl places the gift around her neck, she is possessed by the spirit of a dead child. Actually, it's worse than that: the deceased youngster was a murderess. Richard Johnson and Joanna Cassidy are the "name" stars in this internationally produced chiller-diller. ...The Cursed Medallion ( Il Medaglione insanguinato ) ( Il Medaglione insanguinato - Perche? )
Tags Customers Associate with This Product(What's this?)Click on a tag to find related items, discussions, and people.
|
Customer Reviews
Most Helpful Customer Reviews
4 of 4 people found the following review helpful
Format:DVD
Michael Williams(Richard Johnson), a documentary maker working on a programme about the role of the devil and demons in art for the BBC, is intrigued by an unknown painting turning up amongst his slides. He travels to Italy to find out more about the mysterious painting, accompanied by his daughter Emily(Nicoletta Elmi) and her nanny Jill(Ida Galli). Michael's wife died in an unexplained fire, and ever since Emily has suffered from fits and nightmares. Just before they travel abroad, Michael gives Emily a present of a gold medallion that used to belong to her mother.
Once they arrive in Italy, an obsession starts to grow in Michael regarding the origins and whereabouts of the painting, consuming him so much that he does not notice a change in Emily, as she starts to experience horrifying visions. Is their presence in Italy only due to the documentary, or there a greater, more malevolant power guiding their every action?
Those coming to this film expecting either a sleazy Exorcist rip-off, or a typical gory Italian horror will be dissapointed as this is neither. It's a curiously anaemic Euro-horror that is long on beautiful scenery and languid storytelling, but short on genuine chills and excitement. It's very easy on the eye, as Michael travels the Italian countryside looking for answers to the meaning of the painting that has become central to his life, but many viewers will probably be left at the end wondering if the film should have delivered more in the plot department.
It's not a bad film by any means. Richard Johnson gives a nicely subdued, finely balanced performance, child actress Elmi also impresses as Emily and there's a lovely music score that accompanies the beautiful visuals. It does however lack a certain something to set it apart from others of its ilk, and despite a very good, tragic conclusion to the story, I think that I'll stick to my sleazy Exorcist rip-offs from now on.
An excellent dvd release, with English and Italian subtitles, and also excellent picture and sound quality. 3 out of 5
Once they arrive in Italy, an obsession starts to grow in Michael regarding the origins and whereabouts of the painting, consuming him so much that he does not notice a change in Emily, as she starts to experience horrifying visions. Is their presence in Italy only due to the documentary, or there a greater, more malevolant power guiding their every action?
Those coming to this film expecting either a sleazy Exorcist rip-off, or a typical gory Italian horror will be dissapointed as this is neither. It's a curiously anaemic Euro-horror that is long on beautiful scenery and languid storytelling, but short on genuine chills and excitement. It's very easy on the eye, as Michael travels the Italian countryside looking for answers to the meaning of the painting that has become central to his life, but many viewers will probably be left at the end wondering if the film should have delivered more in the plot department.
It's not a bad film by any means. Richard Johnson gives a nicely subdued, finely balanced performance, child actress Elmi also impresses as Emily and there's a lovely music score that accompanies the beautiful visuals. It does however lack a certain something to set it apart from others of its ilk, and despite a very good, tragic conclusion to the story, I think that I'll stick to my sleazy Exorcist rip-offs from now on.
An excellent dvd release, with English and Italian subtitles, and also excellent picture and sound quality. 3 out of 5
1 of 1 people found the following review helpful
Format:DVD
One of the many low-budget horror films that Richard Johnson made largely because he liked working in Italy where producers were eager to cash in on his The Haunting cachet, The Cursed Medallion, aka Il Medaglione Insanguinato (Perche?!) aka Night Child is a comparatively cosy entry in the possessed child genre that's devoid of the usual gore or post-Exorcist shock tactics. Johnson is the BBC producer making a documentary on the Devil in Italian art who brings his troubled daughter and her nanny along with him on location where a mysterious painting and a medallion belonging to his dead wife bring on a nasty case of history repeating itself. The women in Johnson's life have a tendency to meet unfortunate accidents, which bodes ill for his producer Joanna Cassidy, but is the reason supernatural or something closer to home?
Directed by Sergio Leone's cinematographer on his first two Dollars movies, Massimo Dallamano, there are only a few minor frissons in the last half hour thanks to a script that never really develops its ideas that well and takes too long before building up its plot, which is a shame because at times there are hints that there's a better film trying to get out - not least with daughter Nicoletta Elmi's passive-aggressive approach to the various loves in his life. As befits a former cinematographer there's an emphasis on showing how the camerawork is done in the documentary sequences, but his technical interest doesn't extend to the special effects department - there are three staggeringly bad special effects shots that wouldn't have made the cut in a 70s episode of Doctor Who. Still, at an hour-and-a-half it doesn't overstay its welcome, Joanna Cassidy is at her most attractive and the Italian DVD has a fine transfer with only the Italian soundtrack with English subtitles, though Johnson is particularly well dubbed by an actor with a very similar voice.
Directed by Sergio Leone's cinematographer on his first two Dollars movies, Massimo Dallamano, there are only a few minor frissons in the last half hour thanks to a script that never really develops its ideas that well and takes too long before building up its plot, which is a shame because at times there are hints that there's a better film trying to get out - not least with daughter Nicoletta Elmi's passive-aggressive approach to the various loves in his life. As befits a former cinematographer there's an emphasis on showing how the camerawork is done in the documentary sequences, but his technical interest doesn't extend to the special effects department - there are three staggeringly bad special effects shots that wouldn't have made the cut in a 70s episode of Doctor Who. Still, at an hour-and-a-half it doesn't overstay its welcome, Joanna Cassidy is at her most attractive and the Italian DVD has a fine transfer with only the Italian soundtrack with English subtitles, though Johnson is particularly well dubbed by an actor with a very similar voice.
Most Helpful Customer Reviews on Amazon.com (beta)
Amazon.com:
1 review
11 of 18 people found the following review helpful
The Cursed Medallion
19 July 2010
Format:DVD
The Cursed Medallion (1975) aka The Night Child, was a very unusual film, you don't really see these kinds of films much.
I don't think "The Night Child" is a bad film, so much as it is a ridiculously threadbare and faded one. But, come on: it's 1975. It's worth watching for people who are concerned by horror films in which demon possession and other spectacular matters, not just odd demon music and demon horrors, are shown.
However, the film easily loses a demon star for really bad acting, bad dialogue, dull travel sequences, and one too many random, frivolous scare scenes.
The rest of the characters could have been fleshed out a small or insignificant amount better, but it would have made for a longer, more drawn out film and I get the feeling 1975 film goers really just wanted to see more cursed demon horrors.
The Cursed Medallion actually becomes a character as much as any of the human actors. Interestingly, while this film was made in the mid 1970's, the Cursed Medallion takes place in the story in 1968.
I don't think "The Night Child" is a bad film, so much as it is a ridiculously threadbare and faded one. But, come on: it's 1975. It's worth watching for people who are concerned by horror films in which demon possession and other spectacular matters, not just odd demon music and demon horrors, are shown.
However, the film easily loses a demon star for really bad acting, bad dialogue, dull travel sequences, and one too many random, frivolous scare scenes.
The rest of the characters could have been fleshed out a small or insignificant amount better, but it would have made for a longer, more drawn out film and I get the feeling 1975 film goers really just wanted to see more cursed demon horrors.
The Cursed Medallion actually becomes a character as much as any of the human actors. Interestingly, while this film was made in the mid 1970's, the Cursed Medallion takes place in the story in 1968.
Was this review helpful?
Let us know
Customer Discussions
|
This product's forum
Active discussions in related forums
Search Customer Discussions
|
Related forums
|
Listmania!
Look for similar items by category
Look for similar items by subject
Feedback
- Would you like to update product info or give feedback on images?
