The Film (4/5)

Nils (Dieter Geissler), is an art student who soon discovers a strange web of sex crimes and murder, when his Von Gogh painting falls, uncovering a peep hole.  As Nils becomes more obsessed with spying on his neighbors, he soon starts to fall under the spell of the kinky sex crimes going on. His young fiancée (Alexandra Stewart) happens to be a journalist, who is writing about a murder case that mirrors the one next door. As the two investigate further, the stakes start to rise.

OBSESSIONS (1969) is a bizarre film in exploitation history. While more well known outside the US, this Blu-ray marks the North American debut of this Dutch sex shocker. This provocative suspense film put Dutch filmmaking on the map and serves as an odd hidden gem. Director Pim de la Parra weaved a lean and mean thriller aimed at the international market by filming the movie in English. With the aid of Martin Scorsese doing touch ups, we get a Hitchcockian movie with plenty of European sex.

Mixing some elements of PEEPING TOM and REAR WINDOW, OBSESSIONS (also known as A HOLE IN THE WALL), uses the same style of scenario without being too cliched. Nils is an unlikely main character, who in another film, would most likely be its villain. In the same vein as Dario Argento’s THE BIRD WITH THE CRYSTAL PLUMAGE, our hero is obsessed with what he sees or thought he saw, and ultimately gets destroyed by returning to the scene of the crime.

On a filmmaking level, OBSESSIONS is rough around the edges. The opening zoom in on the falling painting is a truly fantastic set piece, but whole chunks of the film suffer from shaky camerawork or “stolen” shots outside when following characters. The score by Bernard Herrmann is well done, but sadly doesn’t live up to his work with Hitchcock, Brian De Palma or even Scorsese. The tribal sounding drum and bass sounds give off an uneasy feel, but the rest of the score is playing it safe. It often feels like a quick pay check.

OBSESSIONS is off kilter and rough around the edges film, but it’s this kind of lost gem that makes exploring world cinema so exciting. It’s unexpected, polished is some respects, and shows us another peek into the world of European commercial cinema, that has been untouched for many years. In many ways, it’s like were the peepers now.

Audio/Video (4.5/5)

Cult Epics gives OBSESSIONS a great A/V presentation. The 2.0 Channel English mono sound mix is clear, but in some cases, sounds too clear. The spoken dialogue is a bit loud in some scenes and sounds ADRed to hell. The soundtrack by Bernard Herrmann is given golden treatment here, as the music is bold and sounds freshly recorded.  No English subtitles are included.

The 1080p HD transfer is a gorgeous affair. The black levels are smooth and picture is near perfect. There is some minor film grain here and there, but overall an impressive fest for the eyes.

Extras (4/5)

First up are two introductions for the film, one with actor/ producer Dieter Geissler, and the other with director Pim de la Parra. Next up is a full interview with Parra, who discusses the origins of Scorpio films and his friendship with Martin Scorsese. Geissler is next interviewed about his work on the film and its impact on further Dutch films. There’s a text interview with Scorsese during the promotion of SILENCE. The interview is short and sweet, and shows more support of Dutch art films. There’ an excerpt from the Documentary PARRADOX, on the history of Scorpio films. Wrapping up the disc are the original Dutch theatrical trailer, script notes by Scorsese, and a HD Photo gallery.

Overall (4/5)

While not a masterpiece, OBSESSIONS is an impressive hidden gem that is finally available on US Blu-ray. A must see for thriller fans and those curious to see the birth of Dutch Commercial cinema. Highly Recommended.