Jan wakes up in Malpertuis, a mansion presided over by his dying uncle Cassavius who intends to leave his fortune to anyone who remains there forever
Jan (Mathieu Carrire, Police Python 357), a sailor newly arrived onshore, is unsure about returning to land but makes the journey to visit his childhood home only to find it no longer there. He goes to Bar Venus and joins his friends but an altercation leaves him knocked out cold. He wakes up in Malpertuis, a gothic mansion presided over by his uncle, Cassavius (Orson Welles). All the inhabitants of Malpertuis are waiting for Cassavius to die and the opportunity to inherit his vast fortune. But Cassavius wishes anyone who inherits to stay there forever. Jan investigates as those who leave meet with mysterious deaths. Harry Kmel’s (Daughters of Darkness) phantasmagoria is a Matryoshka doll of fantastic ideas, realised with stunning photography by Gerry Fisher (The Exorcist III) and scored by Georges Delerue (Contempt). Newly restored and overseen by Kmel, it is released on Blu-ray for the first time in the world.
Bonus Materials
- New 4K restoration of the film overseen by director Harry Kmel
- Audio commentary by Harry Kmel and assistant director Franoise Levie (2005)
- New interview with Harry Kmel (2025)
- New interview with author and gothic horror expert Jonathan Rigby (2025)
- Malpertuis Archive – an archival documentary on the making of the film featuring Kmel, actor Mathieu Carrire and director of photography Gerry Fisher among others (2005)
- Orson Welles Uncut – a featurette on the casting of Welles, including rare outtakes of the actor (2005)
- Susan Hampshire: one actress, three parts – an archival interview with the actress, including screen tests and contributions from cast and crew (2005)
- Archival interview with Michel Bouquet and Harry Kmel from Belgian television (1971)
- Jean Ray, John Flanders 1887 – 1964 – an archival interview with the source novelist and co-writer of Malpertuis (2005)
- Malpertuis Revisited – Harry Kmel revisits locations from the film (2005, 4 mins)
- Malpertuis: The Cannes cut – the rejected version of the film which premiered in Cannes(100 mins, SD)
- The Warden of the Tomb – Kmels early film based on Franz Kafkas play (1965, 37 mins)
- Trailer
- Reversible sleeve featuring original and newly commissioned artwork by Time Tomorrow
- Limited edition 80-page perfect bound booklet featuring new writing by Lucas Balbo, Maria J. Prez Cuervo, David Flint, Willow Catelyn Maclay, Jonathan Owen
- Limited edition of 3000 copies, presented in rigid box and full-height Scanavo packaging with removable OBI strip leaving packaging free of certificates and markings
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