The Whip and the Body

aka La frusta e il corpo; Night Is the Phantom; The Whip and the Flesh; What!

Poster for The Whip and the Body

Evil horror!

Film Synopsis

The Whip and the Body (1963) follows a man returning to his ancestral home, where dark memories and sinister family secrets resurface. Strange events and acts of violence blur the line between supernatural horror and psychological torment. This gothic horror blends eerie atmosphere, haunting visuals, and forbidden desires in a tale of obsession, vengeance, and dread.

The Whip and the Body Blu-ray & DVD editions

See which disc extras are included across selected editions.

Comparison of The Whip and the Body Blu-ray & DVD Editions
Disc Extras
Kino BD-A/US 2024
Kino BD-A/US/OOP 2013
88 Films BD-B/UK 2023
Wicked-Vision BD-B/DE/OOP 2019
Odeon BD-ALL/UK/OOP 2014
Midnight Choir DVD-0/US/OOP 2009
VCI DVD-0/US/OOP 2000
EMS DVD-2 PAL/DE/OOP 2005
Audio Commentary by Tim Lucas
Audio Commentary by Tim Lucas [New]
Audio Commentary by Troy Howarth and Nathaniel Thompson
Audio Commentary by Pelle Felsch (In German)
Audio Commentary by Sean Hogan and Kim Newman
“British Legends of Stage and Screen: Sir Christopher Lee” (TV Episode, 2012, 47:10)
In Gendenken an (In Memory of) Tony Kendall - With Jo Steinbeck (43:41)
The Gothic and the Fantastic - Interview with Lamberto Bava (25:45)
Whipping the Body - Interview with Ernesto Gastaldi (24:31)
Working with Bava - Interview with Sergio Martino (24:31)
Interview with Jonathan Rigby (23:44)
Alternate German Opening Title Sequence (1:52)
Alternate Italian Opening Title and Closing Sequences (2:54)
Alternate US Opening Title Sequence as “What” (1:06)
Stills Gallery [EMS] (x5, 12:09)
Stills Gallery [Odeon] (17 Images, 1:49)
Stills Gallery [VCI] (51 Images)
Stills Gallery [Wicked Vision] (x9, 27:57)
Soundtracks (3:43, 4:14)
Biography: Actor Christopher Lee [EMS] (15 Screens, In German)
Biography: Actor Christopher Lee [VCI] (12 Screens)
Biography: Actress Daliah Lavi [EMS] (12 Screens, In German)
Biography: Actress Daliah Lavi [VCI] (8 Screens)
Biography: Director Mario Bava [EMS] (33 Screens, In German)
Biography: Director Mario Bava [VCI] (25 Screens)
Filmography: Actor Tony Kendall (4 Screens)
French Theatrical Trailer (3:28)
French Theatrical Trailer [Re-Cut] (3:33)
German Theatrical Trailer (3:35)
German Theatrical Trailer [Re-Cut] (3:34)
Italian Theatrical Trailer (3:34)
Italian Theatrical Trailer [Re-Cut] (3:34)
Spanish Theatrical Trailer (5:11)
Easter Egg: Deleted Scenes (0:26, 0:25)

Edition and Packaging Notes

  • Kino’s 2024 Blu-ray includes trailers for Black Sabbath (1963), Planet of the Vampires (1965), The Crimson Cult (1968), Arabian Adventure (1979) and House of the Long Shadows (1983).
  • 88 Films’ “The Italian Collection” Blu-ray includes a 40-page booklet with writing by Marta Oliehoek-Samitowska (“Nevenka’s Guilty Pleasures”), Francesco Massaccesi (“The Colours of Sadism”) and Rachael Nisbet (“Scenographies & Sadomasochism”); and a double-sided fold-out poster.
  • Wicked Vision’s Blu-ray is also available in 3 Mediabook editions, each containing a 24-page booklet with writing by Dr. Rolf Giesen and Uwe Sommerlad (in German).
  • Odeon’s Blu-ray includes a 16-page booklet with writing by Troy Howarth (“The Sting of Love: Mario Bava’s Romantic Ghost Story”).
  • Midnight Choir’s DVD also includes The Conspiracy of Torture (1969).
  • VCI’s DVD includes a booklet with liner notes by Jay Fenton. It is also available in the “Mario Bava Box Set” box set.
  • EMS’s DVD includes an 8-page booklet with writing by Thomas Wagner (in German).
Search Blu-ray.com

Blu-ray and DVD comparisons available on Rewind logo

~ Found an error or know of another edition? Submit a correction or release update. ~

Collector’s guide

Compare presentation quality and explore notable disc extras across selected editions.

  • Screen shot for “British Legends of Stage and Screen: Sir Christopher Lee”
    “British Legends of Stage and Screen: Sir Christopher Lee” (TV Episode, 2012, 46:58)
  • Screen shot for In Gendenken an (In Memory of) Tony Kendall
    In Gendenken an (In Memory of) Tony Kendall (43:41)
  • Screen shot for The Gothic and the Fantastic
    The Gothic and the Fantastic (25:45)
  • Screen shot for Whipping the Body
    Whipping the Body (24:31)
  • Screen shot for Working with Bava
    Working with Bava (24:31)
  • Screen shot for Interview with Jonathan Rigby
    Interview with Jonathan Rigby (23:42)
Editions
Kino box art
Kino BD 2024
  • Video
    • File 1
      • Codec: MPEG-4 AVC
      • Resolution: 1080p23.976
      • Overall bit rate: 38.84 Mbps
      • Aspect ratio: 1.85:1
      • Length:1:26:51.206
      • File size: 27.67 GiB
  • Audio
    • File 1
      • Language: English DTS-HD MA 2.0 Mono
      • Sampling rate: 48 kHz
      • Bit rate: 1965 kbps
      • Bit depth: 24-bit
    • File 2
      • Language: Italian DTS-HD MA 2.0 Mono
      • Sampling rate: 48 kHz
      • Bit rate: 1558 kbps
      • Bit depth: 16-bit
  • Subtitles
    • English
    • English SDH
Kino box art
Kino BD 2013
  • Video
    • File 1
      • Codec: MPEG-4 AVC
      • Resolution: 1080p23.976
      • Overall bit rate: 33.87 Mbps
      • Aspect ratio: 1.78:1
      • Length:1:27:11.434
      • File size: 25.79 GiB
  • Audio
    • File 1
      • Language: English LPCM 2.0 Mono
      • Sampling rate: 48 kHz
      • Bit rate: 2304 kbps
      • Bit depth: 24-bit
    • File 2
      • Language: French LPCM 2.0 Mono
      • Sampling rate: 48 kHz
      • Bit rate: 2304 kbps
      • Bit depth: 24-bit
    • File 3
      • Language: Italian LPCM 2.0 Mono
      • Sampling rate: 48 kHz
      • Bit rate: 2304 kbps
      • Bit depth: 24-bit
  • Subtitles
    • English
88 Films box art
88 Films BD 2023
  • Video
    • File 1
      • Codec: MPEG-4 AVC
      • Resolution: 1080p23.976
      • Overall bit rate: 34.90 Mbps
      • Aspect ratio: 1.85:1
      • Length:1:26:51.206
      • File size: 24.22 GiB
  • Audio
    • File 1
      • Language: English LPCM 2.0 Mono
      • Sampling rate: 48 kHz
      • Bit rate: 2304 kbps
      • Bit depth: 24-bit
    • File 2
      • Language: Italian LPCM 2.0 Mono
      • Sampling rate: 48 kHz
      • Bit rate: 2304 kbps
      • Bit depth: 24-bit
  • Subtitles
    • English
Wicked-Vision box art
Wicked-Vision BD 2019
  • Video
    • File 1
      • Codec: MPEG-4 AVC
      • Resolution: 1080p23.976
      • Overall bit rate: 24.00 Mbps
      • Aspect ratio: 1.78:1
      • Length:1:27:06.592
      • File size: 24.29 GiB
  • Audio
    • File 1
      • Language: English DTS-HD MA 2.0 Mono
      • Sampling rate: 48 kHz
      • Bit rate: 1660 kbps
      • Bit depth: 16-bit
    • File 2
      • Language: French DTS-HD MA 2.0 Mono
      • Sampling rate: 48 kHz
      • Bit rate: 1693 kbps
      • Bit depth: 16-bit
    • File 3
      • Language: German DTS-HD MA 2.0 Mono
      • Sampling rate: 48 kHz
      • Bit rate: 1815 kbps
      • Bit depth: 24-bit
    • File 4
      • Language: Italian DTS-HD MA 2.0 Mono
      • Sampling rate: 48 kHz
      • Bit rate: 1602 kbps
      • Bit depth: 16-bit
  • Subtitles
    • English
    • German
Odeon box art
Odeon BD 2014
  • Video
    • File 1
      • Codec: MPEG-4 AVC
      • Resolution: 1080p24
      • Overall bit rate: 20.00 Mbps
      • Aspect ratio: 1.78:1
      • Length:1:27:01.420
      • File size: 15.90 GiB
  • Audio
    • File 1
      • Language: English LPCM 2.0 Mono
      • Sampling rate: 48 kHz
      • Bit rate: 1536 kbps
      • Bit depth: 16-bit
    • File 2
      • Language: French LPCM 2.0 Mono
      • Sampling rate: 48 kHz
      • Bit rate: 1536 kbps
      • Bit depth: 16-bit
    • File 3
      • Language: Italian LPCM 2.0 Mono
      • Sampling rate: 48 kHz
      • Bit rate: 1536 kbps
      • Bit depth: 16-bit
  • Subtitles
    • None
Extras Audio Commentary by Tim Lucas Kino BD
Audio Commentary by Tim Lucas [New] Odeon BD
Audio Commentary by Troy Howarth and Nathaniel Thompson 88 Films BD
Audio Commentary by Sean Hogan and Kim Newman 88 Films BD
“British Legends of Stage and Screen: Sir Christopher Lee” (TV Episode, 2012, 46:58, 1080p) Odeon BD
In Gendenken an (In Memory of) Tony Kendall - With Jo Steinbeck (43:41, 1080p) Wicked-Vision BD
The Gothic and the Fantastic - Interview with Lamberto Bava (25:45, 1080p) 88 Films BD
Whipping the Body - Interview with Ernesto Gastaldi (24:31, 1080p) 88 Films BD
Working with Bava - Interview with Sergio Martino (24:31, 1080p) 88 Films BD
Interview with Jonathan Rigby (23:42, 1080p) Odeon BD
Alternate German Opening Title Sequence (1:52, 1080p) Wicked-Vision BD
Alternate Italian Opening Title and Closing Sequences (2:54, 1080p) Wicked-Vision BD
Alternate US Opening Title Sequence as “What” (1:06, 1080p) Wicked-Vision BD
Stills Gallery [EMS] (x5, 12:09, 576i) EMS DVD
Stills Gallery [Odeon] (17 Images, 1:49, 1080p) Odeon BD
Stills Gallery [VCI] (51 Images) VCI DVD
Stills Gallery [Wicked Vision] (x9, 27:57, 1080p) Wicked-Vision BD
Soundtracks (3:43, 4:14) VCI DVD
French Theatrical Trailer (3:34, 1080p) 88 Films BD
French Theatrical Trailer [Re-Cut] (3:33, 1080p) Wicked-Vision BD
German Theatrical Trailer (3:35, 1080p) 88 Films BD
German Theatrical Trailer [Re-Cut] (3:34, 1080p) Wicked-Vision BD
Italian Theatrical Trailer (3:34, 1080p) 88 Films BD
Italian Theatrical Trailer [Re-Cut] (3:34, 1080p) Wicked-Vision BD
Spanish Theatrical Trailer (5:11, 1080p) Wicked-Vision BD
Easter Egg: Deleted Scenes (0:26, 0:25, 480i) VCI DVD