Bizarro

A Candle for the Devil

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Edition Type: Limited Edition Slipcover

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This Partner Label release is distributed through Vinegar Syndrome's sister company OCN Distribution. Vinegar Syndrome had no part in, nor are responsible for, the restoration, extras, quality control or any content(s) of this release. We hope you enjoy our growing roster of Partner Labels and the expertise and curation brought to each release by their dedicated staff!

Details

This special limited edition spot gloss and embossed slipcover (designed by Haunt Love) is limited to 2,000 units and is only available on our website and at select indie retailers. Absolutely no major retailers will be stocking them.

Bizarro is dedicated to unearthing the boldest, most original visions in Spanish cinema—films that are as daring, provocative, and offbeat as they are artistically distinctive. Whether restoring lost cult treasures or bringing overlooked gems to new audiences, Bizarro offers a curated selection for cinephiles craving the unexpected. In Spanish, “Bizarro” means both strange and brave, a name that reflects our commitment to cinema at its most unconventional. Proudly partnering with OCN Distribution, we invite viewers to discover the fearless and extraordinary from Spain’s cinematic underground—restored and celebrated for a new generation.

Beneath the relentless sun of a picturesque Spanish village, two sisters preside over a boarding house where religious and sexual repression, masked by fanatical morality, hide a chilling secret. Young, uninhibited foreign tourists arrive—displaying a nakedness and freedom at odds with the village’s rigid rules—and their presence ignites a slow-burning tension. When Laura Barkley (Judy Geeson) comes to the village searching for her missing sister, she is drawn into a web of suspicion and mounting dread. As guests begin to disappear, the sisters’ twisted sense of virtue unravels, exposing the darkness festering behind the village’s tranquil facade.

From horror-maestro Eugenio Martín (Horror Express), A Candle for the Devil (aka It Happened at Nightmare Inn, 1973) is a fascinating, feverish blend of Giallo-esque suspense and razor-sharp social critique, targeting the suffocating moral codes and authoritarian shadows cast by Franco’s Spain. Acclaimed by genre devotees as “an underseen gem” and “a must for any Euro-horror collection,” this cult favorite finally blazes onto 4K UHD—uncut and more stunning than ever, restored from the original camera negative for the very first time, and packed with a wealth of brand new and archival extras.

directed by: Eugenio Martin
starring: Judy Geeson, Aurora Bautista, Esperanza Roy, Víctor Barrera, Lone Fleming
1973 / 89 min / 1.85:1 / Spanish, English DTS-HD MA 1.0

Additional info:

  • 2-disc Set: 4K Ultra HD / Region A Blu-ray
  • Newly scanned & restored in 4K from its 35mm original camera negative
  • Presented in both its original Spanish language soundtrack with newly translated subtitles and the English dub track
  • The Spain That Wouldn’t Die: A new appreciation by Sitges Film Festival director Ángel Sala
  • Courage Under Censorship: A new interview with actress and Eugenio Martín’s partner, Lone Fleming
  • The Rider of Fantaterror: A retrospective interview with actor Vic Winner
  • A Devil in Spain: An interview with actress Judy Geeson
  • Alternate English-language titles
  • Original Spanish and International trailers
  • English subtitles

Overall rating: 4.8014183 / 5 from 141 reviews.

AI Generated Review Summary

A Candle for the Devil, a 1973 Spanish horror film directed by Eugenio Martín, is a restored 4K UHD release featuring a blend of Giallo-esque suspense and social critique. The film, now available uncut and more stunning than ever, targets the suffocating moral codes of Franco's Spain. It includes a wealth of new and archival extras, and is presented in both its original Spanish language soundtrack with newly translated subtitles and the English dub track.

Summary topics

  • Movie Release: 28%
  • Video Transfer Quality: 28%

Review topics: ["quality","looks","packaging","picture","upgrade","sound","presentation","buy","set","release","movie","film","horror","transfer","restoration","features","thriller","sister","label","debut","start","slipcover","flick","gore","title","performances","devil","town","vinegar syndrome","music"].

Review highlights

  • "A fantastic horror movie and great debut release."james b.
  • "This new 4k transfer looks absolutely fantastic."james b.
  • "Beautiful transfer and terrific features that provide a lot of context!"Eli O.

Reviews

An outstanding upgrade to 4K from one of the Fantaterror's cornerstones

"A Candle for the Devil is one of the Spanish films that most intelligently attacked the then languishing Franco's regime by embracing the horror genre; a credit to the inventiveness of its main director, Eugenio Martín, and the screenwriter Antonio Fos (as well as, of course, the rest of the team, fully inspired). This upgrade to 4K from the negatives for the first time in the world looks simply stunning. I never thought I could see this sordid tale of decay, as embodied by Aurora Bautista and Esperanza Roy, with such level of detail, which is rounded by a good stack of extras. By the way, this movie was also known as: It Happened at Nightmare Inn."

Roberto P. (5/5)

Spanish classic

"Great, entertaining, incisive, culturally specific psycho thriller about repressed conservative hermanas confronted with the influx libertine tourists in their small Andalusian town. Love that this release has the Spanish audio track that the previous blu ray edition lacked, in addition to a new transfer."

Ryan M. (5/5)

España me duele

"A Candle for the Devil is a grim and unsettling slice of Spanish horror that leans heavily into themes of repression and moral control. Directed by Eugenio Martín, the film centers on two sisters running a rural hotel whose strict, almost fanatical beliefs lead them down a path of violence. What makes it memorable isn’t just its shock value, but the way it builds tension through atmosphere and character—showing how fear, religion, and sexuality collide in a suffocating environment that slowly unravels. The 4K edition from Bizarro Releasing gives the film a much-needed upgrade, especially considering how rough and inconsistent older versions have looked over the years. The new restoration brings out finer details, more stable colors, and a clearer image that helps the film’s mood and visual style land more effectively. As a limited collector’s release, it reflects the growing effort by boutique labels to rescue overlooked European genre films and present them in a way that finally does justice to their original impact."

Jaume M. (5/5)

A Candle for the Devil

"Great 4k upgrade glad to have it"

Andrew D. (5/5)

A Candle for the Devil

"A Candle for the Devil is an excellent old school horror movie with suspense and a great esthetic. This film really appeals to the horror shot around its time and I highly recommend checking this one out. Packaging and execution presentation are excellent!."

Matt R. (5/5)

A Macabre Tale of Psycho-Sexual Horror

"This Spanish flick received the quality Vinegar Syndrome treatment to appear and sound beautiful on screen. As a fan of Spanish horror from giallo to supernatural horrors, this is one that I've heard a lot about before blind buying and I don't regret picking this one up. This one sold down quick, possibly as a FOMO, but this one was actually worthy of keeping in the collection."

Joshua K. (5/5)

Top Tier Horror

"Love this Spanish horror flick! Highly recommended"

Jeffrey L. (5/5)

Worth a watch

"Give me more Spanish horror and I’ll be fine. This was one I decided to upgrade. Movie is a little slow at times but overall pretty good"

Jeff L. (5/5)

Great new Label

"Hope there is more of this to come from Bizzaro"

Jonathan G. (5/5)

Great 4k release

"Excellent restoration of this Euro thriller. Happy blind buy for me"

Arthur C. (4/5)

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