I thought I knew what a “krimi film” was and had seen a couple of them over the years. Turns out, in fact, I knew very little about them. I thought they were just a little off shoot to the Italian giallo films but made in Germany, which they kind of were, but so different. Kind of like saying all pasta is the same as spaghetti! The term krimi is slang for Kriminalfilme, or Crime Film, that was shortened to just krimi. This moniker was created after a series of films based on the works of British author Edgar Wallace and his son Bryan Edgar Wallace, mainly starting by the films made by the West Germany company Rialto Films between 1959 and 1972, but also a series of films by Artur Brauner with the Central Cinema Company (CCC), that he founded in 1946. Brauner was also the one to bring back the criminal mastermind, Dr. Mabuse, back to the screen with a series of films. But that’s for another review!

Eureka Entertainment has just released this box set, Terror in the Fog: The Wallace Krimi at CCC, which features 5 different features released on Blu-ray for the very first time in the US. All 5 titles presented in 1080p from 2K restorations from original film elements, provided by CCC Film, with a ton of bonus features. There is actually a 6^th film presented in standard definition. Some of these films had been released before on DVD, but the quality and presentation of the titles in this set is like watching it for the first time. They look stunning.

The films in this set are: The Curse of the Yellow Snake (1963), The Strangler of Blackmoor Castle (1963), The Mad Executioners (1963), The Monster of London City (1964), The Racetrack Murders (1964), and then bonus film, The Phantom of Soho (1964). Three of these films were directed by Franz Josef Gottlieb, two of them by Edwin Zbonek, and one by Harald Reinl. The stories do range from more crime thrillers to some that are straight up giallo, or at least heavily inspired, that I found really entertaining. Like any series of films from a specific studio or maybe even a director, you’ll maybe see the same faces on screen. For example, actors Hansjörg Felmy and Werner Peters each appear in three of the titles, while Hans Nielsen is in four. If you’re a fan of Spanish icon Paul Naschy, then you might recognize Karin Dor from Assignment Terror (1970), not to mention being in Hitchcock’s Topaz (1969), and even a Bond girl in You Only Live Twice (1967). In this set, she stars in The Strangler of Blackmoor Castle (1963). Also in the set, The Mad Executioners stars Maria Perschy, who worked with Naschy on several films, from Hunchback of the Morgue (1973), Blue Eyes of the Broken Doll (1974), Exorcsim (1975), as well as alongside Dor in Assignment Terror.

While these films are related to the Italian giallo, it would be easy to say they don’t have the same kind of style, which is true. But that doesn’t mean they don’t have their own kind of style. They are all in black and white, but they use this for their advantage when developing an atmosphere. The music is mainly a jazz style score but again, works with what we’re seeing onscreen. Each one does have a mystery to be solved, either by the police or some amateur detective. Sometimes the reveal is out of leftfield, while some are pretty obvious. But like the giallo, sometimes that isn’t what is important, but what we see along the way.

Out of these six titles, The Monster of London City just blew me away, and is probably the most similar looking one to a giallo. With a mask killer dressed much like the one in Mario Bava’s Blood and Black Lace and filled some really outstanding camerawork building some incredible atmosphere and style.

This set is only limited to 2000 copies, so if you are interested, don’t delay. The set comes with a TON of extras, with a limited-edition hardbound slipcase with new artwork by Poochamin, as well as a 60-page collector’s book that features a new introduction to the Wallace krimi cycle by writer Howard Hughes. There is a new essay on Wallace and his son Bryan by crime fiction expert Barry Forshaw, and new notes on each of the films by Holger.

Each of the movies can be watched in the original German language, or an English dub track, and each has a special introduction by Video Watchdog’s Tim Lucas. Each movie also has an audio commentary by multiple scholars from the film world, such as Kim Newman, Barry Forshaw, Kevin Lyons, Jonathan Rigby, and Stephen Jones. Any time you get to hear these film scholars discuss and talk about the films, who was involved, how they came about, etc., it’s just like attending a film lecture or seminar. You’ll learn so much about it that gives you new and different insights to it you might not have thought about. There is a great interview with Alice Brauner, producer and managing director of CCC Films, and the daughter of Artur Brauner.

One of my favorite parts was the video essay called Passing the Blade, by Alexandra Heller-Nicholas, showing the influence of the krimi had on the later giallo films, as well as the American slasher film.

If you’re looking for a doorway to help educate you in the ways of the krimi, then this box set is perfect for you. I know that for a fact because it was just that for me! The extras and commentaries will give you so much to think about, as well as just getting to watch the films, in the best quality and releases they have ever had, you’ll find yourself wanting to know more and more about the krimi and then seeking out even more! The retail on this set is listed at $94.95, with a street date of 5/27. But you can head over to our friends at Diabolik DVD and get it for only $62.99! With only 2000 copies total being made, I wouldn’t wait too long!