A Lizard in a Woman's Skin AKA Schizoid, a longtime Fulci fan favorite finally makes its way to DVD courtesy of Shriek Show (Media Blasters), although... not without a side of expected controversy. Long delayed, rumored special features/editions have finally surfaced in stores as a splendid 2-disc set that I've (unfortunately) heard some mixed reactions to. I've personally tried my best to stay away from the reviews/opinions etc. but sometimes it's hard to bypass those pesky message boards and blogs. I've tried to read little, in an attempt to keep as much of an open mind as possible, and I think it's worked to my benefit thus far. Without clouded judgment, I jumped into the set the other day, and had one hell of a time. Despite what you may have heard (while still not without it's problems) Shriek Show's presentation of A Lizard in a Woman's Skin is laid out exceptionally well and is truly a fan friendly release as well.

Keeping the synopsis simple, Lizard boasts a fun cast of euro cult favorites. A young woman named Carol Hammond (played by the lovely Florinda Bolkan) awakens from some terrible nightmares. Her dreams are laced with sex and debauchery, many of which feature her sultry, party-going next-door neighbor named Julia Durer (played by the equally lovely Anita Strindberg) and her hippie friends. After one of her crazy sex dreams, Carol awakens to a real life nightmare; Julia has been murdered and Carol is now a suspect. It's now up to Carol to try and decipher her dreams from that of reality.

One of the many great things about Lizard is how well Fulci manages to blend all of his filmic elements together this time around (something Fulci's not always very successful at). With a great ensemble cast and performances, addictive score, ample gore that the film does NOT rely on (mostly in the uncut version,) and some of the maestro's most lush cinematography (not to mention the crazy split screens) to date - Lizard can really only be viewed as one of Fulci's crowning achievements.

Shriek Show's set, boasts two versions of the film. The first is an edited version that excludes some of the nudity and gore. This version is presented in a really nice widescreen, anamorphic transfer. There is some minor print damage through a few stretches (there's also a warning before the film about this as well), but overall, the transfer is quite solid boasting nice solid colors. Audio options include English Stereo, and a revamped 5.1 mix, both of which sound quite similar and adequate, despite a bit of low level dialogue.

The second disc, features the uncut version of the film, sadly full frame only and is presented in Italian with optional English Subs. I'm not going to lie to you, compositions are compromised. BUT, at the same time, this should not deter you from a purchase. The widescreen version is quite strong, so the uncut full frame disc only stands to compliment it. The quality of the full frame transfer (taken from a tape source) is more than acceptable. A bonus being that the subs are removable and not burned into the picture. Lizard is a strong film, with or without the naughty bits and Shriek Show has done this classic film proud. The added nudity and gore (included the 'viscerated dogs' which prompted legal action) is quite visible, you won't really miss a beat despite the cropping.

Extras on disc one include two radio spots and 6 Fulci trailers (Zombie 2, City of the Living Dead, Touch of Death, House of Clocks, Sweet House of Horrors and Demonia). Disc two boasts a photo gallery and an exceptional 34-minute featurette entitled 'Shedding the Skin' including interviews with Penny Brown, Florinda Bolkan, Jean Sorel, Mike Kennedy, Carlo Rambaldi (FX) and Franco DiGirolamo (FX). This is easily one of the best featurettes I've been exposed to on any cult DVD release, hands down. The package is topped off with a clever die-cut packaging, in which a lizard covers up a bit of naughtiness on the DVD cover once fully exposed.

If Shriek Show's release of Lizard in A Woman's Skin isn't to be considered fan friendly, then I don't know what is. Bite yer tongue and enjoy it for what it's worth. Highly recommended.