Severin Films Brings Mariano Baino's Dark Waters (1994) to 4K UHD for the First Time
By Lio Renwick
Severin Films is releasing Dark Waters (1994) on a 4-Disc Limited Edition 4K UHD + Blu-ray set in June, marking the worldwide UHD premiere of Mariano Baino's cult debut feature. The film has never appeared on 4K before, and Severin presents it from a new scan taken in 4K from the original camera negative, much as the label did for its worldwide UHD premiere of Lucio Fulci's The Black Cat.
Dark Waters is a work of Lovecraftian gothic horror. A young Englishwoman travels to a remote island convent to uncover her mysterious connection to it, and in doing so unlocks an unholy communion of torment, blasphemy and demonic carnage. Louise Salter (Interview with the Vampire) stars. The film was Baino's debut feature, and he later directed Astrid's Saints. Critics have called it "a '90s masterpiece" (Father Son Holy Gore) and "a potent miasma of Lovecraftian nightmares" (Confluence of Cult), with Genre Grinder describing it as "Baino's loving ode to The Golden Age of Italian Horror" and comparing it to the work of Bergman, Bava and Argento.
The set spreads its contents across four discs and includes two versions of the film. The UHD disc holds the feature in 1.85:1 with English Stereo audio, alongside an introduction by Baino and a trailer. Disc two is a Blu-ray of the Theatrical Cut, which runs 98 minutes, while disc three is a Blu-ray of the Director's Cut at 92 minutes. The release pairs a new Extended Cut with the Original Theatrical Version, and includes Closed Captions and Italian subtitles.
Severin lists over six hours of new and archival special features produced by Baino, plus the bonus-disc documentary. The Theatrical Cut Blu-ray adds its own introduction by Baino along with several new pieces: "De Mirandis in Umbra: Folk Horror, Neapolitan Wonders and Mariano Baino's Dark Waters," the personal documentary "Fear the Old Gods – A Personal Journey in Search of Lovecraft Among Italy's Bleeding Saints," a "A Tale of Two Cuts" comparison, and "Ab Initio: The Origins of Dark Waters," a conversation with co-writer and associate producer Andy M. Bark. A trailer is on the disc as well.
Most of the archival and supplementary material sits on the Director's Cut Blu-ray, which opens with an audio commentary by Baino. Four featurettes follow: "Lovecraft Made Me Do It," "Let There Be Water," "Controlling the Uncontrollable" and "Deep Into the Dark Waters." A silent blooper reel comes with commentary by Baino and NoShame Films' Michele De Angelis. The disc also gathers three of Baino's short films, Dream Car (1989), Caruncula (1990) and Never Ever After (2004), each with optional commentary by the director, and includes a making-of featurette for Never Ever After.
The fourth disc, a bonus Blu-ray titled The World of Lovecraft, presents the documentary in two parts along with a making-of piece about its production. The Limited Edition comes in a slipcase with an Ars Infecta booklet, and the artwork was designed by Eric Adrian Lee.
Dark Waters arrives June 26, 2026 during Severin's 2026 Summer Sale.
Physical media enthusiast covering Blu-ray & 4K UHD releases.