One of Italy’s premier Horror filmmakers during the 1980s, Lamberto Bava stands along with other greats such as Dario Argento and Luci Fulci. Continuing in his family’s legacy, following in the footsteps of his father, Mario Bava, Lamberto Bava made a name all his own with films such as 1980’s Macabre, 1983’s A Blade in the Dark, and of course, 1985’s Demons, and the sequel, 1986’s Demons 2.
A fantastic time for Horror cinema between the ’70s and ’80s, there was a steady increase in American movies dominating the market, which unfortunately led to the Italian industry suffering. With the decline accelerating further by the late 1980s, many Italian filmmakers, including Lamberto Bava, turned to television. A move that kept him busy, Lamberto Bava was allotted the opportunity to make some exciting made-for-television films such as 1989’s The Prince of Terror, The Man Who Wouldn’t Die, School of Fear, Eye Witness (a must-watch hidden gem), and The Mask of Satan (which is a Spanish Horror series called Sabbath).
An interesting period for Lamberto Bava, in 1992, he returned to the theatrical film world with Body Puzzle. His first theatrical released film since 1987’s Delirium, Body Puzzle featured a script rewritten by Lamberto Bava and Teodoro Agrimi, and features as cast of well-recognized actors such as Joanna Pacuła (who earned a Golden Globe for her performance in 1983’s Gorky Park), Tomas Arana (an accomplished actor who had worked with Lamberto Bava numerous times prior), and François Montagut (who is known for films such as 1998’s The Man in the Iron Mask).
Labeled by some as a Slasher, Body Puzzle is really more of a Murder Mystery than anything else. A film that follows a homicide detective named Michele Livet (Tomas Arana), who is handling a case involving a series of peculiar murders, it is found that each is somehow connected to a lovely, young widow named Tracy Grant (Joanna Pacuła).
Filled with some interesting story twists, tense moments, and even a bit of romance, Body Puzzle is an enjoyable watch from start to finish. Unfortunately, not a film that received much exposure in theaters upon its 1992 release; it may, in part, be because its Italian distributor, P.A.C. (Produzioni Atlas Cinematografica), was on the verge of bankruptcy. In fact, Body Puzzle was one of the last films they ever released by the once successful P.A.C. before going completely under.
Nonetheless, Body Puzzle still found audiences throughout the ‘90s with a home video release in the UK, and it even made it to Laserdisc in the USA. A part of Lamberto Bava’s very interesting filmography, it would also be one of his last theatrical films for some time, as he became enthralled in working on the popular Fantasy series Fantaghirò through much of the ‘90s, and found fulfillment in the process. All exciting pieces of his story, now Body Puzzle finds its way to Blu-ray, thanks to Kino Lorber.
The first-ever release of Body Puzzle on Blu-ray in the United States, Kino Lorber put it out on October 14, 2025, as part of their Raro dedicated collection, where they have teamed with the Italian publisher for exclusive distribution. Looking and sounding quite good, it features improved imagery that is brighter and with deeper contrast.
Also including both the English audio and alternate Italian audio with optional English subtitles, the bonus features complementing it all are a new commetary from Film Historians Adrian Smith and Rod Barnett, plus a cover art faithful to the original theatrical film poster. Altogether, for Lamberto Bava completists, this is a must-have, which is why Cryptic Rock gives the new Blu-ray release of Body Puzzle 4 out of 5 stars.
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