Director: Mario Bava
Screenplay: Dino Maiuri, Brian Degas, Tudor Gates, Mario Bava
Based on: the Italian comic series Diabolik by Angela and Luciana Giussani
Starring: John Phillip Law, Marisa Mell, Michel Piccoli, Adolfo Celi, Terry-Thomas, Claudio Gora, Mario Donen, Renzo Palmer, Caterina Boratto, Lucia Modugno, Annie Gorassini, Carol Croccolo
Country: Italy/ France
Running Time: 103 min
Year: 1968
BBFC Certificate: 12
Italian filmmaker Mario Bava is famed for his wonderful eye. His films are a feast for the senses – the eyes and the ears – and have a marvellous style, beautiful compositions, and outstanding use of colour. Bava’s films were also technical marvels, with some excellent optical effects and are ripe for cineastes to unpick, talk about and decipher as much as they are entertaining.
He’s best known as a master of horror, thanks to the likes of Black Sunday (1960), his pioneering gialli The Girl Who Knew Too Much (1963), Blood and Black Lace (1964), and A Bay of Blood (1971), which was hugely influential on the slasher films that would take hold in the 1980s.
The stylish and visually attuned director found his perfect source material in 1968 when he was hired by Dino De Laurentiis to take the helm for Danger: Diabolik, an outstanding crime action film based on an Italian comic book (known as fumetti) called Diabolik.
The hugely popular comic source material was created by comic book writers Angela and Luciana Giussani in 1962, and was the first fumetti neri (black comic). Fast-forward six years and the comic would find its way to the big screen in the film directed by Bava, which has been given a wonderful new dual-format 4K UHD and Blu-ray release by Eureka as part of their Masters of Cinema series.
Bava was not first choice to direct; Seth Holt– whom I discussed in my recent review of Blood from the Mummy’s Tomb, which was the final film he directed – was originally in the director’s chair, but De Laurentiis apparently did not like the footage, replacing Holt with Bava and ordering the film to be started from scratch. It’s difficult to imagine anyone else having directed the film in such a great comic book way.
The film is set in an unknown part of Europe and follows an infamous thief known as Diabolik (John Phillip Law) and his accomplice Eva Kant (Marisa Mell) who steal $10 million, which is being transported from a bank by Inspector Ginko (Michel Piccoli), who is determined to stop the master thief but ultimately fails.
The successful heist launches a crimewave by Diabolik which sees him setting his sights on stealing a priceless emerald and 20 tons of gold in an effort to mock the government, police and, ultimately, the state.
It’s a thrilling and entertaining plot that holds the attention throughout the 90-plus minute runtime and contains some wonderful set pieces, from the opening heist and subsequent chase which involves cars and helicopters to a daring centrepiece raid and a brilliant finale.
The tone is similar to the 1960s Adam West-starring Batman TV series and Barbarella which came out in the same year and was another comic book adaptation produced by De Laurentiis. Now, I’m a fan of both of those, but Danger: Diabolik is next level; it contains tongue in cheek, kitsch and camp elements, but is done in a very high-quality way, which is to be expected given those involved. It’s also anarchic and subversive, with a little commentary on the Italy of the time.
Former camera operator and cinematographer Bava’s eye for a shot and beautiful image shines throughout, as does his technical prowess. The film is gorgeous from start to finish, with frequent shots that look like they could have come direct from a comic book. Highlights include the opening scene outside the bank, and Diabolik and Eva frolicking naked on bank notes on a revolving bed, as well as both being shot separately through the distorted glass of shower windows as they bathe; all tastefully done I must add, there’s no nudity in the film. Eva is also filmed through the slats of a headboard for a bed, which make it look like she’s in prison.
On the technical front, examples include the screen changing when Diabolik looks through binoculars, to make it seem as if the viewer is looking through them too, as well as numerous other first-person perspectives, for example through car windscreens and cranes. There is also a beautiful colour scheme throughout, from the costumes to the cars, exemplified by the opening titles which are a kaleidoscope of colours. Miniatures and in-camera matte painting work are also brilliantly used by Bava.
The set design is also a joy, particularly Diabolik’s lair which feels like it is part Batcave and part set from a science-fiction film, and the costumes are breathtaking, particularly those worn by Eva.
Ennio Morricone’s score is another of the film’s delights, really funky and jazzy, with the composer’s love for using alternate sound effects and instruments at the fore. It’s a toe tapper, that is also really thrilling when it needs to be and is another home run score by one of the greatest composers in film history.
And then there’s the cast. American actor John Phillip Law is perfect as Diabolik, as is Austrian actress Marisa Mell as his accomplice, who is shot and dressed like a Bond Girl from the 007 films and more than holds her own as romantic interest and fellow thief. Then we have Terry-Thomas, yes the British comedy actor Terry-Thomas, as the Minister of Interior, who is hilarious in a small part.
French actor Michel Piccoli gives a good performance as the inspector trying to bring down Diabolik and Eva, as does Thunderball (1964) Bond villain actor Adolfo Celi, here playing gangster Ralph Valmont, who is blackmailed by Inspector Ginko to catch Diabolik and, for me, is the real villain of the piece, quite cold and calculated at times.
As an aside, there are some interesting choices of actors who nearly played some of the roles, with the original cast including Jean Sorel, Elsa Martinelli and Gilbert Roland, whilst Catherine Deneuve was initially cast as Eva after Bava took over the film but apparently fell out with the director and the chemistry wasn’t there with Law so was, eventually, replaced by Mell.
The film followed in the wake of a number of other 1960s films which followed supervillains or criminals, including CCC Film’s Dr Mabuse sequels, André Hunebelle’s Fantomas trilogy and Harry Alan Towers’ Fu Manchu series. Fans of such films will find the Mabuse films and Fantomas trilogy, plus the original silent Fantomas serials and Fritz Lang’s earlier Mabuse films, on Eureka Blu-rays, and they are all well worth checking out.
Danger: Diabolik is a hoot from start to finish, a riotously entertaining comic book adaptation and crime caper, which features gorgeous imagery and is a real cinematic feast for the senses. It contains some excellent set pieces and is easily one of Bava’s best films for me, and that’s saying something as I adore much of his filmography. It is a fun, thrilling technical marvel that I’m already looking forward to revisiting.
Film: 
Danger: Diabolik is released by Eureka on their Masters of Cinema label as a limited edition dual-format 4K UHD and Blu-ray edition on 20th April 2026. I watched the 4K disc for the purpose of this review. The picture quality is mostly very good, giving the colour palette and visually rich film a real chance to shine through. Detail is fine, the colours pop as they should and there’s a natural amount of grain. It’s not perfect by any stretch – some of the scenes, particularly those involving optical effects such as the early scenes where smoke is released by Diabolik, show noticeable print damage and at times the image is soft but, overall, it’s a very natural picture quality. I suspect we’ll never get a better transfer of the optimal effects as the damage is likely inherent in the source material. The audio is also great and we’re provided with multiple options, which is incredibly welcomed – English mono, which is one of two I listened to, the other being the Italian mono. Eureka also provide an English DTS-HD MA 5.1 track and an alternate English dub, originally recorded for the film’s laserdisc release. All of the audio options, including the three commentaries, can be found in a menu which appears when choosing ‘Play Film’.
Special features:
Limited edition hardbound set [2000 copies]
Dual format edition including both UHD (Region Free) and Blu-ray (Region B)
Limited edition hardcase with package design by Nick Wrigley
Limited edition 60-page book featuring new essays on Danger: Diabolik by Italian film historian Roberto Curti and comic book scholar Jochen Ecke, a new introduction to fumetti neri by crime genre expert Sergio Angelini and new writing on the film’s director by Troy Howarth, author of The Haunted World of Mario Bava
4K (2160p) UHD Blu-ray presentation presented in Dolby Vision HDR (HDR10 compatible)
1080p HD presentation on Blu-ray
English and Italian audio options
Alternative English audio track, originally recorded for the film’s laserdisc release
Optional English subtitles, including newly translated subtitles for the Italian audio
Audio commentary with film historians Troy Howarth and Nathaniel Thompson
Audio commentary with Tim Lucas, author of Mario Bava: All the Colors of the Dark
Audio commentary with actor John Phillip Law and Bava authority Tim Lucas
Criminal Intent – new discussion of the origins and evolution of Diabolik from page to screen with Leon Hunt, author of the Cultographies volume on Danger: Diabolik
Radical Behaviour – new video essay on Danger: Diabolik as anti-establishment pop culture by Italian genre cinema expert Rachael Nisbet
From Fumetti to Film – archival featurette
Body Movin’ – music video by Beastie Boys, with optional commentary by Adam “MCA” Yauch
Teaser trailer
Theatrical trailer
The extras kick-off with no less than three audio commentaries. Firstly, one with film historians Troy Howarth and Nathaniel Thompson who are on excellent form, enthusing about the film, what’s great about it, Bava’s visual inventiveness, the background to the making of the movie, its style and the techniques the director employed to lower the budget but still make it a visual feast, and the sequel that never was. It’s a cracking track.
Next we have an audio commentary with Tim Lucas, author of Mario Bava: All the Colors of the Dark, who provides no end of interesting background to the making of the film, highlighting the background to scenes as they play, pointing out plenty of things I missed on my viewing. It’s richly detailed yet always entertaining and is probably the standout track for me, which is saying something as all three are very good.
The final audio commentary again features Lucas, this time alongside Diabolik actor John Phillip Law. Law shares loads of memories and recollections of working on the film, pointing out some of those who worked with and clearly having had a great time both recording the film and track. Lucas points out numerous elements throughout too, particularly the actors and background to certain elements. There’s inevitably crossover but it’s surprising how fresh each track feels, particularly the two that feature Lucas.
Leon Hunt’s interview runs for 22 minutes and gives a really great overview of the film, beginning with the origins of the comic book it was based on. Hunt looks at the origins of the Eva character, and the genesis of the film, including some of the original casting choices that didn’t come to fruition. Hunt also looks at elements that came from the comics, discussing the film’s similarities and differences to the source material. He closes with a look at the more recent trilogy of Diabolik films, which are much more faithful to the comics, and John Phillip Law’s performance in Bava’s film. It’s an excellent piece.
Equally high quality is Rachel Nisbet’s 27-minute video essay, looking at the film’s plot through the lens of authority and politics, and who our hero targets and why. Nisbet places the film in the context of the time and place in which it was made, giving a good social history of Italy at the time and the dissent against the state that was bubbling over. It’s a fabulous piece.
From Fumetti to Film is a really good archival 21-minute piece from 2005 which includes some fine talking heads including Swamp Thing cartoonist Stephen R. Bissette, Adam Yauch from the Beastie Boys, actor John Phillip Law, Ennio Morricone and Dino De Laurentis, who share background to the film, Mario Bava and their love of it. Bissette, in particularly, is on great form and shares the background to fumetti, the more mature comics that Diabolik would be a pioneer of. It’s a strong piece.
Adam Yauch also provides a commentary for the Beastie Boys’ excellent six-minute or so music video Body Movin’ which was inspired by Danger: Diabolik. Yauch, as he does in the archival featurette, shares why the film inspired the music video, which can also be viewed without the commentary. The music video, which is for a Fat Boy Slim remix of the song, follows a thief, clearly inspired by the character of Diabolik and is a fabulous, colourful and funny homage to the movie, which even includes clips from the film alongside new footage with the artists. The song is also a classic. Both the video and commentary are very welcome additions.
There’s a one-minute Paramount teaser trailer which does a good job selling the film in the short runtime and states it is “intended for mature audiences”.
Also included is a two-and-a-half-minute trailer, which also makes the film look the hoot that it is.
I was provided with a PDF of the fantastic 60-page book, which is beautifully appointed and features a trio of brilliant essays. Each of the essays is fantastic and complement each other well, with my favourite being Roberto Curti’s overview of the film.
In closing, Eureka have provided an outstanding package for the ridiculously entertaining Mario Bava comic book film Danger: Diabolik. The picture is mostly great, though the print is showing its age at times, the audio is excellent on the various tracks, and Eureka have provided some marvellous supplementary features including a fantastic booklet, two excellent new video pieces – a Leon Hunt interview and a Rachel Nisbet video essay – three cracking commentaries, a great archival featurette and the Beastie Boys video Body Movin’ which pays homage to Danger: Diabolik. Highly recommended.
Disc/Package:
