| Special Features: |
Disc 1 and 2
- Feature Commentary with Director/Writer Aldo Lado & Frederico Caddeo - In this wide-ranging track, Lado demonstrates his impressive recall of a substantial amount of data regarding the production of Short Night of Glass Dolls, which spans every aspect from the story's genesis, to pre- production, to the shoot, and the film's release. While he asserts the opening scene was filmed in Prague, as were a number of others, many of the exterior location shots were actually done in Zagreb due to issues with getting permits issued in Prague, and the architectural and atmospheric similarities of between the two cities. Most of the exteriors in Prague were shot toward the end of the shoot when Lado told the local government officials he was working on a documentary, and then completed the scenes he required without the necessary permissions. The film itself was shot in about six weeks instead of the more usual eight and with a smaller budget than was typical - both of which were, in his opinion, acceptable modifications given that this was his first directorial effort. He spends a fair amount of time discussing the casting of both Thulin and Sorel. Lado chafes at the notion that the film is told in a series of flashbacks, with him clearly explaining that the film is rather simply told from George's (Sorel) point of view as he relives certain key events from a series of days to make sense of what he's seen and experienced in an effort to uncover the truth of what happened to Myra (Bach), and how he arrived at the point where we first encounter him at the start of the film. Thematically, he states, the film's Klub 99 and it's member's represent the bourgeoisie and their struggle to gather and retain power while simultaneously suppressing the freedoms of the youth and the lower class and pressuring them to conform with their world view.
- Commentary by Guido Henkel - Henkel begins by welcoming viewers to Prague as an establishing shot unspools before pointing out that the scene of the discovery of Gregory's body is incorrectly identified by Lado as being shot in Prague, when, due to certain landmarks, it's actually shot in Zagreb. Next, he shares that it wasn't until 2002 that US audiences had a chance to see a proper release of the film since it wasn't released here theatrically. As the film plays, Henkel, who is rarely quiet for long, shares an abundance of information about the film's cast, the production, the cinematography, and the editing. He can get fairly technical from time to time, but the track is always entertaining, and he rightly notes that the film, due to its complexity, rewards multiple viewings. There is a small amount of overlap between this track and the one recorded by Lado, but the vast majority is unique information. He also points out a few "errors" in the film, which, while interesting, do not diminish the power and impact of the film. He also discusses how inconsistencies in lighting presented a challenge for color grading. It seems Henkel is likely working from organized notes, but his delivery is typically rather relaxed and conversational as he points out numerous intricacies that may have escaped the notice of even the most focused and attentive viewers.
- Italian Trailer (3.08)
- English Trailer (3.07)
- Grindhouse Trailer (3.07)
- 'Catalepsis' Trailer (3.09)
- Isolated Score - Making the film even more dreamlike, this option removes all dialogue and sound effects, with Morricone's haunting score the only accompaniment to the film.
Disc 3 Special Features
- The Nights of Malastrana (2015 Interview with Aldo Lado and Jean Sorel) (1:41.08) - Lado opens by discussing not only how he started writing for the screen, but a moment of "crisis" brought about by his growing creative and professional frustration with crafting so many westerns, which were quite popular at the time. He begins discussing Short Night of Glass Dolls by sharing the real-life events of a magistrate who's story would inspire the events taking place in this film. He also felt that his Central European society was stuck in the old ways and was effectively smothering and stymying progress and the youth. He addresses his desire and eventual ability to have the film serve as his directorial debut, the changes made to the title, and difficulties shooting in Prague. Lado discusses how he was obligated to shoot a certain amount of the film in a studio, the origins of certain scenes, and the infamous song on the bridge. Eventually, he moves on to Who Saw Her Die? and how he became involved with that film. Footage of Sorel is inserted when needed as he shares what he remembers of the locations and other issues. Lado raves about Sorel, proclaiming him perfect for the role, and he shares similar feelings about Barbara Bach before moving on to others from the cast, and relaying how he inadvertently caused damage to Ingrid Thulin's eyes. Eventually, he turns the conversation toward working with Morricone, who, at the time, was not as famous as he is today. Once the film was edited, Morricone watched it and composed the music. Lado moves on to address the editing and other subjects before the feature concludes.(Italian with English subtitles.)
- All About Lado (2018 Interview with Aldo Lado) (32.32) - Lado discusses seeing a film starring Tyrone Power being shot when he was young which casued him to fall in love with filmmakeing as a career choice. He discusses his first film work, which he did in his mid- twentites. on the film Five Miles to Midnight, which was being shot in Paris. It was a project that taught him a great deal about his chosen profession. He goes on to cover the early days of his film career and the projects he worked on, including The Designated Victim, before going on to talk about how music was crafted for his films. Later he shares his intent to resist being a genre director or making similar films over and over again, moving on instead to a wide variety of projects from the film Night Train Murders to a television series for children. (Italian with English subtitles.)
- The Quest for Money (Interview with Enzo Doria) (20.10) - Producer Enzo Doria starts his time by discussing his switch from acting to a role behind the camera and working on multiple projects at once. It's not long before he begins to discuss Short Night, explaining that checks for the actors had bounced. Sorel is cut in, explaining that there always seemed to be financial problems on the set, much ot his obvious frustration. He shares that the film's title was changed by two of the producers who thought the original title wasn't right, and that the second choice was too close to another contemporary movie. He also shares memories from the production of Who Saw Her Die? and other films, including one tragic incident during the production of Tentacles. (Italian with English subtitles.)
- To Italy and Back (Interview with producer Dieter Geissler) (30.17) - Geissler explains that after seeing the classic Metropolis, he knew he had to work in film. As an actor, he states he consistently received smaller roles before landing a role on a television series in the UK, which lasted for a year and a half. He used the money he made there to produce his first film, 48 Hours to Acapulco, which was well-received, and led to him being involved in Pim de la Parra's Obsessions. Lado was already Short Night of Glass Dolls' director when he joined the project, and he states that Lado had a clear vision of what he wanted and worked pretty independently. He discusses the film's cast and is positive about the two leads. He then goes on to discuss other projects on which he worked. Morricone, it seems, had relatively complete freedom to produce music for the film as he saw fit, with none who felt they could critique his work. (German with English subtitles.)
- The Most Beautiful Voice in the World (Interview with singer Edda Dell'Orso) (21.44) - Edda Dell'Orso's etherial vocals instantly add lucious and otherworldly atmosphere to Short Night of Glass Dolls. Originally wanting to be a ballerina, she was made to study piano at age five, eventually going on to earn a degree in piano. She then began to learn to sing opera, but that didn't go as well as she had hoped. After singing in a choir, her singing career began to take off, and she remembers recording soundtracks fondly. She discusses meeting her husband Giacomo in 1952 while still in school and their subsequent work together. She describes her work on Once Upon a Time in the West before shifting to her contribution to this film. (Italian with English subtitles.)
- Cuts Like a Knife (Interview with Editor Mario Morra) (23.48) - Morra states that he got into editing due to his friend, well- known editor Sergio Montanari, who pitched the career as being more well-paying than what Morra was doing at the time. He describes witnessing the chaotic and artful process of Roberto Cinquini editing on a Moviola. After realizing it was a very creative craft, and lucrative as well, he became an assistant under Montanari and then Cinquini before getting the chance to be the editor on Mondo Cane 2, with his big break coming on The Battle of Algiers. He would go on to work on approximately 130 films in a decades-long career. He has fond memories of Aldo Lado, and recalls consoling him when he was fired from the film The Humanoid with Morra contending he was a scapegoat for the failings of another. (Italian with English subtitles.)
- The Man on the Bridge: Philosophy, Perception and Imprisonment in Aldo Lado's 'Short Night of Glass Dolls' (Retrospective Featurette) (23.03) - This visual essay by The Flying Maciste Brothers traces the origins of this film to the Prague Spring, its unfortunate aftermath, and Lado's scouting trip to Prague for a film that never materialized. Links to Fantastic Planet and several of Kafka's works are also explored, particularly the commonalities with The Metamorphosis . From that springboard, Lado dives into more philosophical territory that the segment works to explore and unravel, along with various narrative elements.
- 'Malastrana' Export Credits (4.19) - The credits scene used for the German release of the film, which used the original title of Malastrana.
- Image Gallery - Using the remote to advance the images, viewers are treated to various materials related to the film categorized as follows: Posters, Italian lobby cards (some of which will look familiar), Mexican lobby cards, Malastrana still photographs, Unter Dem Skalpell Des Teufels still photographs, Das Todessyndrom still photographs, and Miscellaneous.
Disc 4
- Grindhouse Version (1:37.08) - Taken from an original 35mm lab print, it is untouched and as such a number of issues and defects are visible and audible. Available in Italian and English.
- 'Paralyzed' VHS Version (1:36.35) - Numerous video and audio issues are on display due to the source material, though it does serve as an interesting companion to the restored presentation.
Book - The included perfect-bound 64-page book contains the essay "Who Saw the Glass Dolls on the Night Train" by Andy Marshall-Roberts, two reproductions and English translations of reviews published at the time of the film's original release, notes on the restoration, and a host of stills from the film. The text is printed in a large white font that is easy to read. It's worth noting that the book is slightly too wide to fit perfectly inside the slipcase, with it protruding by a few millimeters. This is visible in a few shots of the packaging that I've included with the review. Some may take issue with it, but as I suspect most people will shelve this release so that the slipcase's spine with its large title is visible instead of the other way around, this is, in my opinion, not that significant.
Original Filmstrip - The strip contains 10 frames, newly printed specifically for this release from the original camera negative of the trailer and packaged in a protective sleeve.
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