An American teacher living in Frankfurt finds herself the target of a satanic cult.
Kelly Curtis in The Sect (1991)
Estimated reading time: 5 minutes
The Sect (AKA The Devil’s Daughter) is 1991 Italian horror film co-written and produced by Dario Argento (Tenebrae) and directed by Michele Soavi (The Church). Kelly Curtis, sister of Jamie Lee Curtis, stars as Miriam Kreisl, an American schoolteacher living in Frankfurt, Germany, who finds herself the target of a satanic cult after she takes an elderly man, Moebius Kelly (Herbert Lom), she nearly hits with her car into her home. Miriam is unaware that Moebius is an elder in a local satanic cult. He releases a strange beetle onto Miriam that crawls into her nasal cavity, and she becomes the vessel for the cult to birth the Antichrist.
The Sect was Soavi’s third film and his command over the material shows a little more maturity than in a film such as 1989’s The Church, for instance. This film stands out in its visual style and unexpected, giallo-like twists. It goes beyond simple visceral horror into the psychological. Everything from possessed rabbits, squirmy bugs, and bodily violation to dank tunnels and murky water is used in this film, which is at times equal parts horrifying and camp. Curtis is a revelation in this film and it seems odd that she did not make it as big as her sister given her very solid performance, but Lom is the most commanding performer as the dangerous cult leader.
The Sect is taken from a new 4K scan of the original 35mm camera negative. It is presented in a 1.85:1 HEVC 2160p (4K UHD) Dolby Vision encodement with HDR10 metadata MaxLL of 777 nits and MaxFALL of 297 nits. The Dolby Vision grading does not add a lot of brightness, but there is certainly good pop as you can see in the lighted fish tank in Miriam Kreisl’s home or in the reflections of light off the water in the deep well under the house. Grain structure is very organic and satisfying, with this transfer being one of the best looking recent 4K releases from Severin I have had the pleasure of viewing.
The Audio
The Sect comes with its original mono English audio mix and Italian dub in DTS-HD Master Audio 2.0. The English 2.0 track is incredibly clear and dynamic for a mono mix, especially in the third act during the scene with the storm.
The Supplements
The Sect is loaded up with over three hours of bonus features in the form of interviews with cast and crew with everyone from Soavi to Argento to Arana.
Bonus Features:
Trailer (1080p; 00:01:26)
Blu-ray Only:
Sympathy for the Devil: Interview with Director Michele Soavi (1080p; 00:20:14)
(You’re The) Devil in Disguise: Interview with Co-Screenwriter/Producer Dario Argento (1080p; 00:15:19)
Catacumba: Interview with Co-Screenwriter Gianni Romoli (1080p; 00:35:22)
Cult of Personality: Interview with Actor Tomas Arana (1080p; 00:20:09)
Owner of a Lonely Heart: Interview with Actor Giovanni Lombardo Radice (1080p; 00:12:17)
In the Shaded Area: Interview with Cinematographer Raffaele Mertes (1080p; 00:27:57)
Four Times Argento: Interview with Composer Pino Donaggio (1080p; 00:12:44)
Total Eclipse: Interview with Special FX Artist Sergio Stivaletti (1080p; 00:12:51)
Oh Well: Interview with set Designer Antonello Geleng (1080p; 00:23:06)
The Birth of Evil: Interview with Film Historian Fabrizio Spurio (1080p; 00:25:20)
Into the Dark Well: Interview with Alan Jones, Author of Profondo Argento (1080p; 00:05:21)
Catacomb in the Kitchen: Michele Soavi Shows us His Dark Basement (1080p; 00:03:01)
Italian Trailer (1080i; 00:01:35)
U.S. Release Trailer (1080p; 00:01:26)
The Final Assessment
Evil cults, the Antichrist, and a woman snared by a cult – these themes are not unique, but Soavi and Argento remix them into an unsettling arrangement of visuals, horror, and violence. The new 4K restoration from Severin breathes new life into this 1991 cult horror.
The Sect (Special Edition) is out on 4K Ultra HD Combo April 30, 2024 from Severin Films
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An American teacher living in Frankfurt finds herself the target of a satanic cult.The Sect (1991) - Italian Horror Film by Michele Soavi - 4K Ultra HD Review
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