Brutal Savagery in a Future World ! AKA – Una gota de sangre para morir amando, Clockwork Terror, To Love, Perhaps to Die In a violent, dystopian consumer-fed future, David (Chris Mitchum – Summertime Killer) blackmails nurse Ana (Sue Lyon – Stanley Kubrick’s Lolita) after witnessing her commit a murder. When Ana and Victor (Jean Sorel – Perversion Story) discover David is a known gang member with an extensive criminal past, they make a plan to turn the tables and use him for their own clandestine purposes. In 1971 Stanley Kubrick changed dystopian cinema forever with A Clockwork Orange. Two years later, transgressive Spanish genre director Eloy de la Iglesia unleashed this thought provoking and beautifully shot future-world that was also known as A Clockwork Terror. Now Available For the first time on Blu-ray, Cauldron Films presents a new, eye popping 2K restoration of the Spanish producer’s cut.

For thoughts on Murder In A Blue World, please check out our discussion on The Video Attic:

[youtube https://youtu.be/F23oOqWKYDM?t=3510]

Video Quality

Murder In A Blue World arrives on Blu-Ray courtesy of Cauldron Films with a very lovely 1080p master sourced from a 2K restoration of the Spanish producer’s cut from the negative. This particular release is a standard version of an exclusive release from the label earlier this year. Once again, Cauldron Films has come through with a great transfer that brings fresh life to this motion picture. There is a very strong amount of detail present within the unique production design and some of the outfits, such as the uniforms the corrupt officers are wearing. The transfer retains a pleasing amount of depth with close-up shots standing out in particular. There are certain elements of the environment which truly wow in their clarity.

The occasionally dreamlike photography captures the intended heightened aesthetic well in high definition with natural grain intact and resolved without issue. Even some more tricky moments refrain from spiking when it comes to darker moments, The contrast is pretty well defined, and print damage is kept to a minimum with only a minor amount of small nicks and scratches making it through the restoration gauntlet. Black levels show no trace of black crush or compression artifacts, and white levels are not overly hot or blooming. Cauldron Films has done a standout job with this transfer on all fronts.

Audio Quality

The film comes with a LPCM 2.0 mono track in the original Spanish with an additional English language option for those who do not care for subtitles. We always advocate sticking with the original intended audio for creative purity, but both tracks hold up pretty well no matter what you choose. These tracks transport you into the world in an admirable manner with everything maintaining a decent fidelity. The film appears to have its dialogue post-looped which results in some loose sync instances that may be annoying to some, but it is a product of this period in filmmaking.

The score establishes a mysterious mood that is represented well in the mix. Nothing ever sounds too distorted with only the occasional moments presenting as a bit thin or boxy. Thankfully this is mostly free of any hiss or other age-related wear-and-tear. There are several different environments which establish a din of sound that provides some excellent ambient details. The dialogue comes through clearly without being overshadowed by the sound effects or score. The violent moments mostly come in the form of stabbing or slicing instead of big, booming gunshots, so the low end is not providing much in the way of texture. Cauldron Films has done some really nice work here. There are optional English SDH and English subtitles provided.

Special Features

Audio Commentary: Film critic Kat Ellinger provides a very enlightening commentary track in which she discusses the film industry of Spain at this time, the unique identity it has within the genre, the comparisons to A Clockwork Orange, how it sets itself apart from the Kubrick film, the work of Eloy de la Iglesia, the background of the performers, why it should be classified as a giallo and much more. Ellinger always has a perspective that is appreciated.

Chris Mitchum – International Man Of Cinema: A nearly 21-minute interview from 2008 with star Chris Mitchum in which he discusses his early work in The Summertime Killer and other roles, how working with John Wayne pushed him to pursue roles in international cinema, the different shooting philosophies around the world and more. There is not a ton specifically about this film, but there are a lot of great anecdotes from throughout his career.

Dubbing In A Blue World – An Interview with Ben Tatar: A nearly 13-minute featurette in which Tatar discusses his early career, getting involved in the world of dubbing, his relationship with Ava Gardner, working in Spain, memorable moments from dubbing sessions, the rowdy opening night audience and mor. Once again, there is only a very small section about Murder In A Blue World, but this is fun all the same.

Video Essay by Film Scholar Dr. Xavier Aldana Reyes: A nearly 16-minute video essay which does actually focus on this film as Reyes discusses how this fits into the career of Eloy de la Iglesia, tackling themes with greater force as censorship let up, the comparisons to A Clockwork Orange, what different characters represent in a thematic sense and more.

Clockwork Terror (UK VHS Cut Of The Film In Standard Defintion) (1:36:44): This delivers on what the title of the featurette promises.

Image Gallery: There is a gallery consisting of stills, marketing materials and more from the film.

Final Thoughts

Murder In A Blue World is a very impactful social commentary which has only proved to be more prescient as time has evolved. Director Eloy de la Iglesia does a masterful job of crafting a world that is at once forward-thinking while remaining believable. The plotting can be a bit disorienting in points, but in the end it really leaves a mark. Even with its inspiration never less than completely transparent, it carves out its own identity that audiences should be able to appreciate. Cauldron Films has released a Blu-Ray with an excellent A/V presentation and interesting special features. If you enjoy social science fiction with a tinge of horror, this will keep you glued to the screen. Recommended

Murder In A Blue World is currently available to purchase on Blu-Ray.

Note: Images presented in this review are not reflective of the image quality of the Blu-Ray.

Disclaimer: Cauldron Films has supplied a copy of this set free of charge for review purposes. All opinions in this review are the honest reactions of the author.