Radiance Films’ Wicked Games boxset combine three early works from Robert Hossein, including his earlier works The Wicked Go to Hell, Nude in a White Car, and a later western The Taste of Violence. Here Radiance gives uninitiated viewers – likely many, due to the relative obscurity of Hossein’s filmography – a chance to experience some his most effective works, particularly in the classic French noir style (The Wicked Go to Hell, Nude in a White Car) as well as his more prescient example of a spaghetti western before that sub-genre truly existed (The Taste of Violence). Since we’ve reviewed each film individually, we’ll quote from our verdicts of all three before exploring the extent of the boxset’s contents.
The Wicked Go to Hell
The Wicked Go to Hell is an engaging enough debut from Hossein and this boxset collection offers a number of extras to further enhance the experience, along with a great-looking transfer.
Nude in a White Car
Nude in a White Car is certainly an interesting contribution to the film noir genre, depicting an intriguing love triangle and a particular sordid sexual affair. An excellent transfer and a variety of informational extras make this another great option in the Wicked Games boxset.
The Taste of Violence
The Taste of Violence is an excellent western predating the spaghetti western explosion, and this Robert Hossein boxset seems to have saved the best for last. A great-looking transfer and a solid set of extras makes this an excellent disc in the set.
Boxset
Radiance Films has released the three films on three separate discs, combining The Wicked Go to Hell and Nude in a White Car in one case while The Taste of Violence gets its own. Extras are spread out across the releases based on their relation to the films. Also included is an essay booklet that features a number of written articles. The first is highly illustrative deep dive into all three of the films and their relation to Hossein’s works and thematic tendencies by author Walter Chaw. The other pieces are archival interviews from Hossein translated by Lucas Balbo, which find the actor/director commenting briefly on his own films but more so remarking on other people’s works.
Reversible cover artwork is available for both cases.
Extra Features
DISC 1 – THE WICKED GO TO HELL
- 2K restoration by Gaumont
- Original uncompressed mono audio
- NEW Audio commentary on each film by critic and author Tim Lucas
- NEW Picking Strawberries – A ‘making of’ featurette with historian Lucas Balbo, featuring archive interviews with Hossein and Jean Rollin (1080p; 14:52)
- NEW Behind Marked Eyes: The Cinematic Stare of Robert Hossein – A featurette by Howard S. Berger about Hossein and his work (1080p; 27:04)
- Trailer (1080p; 3:19)
DISC 2 – NUDE IN A WHITE CAR
- 2K restoration by Gaumont
- Original uncompressed mono audio
- NEW Audio commentary on each film by critic and author Tim Lucas
- NEW The Evolution of the Femme Fatale in Classic French Cinema – A visual essay by critic Samm Deighan (1080p; 16:39)
- Interview with actor Marina Vlady (1080p; 8:34)
- Trailer (1080p; 2:38)
DISC 3 – THE TASTE OF VIOLENCE
- 2K restoration by Gaumont
- Original uncompressed mono audio
- NEW Audio commentary on each film by critic and author Tim Lucas
- NEW The Taste of Violence appreciation by filmmaker and Western authority Alex Cox (1080p; 7:24)
- NEW Interview with author C. Courtney Joyner on The Taste of Violence and the Zapata Western subgenre (1080p; 26:24)
- Trailer (1080p; 2:54)
LIMITED EDITION CONTENTS INCLUDE (3000 Copies)
- NEW Reversible sleeves featuring original and commissioned artwork by Time Tomorrow
- NEW Limited edition booklet featuring writing by Walter Chaw and newly translated archival writing by Lucas Balbo
- Limited Edition of 3000 copies, presented in a rigid box with full-height Scanavo cases and removable OBI strip leaving packaging free of certificates and markings
Verdict
Wicked Games is a fantastic boxset combining three films from Robert Hossein that are likely new to most interested parties; and those that are intrigued by French Nouvelle Vague cinema would certainly find a lot to like about Hossein’s output here, which circumvents the usual elements for something more unique and grandiose.
