Byleth: The Demon of Incest (Severin Films Blu-Ray Review)

Is Byleth – The Demon of Incest Treasure or Trash?

Blu-ray Distributed By Severin / October 29, 2019

In one of the most bizarre EuroSleaze sickies of the ‘70s, Mark Damon (House of Usher, Crypt Of The Living Dead) delivers an atypically unhinged performance as a duke consumed by unnatural lust for his beautiful sister (Claudia Gravy of The Nun & The Devil). Toss in depraved dollops of sex, voyeurism, demonic possession and giallo-style violence, and you get the sumptuous-yet-insane rarity The Wild Eye calls “intriguingly different and endearingly odd for Italian Horror aficionados.” Aldo Bufi Landi (Four Flies on Grey Velvet) and Fernando Cerulli (Death Smiles On A Murder) co-star in this long-lost filth-fest, directed by Spaghetti Western veteran Leopoldo Savona (Pistol Packin’ Preacher, Apocalypse Joe) and now scanned in 2k from negative elements recently discovered in a Madrid lab vault.

Jamie’s Take (2 / 5)

Well, the title sure is captivating. Such a great name for a movie and the cover art of the blu ray looks very promising. However, I have been burned before where these “rarely seen” films remastered for the first time ever turn out to be turds. Does Byleth fall victim to this curse?

The opening of the film does start off promising as the very first shot is a couple, totally nude, going at it. You would think they never touched naked flesh before as they really go at it by grabbing buns like it was pizza dough. These fannies get felt! Anyways, after the man leaves his female companion this broad is met by an unknown stranger who kills her with a three pointed blade. All this before the opening credits. Ok…I am hooked.

Set in the 19th century, Byleth tells the story about a young man named Lionello (Mark Damon who ended up having a big career as a producer with movies like Das Boot, Short Circuit, and Monster) who comes home to Rome after a year of being away to find out his sister Barbara (Claudia Gravy from Sadist Erotica) is now married. Immediately the viewer is aware that this is no typical brother-sister relationship as the two are in love with one another with Lionello being crushed that Barbara is now with husband.

As Lionello tries to interact with his new brother-in-law, there are also some murders that are happening within the town. Most of the woman are being killed by the same three pointed blade as the woman from the opening of the film. Coincidence?

It’s apparent that these murders are linked with Lionello as he goes off in jealous rages whenever Barbara is with her husband and he even watches them make some good old fashioned fuckings unbeknownst to them.

Byleth isn’t much of a horror film or murder mystery as unless you are an idiot, it’s pretty obvious who the killer is. There is very little blood or suspense in the movie but director Leopoldo Savona, who likes to use the zoom lens more than Jess Franco, makes up for it in the nudity department. These women that do take their tops off have insanely huge flap jacks and aren’t afraid to show off that love jungle between their legs. One woman that shows off her crotch had me thinking that a black woolen hat had fallen in her lap.

The stunning conclusion of Byleth is a major disappointment as what I thought was about to turn into a supernatural conclusion just abruptly ends and leaves the viewer shaking his / her head in bewilderment. Was there more to the film that may have been lost? Possibly. But as it is now, I felt like I wasted my time. It’s like watching a TV series that ends with a “To Be Continued” episode and then the series is cancelled.

Severin’s blu ray release has a title card before the film stating the movie has color deterioration due to the film being so old and out of print for so long. Have no fear, the blu ray looks very nice and while there are some noticeable color changes and film damage near the beginning of the film, the movie looks pretty sharp.

As for the special features…? Zilch! Nada! A big shock coming from Severin. I guess Mark Damon was too busy and that some film historian didn’t feel like doing a commentary track. This is a real shame given that I would have liked to have learned more about how this film had been mostly unseen for so long. I couldn’t even find a trailer for it on youtube and only located a short two minute video of the film that wasn’t subtitled (the blu ray has subtitles).

Byleth starts off promising but has more in common with a cheap, soft core Jess Franco movie. Whatever floats your boat I guess. Byleth isn’t terrible and it does go by quickly. I have seen so much Italian schlock that I guess I was left shrugging my shoulders, knowing I have seen much worse. But I have also seen much better.