REVIEW: Severin releases little-known Lucio Fulci film on 4K
Photo: The Devil’s Honey stars Brett Halsey and Bianca Marsillach. Photo courtesy of Severin / Provided by Foundry Comm with permission.
Lucio Fulci is best known for his gruesome gialli movies, flicks such as The House by the Cemetery, The Beyond, City of the Living Dead and Zombi 2. These are horror classics that continue to find dedicated audience members — those who are able to look past the questionable plot points and can get through the (literally) eye-ripping gore.
But this Italian filmmaker made more than gialli. Fulci’s filmography stretches decades and includes some lesser-known fare as well, including the 1986 erotic drama The Devil’s Honey, now available in a new 4K transfer on UHD and Blu-ray from Severin Films.
This suspenseful thriller follows two romantic partners, Jessica (Bianca Marsillach) and Johnny (Stefano Madia). He’s a successful jazz saxophonist, and she’s a tad underwritten and doesn’t receive much background information. Johnny is a problematic character who dominates the relationship. Within minutes of the film’s start, it’s obvious that he is obsessed with his girlfriend, and he forces Jessica into several situations that she finds objectionable. She is stuck in a toxic, violent relationship, and there’s no doubt that Johnny does not seek consent before playing out his fantasies.
One of these dangerous situations ends with Johnny injuring himself in a motorcycle accident, which causes him to be rushed to the hospital to seek medical treatment. Johnny’s surgeon has already been introduced to the audience at this point. Dr. Wendell Simpson (Brett Halsey) has an opening scene that finds him hiring the services of a sex worker, an affair he tries to keep secret from his wife, played Corrine Cléry. Wendell, back in the hospital, cannot save Johnny’s life, and this untimely death causes Jessica to seek revenge, targeting the doctor and literally torturing him into submission.
The film, also known as Dangerous Obsession, is well made with solid performances that complement the 1980s pastiche. Particular credit to Halsey and Marsillach for leading the way with difficult roles. Unfortunately Fulci builds a mood that teeters back and forth between melodrama and erotic drama, with some horror thrown in over the course of the last 20 minutes. Nothing works perfectly, and at times the proceedings devolve into cheesy soap opera territory.
Severin’s new 4K release has many bonus features, including interviews with Marsillach, Halsey and Cléry; an archival sit-down with Fulci; plus talks with the producer and composer. As usual, Severin offers a solid job in the behind-the-scenes department, enlightening viewers on the contextual history of the movie. The film itself, featuring frank depictions of nudity and sex, will likely prove interesting to Fulci completists, who now have a chance to take in a rarity from late in the career of the revered maestro.
By John Soltes / Publisher / John@HollywoodSoapbox.com
The Devil’s Honey (1986). Directed by Lucio Fulci. Written by Ludovica Marineo, Vincenzo Salviani and Jaime Jesús Balcázar. Starring Bianca Marsillach, Stefano Madia, Brett Halsey and Corinne Cléry. Running time: 83 minutes. Rating: 
Click here for more information on Severin’s recent release.
