The Blood Stained Shadow AKA Solamente Nero, Antonio Bido's 2nd and last giallo is a hit or miss affair at best. Not one of the worst I've seen, but certainly not one of the best. Bido attempts to pay homage to his predecessors and is quite often successful (Don't Torture a Duckling) with his sometimes not too subtle homages. At other times, it just comes across as being one big mish-mash (any time he tries to emulate Argento) and it's hard to tell what the hell he's trying to do. Anchor Bay continues their excellent Giallo Collection with Bido's '78 giallo entry, The Blood Stained Shadow.

Stephano (Lino Capolicchio of The House With the Windows that Laugh) an overworked and obviously exhausted college professor takes some down time and visits his priest brother Paolo (American B-Movie veteran Craig Hill) in Venice. Once Stephano arrives, the old cliché takes hold as how do you say, the shit hits the fan. People start dropping like flies, in particularly gruesome fashion. Yup, you guessed it, our friend with those darn black gloves is back, and ready for some more action. Stephano soon meets Sandra (Stefania Casini of Suspiria) and between the two of them, they try to get to the bottom of all this downright badness. That is after they take a leisurely boat ride and engage in some hot sweaty monkey love (did I just say that?). Stephano also has to deal with episodes of a recurring childhood trauma that may or may not hold the key to the actual killer. Whatever you do don't reveal the secret ending to your friends (that is if they don't figure it out for themselves). It's not too much of a shocker, we've seen it before, but ultimately it is a bit clever in the way that it's handled.

The Blood Stained Shadow is a fine entry in the giallo genre. It happens to be my least favorite in the new Boxed Set, but that by no means marks it as a bad film. The problems lie within the many routes Bido decides to take and all the opened doors that he feels he doesn't need to close (he even incorporates a supernatural motif that is touched upon a few times and then never again). If Bido had tightened up his film a bit (as it stands, it's probably about 20 minutes too long) and remained focused on just a few points, he would have had a much sharper film. As it stands, he tries to incorporate every element from previously successful and popular gialli he can; it's just way too much. On a plus note, Bido does have a great eye for the camera, and creates a unique look that is all his own. He keeps the visuals much more subdued than his predecessors do and what we are left with is a familiar tale with a whole new look.

As with many a giallo, the story suffers a bit in the transition. Bido has a few strikes against him with his underdeveloped characters and weak script. However, there are some great performances in here from veteran European favorites, and it's great to see all these familiar faces in action (as well as some other parts of their bodies in action, hello Stefania Casini, reeoowrr!) There are plenty of gruesome bits to tide one over, and the great rustic villages provide the film with a unique look that stands to compliment Bido's visual style even more.

Anchor Bay's presentation of The Blood Stained Shadow is overall quite good all things considered. As far as I know, this is the first time that this film has been presented on video in the US (legitimately) and it looks fine. The print exhibits some minor wear and/or tear throughout in the form of specs, film dirt, and the occasional light scratch here and there. Colors are fairly sharp and stable, you'll notice a bit of a green hue to some of the screenshots. It's hard to tell if that's evidence of original lighting conditions, or the actual transfer. It's certainly not in every scene so i'm not to quick to point fingers at Anchor Bay. For the most part the image doesn't disappoint, despite these slight imperfections. This transfer is however, the least favorable out of the set.

Sound is presented in Dolby Digital Mono and as with the picture quality, is not perfect, but more than acceptable. Dialogue remains crisp and clear, and the soundtrack which was arranged and performed by the always magnificent Goblin, ranks among the bands best. There are a few scenes of dialogue which exhibit a slight amount of hiss in the background, but overall I'd say the sound is better than average, and absolutely acceptable considering the title at hand.

Extras include a 13-minute interview with director Antonio Bido entitled Solamente Bido that is both informative and entertaining. Within the brief 13 minute running time Bido runs through just about every aspect of the production, from casting, to shooting, to the arrangement between Goblin and composer Stelvio Cipriani. Also included is a theatrical trailer, in decent shape, and a brief Bido filmography.

Overall this is another fine job by Anchor Bay of a rare and unusual title one never would have expected to surface on DVD. The film itself serves its historical significance so as part of the Giallo Boxed Set, it's a welcome addition. As far as an individual purchase, it'll depend on either your own personal fondness of the film, or how much of an adventurer you are. Either way, take it for what it's worth, and enjoy!