Finally had a chance to watch SHADOW OF ILLUSION last night and it did not disappoint. I had read a few unflattering comments about the film so I wasn't quite sure what to expect but I was pleasantly surprised by it. Caiano is a talented director and I also like his EYE IN THE LABYRINTH.
As for SHADOW, it stars the beautiful-looking Daniela Giordano going to Cairo, where she encounters several sinister people who seem to think she's the reincarnation of Isis. It's all quite predictable, with Giordano's hilariously named character, Gail Bland, being sometimes frustratingly naïve but it's held alive by good atmosphere, locations, strange hallucinations and sacrificial scenes. Carlo Savina's score is another great asset. It's not particularly violent but Giordano and William Berger deliver solid work, and we also get Krista Nell (who looks less attractive than usual in a horrible black wig), an ugly and seriously creepy-looking high priestess who has a great freak-out scene, and a weird young girl who pops up and sings "Three Blind Mice" for no apparent reason (I believe she's played by a young Debra Berger). And they're all voiced by the faithful gang of familiar dubbers, whose voices we've all come to know by now.
Midnight Video's version looks pretty good:
But even if the picture quality is satisfying, the overall impression is still ruined by the fact that it's a pan and scan transfer, which ruins a lot of compositions and cuts out one person during conversions etc. It's a pity since the film appears to have some good camerawork, and it's quite strange too since this is sourced from a Japanese tape, which are usually widescreen. Still, the film is very rare so there aren't any better versions out there as of yet.
