ONE MILLION YEARS B.C. (Kino Lorber) Blu-ray Review

UK/1966
Directed By: Don Chaffey
Written By: Brian Clemens
Starring: Raquel Welch, John Richardson, Percy Herbert
Color/100 Minutes/
Region A
Release Date: February 14, 2017
2x Blu-ray

The Film
A look at the tough and rugged life early humans had to live all while being hunted by massive man eating lizards, dinosaurs and bugs. ONE MILLION YEARS B.C. isn't historically accurate by any means but it is far more entertaining than a day spent in class.

It was ONE MILLION YEARS B.C. that broke out Raquel Welch as an international star and sex symbol. The film's main selling point is 100 minutes of the stunning Welch trouncing around in a fur bikini getting into all sorts of trouble. The film is mostly family friendly, with only a few moments that could be considered excessively violent, even for 1966. And even those moments fall short of some of the violence we saw from earlier Hammer productions but still nine minutes were trimmed from the US cut of the film. However Welch still brought a strong sex appeal and as we all know, sex sells and we all bought in.

Welch's sexiness wasn't all the film has to offer, not by a long stretch. The most obvious draw to the film, especially at the time of release was the special effects and creatures created by Ray Harryhausen which include classic scenes with a Pteranodon and Welch along with a epic fight scenes between the tribesman and an Allosaurus that gets a bit bloody. Alongside those classic scenes are giant Iguanas, Tarantulas, various other dinosaurs, ape men and more. Harryhausen's use of stop motion animation here is as good as it ever would be giving full life to each and every creature he designed. The sculpts have an exceptional lifelike quality and make for an exciting and believable cast of creatures and enemies. Director Don Chaffey was plenty experienced by the time he made ONE MILLION YEARS B.C. and was no stranger to fantasy adventure epics having previously directed Jason And The Argonauts, another Harryhausen special effects epic. He would go on to make a couple more films in the genre with 1967's The Viking Queen and 1970's Creatures The World Forgot, both Hammer productions. He proved more than capable of steering the production toward a glorious and successful finish with great set pieces and action scenes.

ONE MILLION YEARS B.C. may be light on plot, existing largely to show off a scantily clad Raquel Welch and yet another highlight reel of glorious Ray Harryhausen creatures, but it does manage to fulfill the promise that the opening narration tells us of the world being unfriendly and inhospitable and though there's no dialogue besides some grunting and a couple of names there's definitely and undeniable character development and meaningful relationships forged and broken during the course of the film. Brian Clemens' screenplay is breezy, quickly paced and filled with deadly encounter after deadly encounter but he proves you don't need page after page of talky characters spewing endless dialogue to have a film that can draw you in to it's characters and the story. At least not when there is Raquel Welch and Harryhausen monsters.

The Audio & Video
Kino Lorber has given a brand new 4K restoration to the film and it looks absolutely stunning. I don't think the prehistoric ages have ever looked this good! Colors are vivid and eye catching with bright blues and fleshy, natural skin tones. Detail is incredible from the fur and leather outfits to being able to separate individual grains of sand. The film has a healthy grain structure maintaining its original film look and feel and I couldn't be happier. The DTSHD audio is an audible winner as well. Crisp and pleasing to the ear, the sound features a perfect mix in levels, no distortions or damage of any kind and no background noise. I think it is safe to say ONE MILLION YEARS B.C. hasn't looked or sounded this good since its original theatrical run.

The Extras
-Audio Commentary With Film Historian Tim Lucas of Video Watchdog Magazine
-91 Minute US Cut
-"In The Valley Of The Dinosaurs" - Interview with Raquel Welch
-Interview with Ray Harryhausen
-Interview with actress Martine Beswick
-Animated poster and image gallery
-Trailers

The Bottom Line
ONE MILLION YEARS B.C. is pure adventure fun and it has never looked better! This is one you can (and will want to) watch over and over! You can count this Hammer fanboy as very satisfied.

ONE MILLION YEARS B.C. is available HERE

Who Could Possibly Forget: Goodbye Christopher Lee

Sometimes I think it's strange how as people we can grow emotionally attached to people that we've never been in the same room with let alone know on any sort of personal level, but we can and we do. With a full lifetime worth of acting credits in truly beautiful, action packed and fan favorite films, Christopher Lee has been an on-screen friend for all of us.

I can't definitively say where my first experience with Christopher Lee was. I can say that he's been with me for far more than half of my 28 years as I was familiar with him already when he was in cast as Saruman in Lord Of The Rings in 2001. Perhaps and most probable would be one of his classic roles as Dracula for various Hammer productions. It was in those roles, among others for Hammer as Rasputin The Mad Monk, The Mummy, Sherlock Holmes and Frankenstein's monster, that Lee became a well known name. It was that role of the bloodsucking vampire that he really shined alongside his onscreen adversary and real life friend Peter Cushing. There was never and there will not be a better or more perfect Dracula than Christopher Lee. 

Lee and Cushing would appear in dozens upon dozens of films together from the 1950s through the 1980s before Peter Cushing would retire from acting and pass away several years later in 1994. They created fantastic works of horror, mystery and science fiction together and when you add in that Vincent Price eventually became a frequent collaborator as well there was perhaps no finer trio of onscreen talent in the history of film. And perhaps there was no finer trio of friends.

While Christopher Lee never struggled to find acting roles (just take a look at his impressive IMDB) he experienced a bit of 2nd fame at the turn of the century when he was cast in Lord Of The Rings in 2001 and then in Star Wars: Attack Of The Clones in 2002. Fans of genre film were once again reminded of the talent and intangible presence that Lee has on screen. Lee's popularity soared to new heights and now, Lee enjoyed a sort of rebirth that few people in show business are able to experience at the tail end of their career, especially one that makes them more mainstream than ever before. 

If there was anyone that deserved the recognition it was Christopher Lee. He gave his all to every role he took on and there was damn near 300 of them. He lived life with an elegance that followed him on to the silver screen and was something that cannot be faked.  There's a reason he was knighted by Prince Charles in 2009 for "Services to drama and charity". 

Few people could say they worked with Mario Bava, Terence Fisher, Peter Jackson, George Lucas, Alejandro Jodorowsky Jess Franco, Tim Burton and Martin Scorsese, among many other talented filmmakers. There's a reason for that. There simply aren't many people worthy of working with such a diverse group. 

Sadly, all good things come to an end. And everyone's time on Earth will eventually do the same. For those of us still here, we are fortunate enough that Christopher Lee left us his legacy to enjoy and remember. And remember we shall because who could possibly forget?

It is with tears in my eyes that I respectfully say thank you, Christopher Lee. And goodbye. 

Countess Dracula (Blu-ray Review) - Synapse Films

England/1971
Directed By: Peter Sasdy
Written By: Jeremy Paul
Starring: Ingrid Pitt, Nigel Green, Sandor Eles
Color/93 Minutes/PG
Region A
Release Date: May 6, 2014

The Film
Ingrid Pitt stars as Countess Elisabeth Nadasdy, an aging woman who discovers that bathing in the blood of young women can rejuvenate her youthful beauty. When the Countess falls for a handsome man named Imre Toth she goes to great lengths to impersonate her own daughter to win the affection of the man. Women among the village start disappearing which causes a bit of a paranoid panic but does anyone dare question the powerful Countess with their own life at stake? And will the Countess be able to keep up her bloodlust to satisfy her desires for unnatural beauty?

Director Peter Sasdy successfully combines the classic Gothic horror style of Hammer with a bit of body-horror as well. From the dark, shadowy halls of the Countess’ castle filled with secret passages to the unnatural and mentally sick need to look young. Ingrid Pitt is great in the lead role, a bit menacing and totally maniacal, she has almost the entire castle’s population on her side, and makes sure they dispose of those who aren’t.

COUNTESS DRACULA is an unsung piece of greatness from Hammer’s later catalog. As production quality started to slip Peter Sasdy used his extensive experience to pull greatness out of the picture, something he’d do for Hammer a few more times in feature film form and a decade later with their TV series, Hammer House Of Horror. COUNTESS DRACULA is a well made, slightly sleazy, and totally entertaining horror film.

The Audio & Video
Synapse Films brings the long awaited Blu-ray release of COUNTESS DRACULA to viewers with a gorgeous looking transfer preserving the original 1.66:1 aspect ratio. The HD transfer has a natural grain structure and a true filmic quality. This Blu-ray truly looks as if you were watching a 35mm print, and that is probably the highest compliment I can give for a Blu-ray. The print is clean and in great condition. Colors are vivid without being too hot and skin tones natural and healthy. Black levels are deep and inky with on signs of compression issues. The DTS-HD 2.0 track sounds wonderful as well. Dialogue comes through crisp and clear with a perfectly mixed soundtrack to keep from overpowering each other. There are no instances of background noise. This is exactly how I would want COUNTESS DRACULA to look and sound on Blu-ray.

Note: Images taken from DVD copy.

The Extras
-Audio commentary with: Ingrid Pitt, Peter Sasdy, screenwriter Jeremy Paul and author Jonathan Sothcott
-”Immortal Countess: The Cinematic Life Of Ingrid Pitt” - A 9 minute overview of Pitt’s break into films and her career, focusing mainly on her Hammer output.
-Archival audio inteview with Ingrid Pitt
-Theatrical Trailer
-Stills Gallery
-Reversible Artwork

The Bottom Line
The long wait from announcement to release is finally over and Synapse Films has made it more than worth the wait. The damn near perfect A/V presentation coupled with gorgeous artwork and some solid extras (my only complaint being that I wish the Pitt featurette was longer and went more in depth) make this one of my favorite releases of 2014 so far.

COUNTESS DRACULA is available HERE

Frankenstein Created Woman (Blu-ray Review) - Millennium Entertainment

England/1966
Directed By: Terence Fisher
Written By: John Elder
Starring: Peter Cushing, Susan Denberg, Thorley Walters
Color/92 Minutes/Not Rated
Region A

The Film
Baron Frankenstein (Cushing) is on a mission to conquer the inevitability of death. After killing his body for an hour and reviving himself with the help of his assitant, Frankenstein discovers that the soul doesn't leave the body at the instant death occurs. To celebrate his discovery he sends young Hans to get a bottle of champagne. While at the tavern Hans' love Christina, a scarred and disfigured young woman with a beautiful heart, is harrassed by the local group of entitled rich kids who are on their daddy's power trip. A fight ensues and eventually Hans is accused of a murder he didn't commit. Sentenced to death at the guillotine, the same fate his father faced before his own eyes as a child, Hans dies. Overcome with grief, Christina drowns herself.

 Baron Frankenstein sees this as a perfect opportunity for a new experiment. He gathers the bodies and manages to revive Christina, only now she is beautiful. She also has no memory of who she is. That is until Hans' voice pops into her head and takes control of her body for revenge on the men that framed him for murder. Baron Frankenstein has transferred Hans' soul into Christina's body and Christina is leaving a bloody trail across the town.

FRANKENSTEIN CREATED WOMAN is the fourth film Hammer's series of films based around the Frankenstein character. This film is different in that previous entries dealt with the physical body while FCW revolves more around the metaphysical  aspects of life and death. There are a few gory moments in the film, at least gory by 60s British horror standards. From the opening ominous shot of the guillotine to the closing murder sequences FRANKENSTEIN CREATED WOMAN is a well acted (no surprise) and well directed (again, no surprise) piece of suspenseful crime and horror.

The Audio & Video
It is clear that Millennium Entertainment just plain gets how to present vintage horror films on Blu-ray. FRANKENSTEIN CREATED WOMAN looks excellent on Blu-ray, with a natural, film like feel. The 2.35:1 widescreen transfer is clean but maintains a light grain structure so that we know we're watching a movie. Skin tones are natural, and don't suffer from DNR or waxy textures. Colors are proper for the naturally overcast look of the film. The 2.0 stereo mix is excellent- full bodied and clear of any background noise. A great A/V job top to bottom.

 
The Extras
If the excellent job on the technical side of things wasn't enough, the disc features a healthy dose of extas:
 -Audio commentary with actors Robert Morris and Derek Fowlds and English film critic Jonathan Rigby
-2 episodes of "World Of Hammer" documentary series
- "Hammer Glamour" - a new documentary
-Trailer
-Stills Gallery
-A set of reproduction lobby cards 

Millennium Entertainment has made a set of the original lobby cards for FRANKENSTEIN CREATED WOMAN downloadable, and they're available HERE 

 

The Bottom Line 
Few things in the world of cinema get me as excited as the Hammer logo. Few things about the Blu-ray format get me as excited as the Hammer logo in HD. This release of FRANKENSTEIN CREATED WOMAN is a 5 star job that is deserving of a spot on your movie shelf. Go buy it and support Hammer films on Blu-ray!

FRANKENSTEIN CREATED WOMAN is available HERE

Hands Of The Ripper (Blu-ray Review) - Synapse Films

England/1971
Directed By: Peter Sasdy
Written By: L.W. Davidson, Edward Spencer Shew
Starring: Eric Porter, Angharad Rees, Jane Merrow
Color/85 Minutes/Not Rated
Region A/1

The Film
Anna is a young girl who witnesses her father, who happens to be the nasty British murderer Jack The Ripper, murder her mother. Anna is left orphaned and taken in by a woman who fraudulently claims to be a spiritual medium, using Anna as the voice of the disembodied spirits to fool her customers. After trying to whore out Anna for extra money, the woman is murdered and Anna is taken in by Dr. Pritchard, a doctor of psychology who is heavy into the new theories of Sigmund Freud. Pritchard is dead set on finding out what emotional issues the girl may have. 

As the days go by, Pritchard puts Anna into more and more social situations hoping to help her, but it simply leads to more bloodshed as anytime she sees a flash of light and receives a kiss, like she did on the night her mother was murdered, she goes into a trance like state that ends with someone dying. It is up to Pritchard to stop Anna before she attacks his own son and soon to be daughter-in-law.

HANDS OF THE RIPPER is a later entry in to the HAMMER catalog of films and manages to defy the trend of slipping quality that had befallen the studio by the 1970s. This film can be viewed as an early slasher archetype than any sort of Gothic horror that made the studio famous decades earlier. It doesn't take long for one to read this plot and immediately come up with a slasher film that sounds very similar. And this film is not only violent, it is bloody too. From hat pins, to broken mirrors and a nasty bit involving a sword (and perhaps a nastier bit with the extraction of said sword) this film has a mean spirit behind it. Jack The Ripper possessing his daughter's mind and causing her to kill... there isn't too much meaner than that.

Director Peter Sasdy may be the most notable name to Hammer fans out of the entire cast and crew, as he worked on several episodes of Hammer House Of Horror and also Countess Dracula (coming soon from Synapse) and Taste The Blood Of Dracula. The cast has a shortage of Hammer regulars but that isn't to say they don't do their jobs with precision and veteran ability. The film's beautiful score by Christopher Gunning plays as a nice contrast to the violence that plays out on screen. HANDS OF THE RIPPER will be sure to please any fan of Hammer and even slasher fans. 

 
The Video
Synapse Films gives HANDS OF THE RIPPER an anamorphic widescreen 1.66:1 transfer that looks very good for the most part. Skin tone is very natural looking, detail in textures is strong, giving a nice depth to the film. There are a few scattered instances of a soft image in which detail and overall picture quality takes a hit but these moments are infrequent. This transfer doesn't scream HD but it looks very nice and keeps the visual style and setting of the film in mind. This is exactly how a film such as this should look. 

Note: Screenshots taken from DVD copy of the film and do not represent the Blu-ray quality. 

The Audio
 A DTS-HD 2.0 Mono track handles the soundtrack, dialogue and sound effects rather well. The mix is strong and steady, and I'm thankful we aren't forced into a newly created surround track that doesn't do the film any justice. The audio side holds up as well as the video side. English subtitles are available.

The Extras
The Devil's Bloody Plaything: Possessed By Hands Of The Ripper - A near 30 minute featurette chronicling the history and production of the film. One interesting point is that there are no known records of who played Jack the Ripper in the opening scene of the film, despite the character having dialogue.

Slaughter Of Innocence: The Evolution Of Hammer Gore -  A motion still gallery chronicling some of the nastier moments from the studio.

U.S. Television Introduction

Original Theatrical Trailer

TV Spots

Isolated Music & Effects Track  

The Bottom Line
We finally have the next Hammer Blu-ray from Synapse! It has to be closing in on 2 years since the trio of titles was announced and while we're still waiting on Countess Dracula (by year's end!) HANDS OF THE RIPPER was worth the wait for Synapse to get the job done right form the presentation of the film itself to the supplements this is another stellar package from the company.

HANDS OF THE RIPPER is available HERE

The Complete HAMMER HOUSE OF HORROR (DVD Review)

England/1980
Directed By: Various
Written By: Various
Starring: Various
Color/702 Minutes/Not Rated

The Film
By 1980 the famed horror studio Hammer had ceased theatrical productions and started an anthology TV series known as HAMMER HOUSE OF HORROR. The series ran for 13 one hour episodes that were cut for airing in the US, with the final episode never even making it to American screens. 

"Witching Time" is the first episode of the series. Directed by Don Leaver and originally airing on September 13, 1980, this episode starts out with a sequence that could be taken from any slasher the decade would come to be known for however this is not how the episode would play out. Take a little bith of witchcraft and add in some time travel, nudity and possession and you have a worthy start to this series. Look for Italian genre film favorite Ian McCulloch  to guest star as the doctor. A week later came "The Thirteenth Reunion" helmed by long time Hammer collaborator Peter Sasdy. Look for a familiar British face in Warren Clarke who played one of Alex De Large's droogs in Kubricks A Clockwork Orange. The horrors that high society partake in and get away with are on full display here. Rounding out the first disc in the set is another episode from Peter Sasdy that stars Denholm Elliott, a face fans of Indiana Jones will undoubtedly recognize. In this episode Elliott plays a real estate agent who dreams of murder over and over (and over) until his mind begins to crack under the pressure and dreams become a reality.

 Disc 2 gets underway with "Growing Pains" which feels a lot like The Omen through much of the episode. The atmosphere is creepy surrounding the main character, a young boy who was recently adopted. The ending doesn't quite live up to the build. I still found it to be a worthy entry. Have you ever heard how a house can harbor negative emotions or that an inanimate object can be evil? That is the case in "The House That Bled To Death", which has some of my favorite visuals of the entire series and may be the most unforgiving in it's nature. Director Robert Young made his Hammer debut with the underrated Vampire Circus. Here he directs "Charlie Boy", the story of a man and his wife who have inherited the art collection from their dead uncle. Included in which is an African statue similar to a voodoo doll that begins to claim the lives of those surrounding it. This may be among the most brutal of all the episodes. "The Silent Scream" starts out disc number 3 and was directed by Alan Gibson the man responsible for Hammer titles such as Dracula A.D. 1972 (which I love) and The Satanic Rites Of Dracula. While he got to direct Christopher Lee in those two films he gets to direct the other top name for Hammer, Peter Cushing. This episode is very well made, has great performances and excellent tension. There is good reason that this is probably the most well liked episode of the series. The only film in the series to use a traditional horror monster is "Children Of The Full  Moon". This episode is pretty good with it's use of old Hungarian folk lore and a spooky countryside atmosphere. A little more action would have been nice though. Wrapping up the disc is "Carpathian Eagle" a play on the story of Jack The Ripper that has a few twists on and in the story. I found it to be a bit slow and not totally engaging but the payoff is worth it.

The final 4 episodes are split across discs 4 and 5 starting with episode number 10 of the series, "Guardian Of The Abyss". This episode features Satanic cults, black masses, creepy evil antiques... all things I'm a fan of. There is some cool imagery as well that adds even more flare from the devil. All in all an enjoyable episode."Visitor From The Grave" is a bit more psychologically driven and is a decent thriller. Featuring murder, setups, and bodies that won't stay buried this episode spends it's runtime watching the main character descend into madness (again).What starts as an innocent vacation turns into a surreal nightmare where everything that can go wrong, does in "The Two Faces Of Evil". This is an interesting episode from returning director Alan Gibson that twists and turns down a road to doppleganger hell.'The Mark Of Satan" is "the episode that went too far!". The 13th and final episode of the series was never aired for syndication in the US including cable and a run with Elvira home videos and only aired one time during the original run in it's native England. Numerology, Demonology, conspiracies, paranoia, cannibalism and self-mutilation are all on display here in various levels. Is it evil at play or a crazy man's psyche tearing him apart? That is the ultimate question.

The Video
Synapse Films brings us the complete series of HAMMER HOUSE OF HORROR in a nice looking 1.33:1 full frame transfer preserving it's original aspect ratio from it's television broadcast. It isn't clear if any restoration work has been done to the film elements but they look well maintained and very clean. Colors and dark levels are strong and flesh tones look natural. There are only a couple of instances where the image gets soft and these instances only last for a few seconds each. Other than that there is nothing to complain about here.

 

The Audio
A 2.0 Mono track is the single audio option but it does the job just fine. The level mixing is done with skill as dialogue never has to compete with each episode's soundtrack. Levels are stable across all 5 discs and all in all the audio on this set is handled very well. 

The Extras
Episode Introductions With Film Historian Shane M. Dallman- Each episode receives an intro from Mr. Dallman that provides a brief insight into the making and history of that episode. Everything from key names in the cast to the censorship the episode received during original syndication is covered. These are optional for the episodes but are great to watch at least the first time you make your way through the set. 

Grave Recollections: A Visit With Kathryn Leigh Scott- This interview spends several minutes with the lead actress from the "Visitor From The Grave" episode as she fondly remembers her time spent with Hammer and in the horror genre. 

Hammer Housekeeping: A Visit With Mia Nadasi- Another interview with an actress from "Visitor From The Grave" who is also married to director Peter Sasdy. She discusses working with her husband and on the series. 

Animated Still Gallery
   

 The Bottom Line 
Synapse Films has put together an attractive 5 disc set in a standard width single Amaray case that presents HAMMER HOUSE OF HORROR uncensored with all of the nudity and violence intact. Any fan of Hammer productions, horror anthology series or horror as a whole will enjoy this set. There is enough variation in each episode that there is something for everyone. The extra features are a nice addition even if they leave us wanting more in the way of supplemental material. I have no problem highly recommending this set to everyone.

HAMMER HOUSE OF HORROR is available HERE

TWINS OF EVIL (Blu-Ray Review)

England/1971
Directed By: John Hough
Written By: Tudor Gates
Starring: Peter Cushing, Damien Thomas, Madeleine Collinson, Mary Collinson
Color/87 Minutes/Not Rated

The Film
By 1971 Hammer had become a huge name in the world of horror and were arguably the most important studio for our beloved genre at the time. They had much success with their Dracula and Frankenstein franchises and launched the career of Christopher Lee to international fame while giving veteran actor Peter Cushing perhaps his most notable roles. TWINS OF EVIL is another great piece of gothic horror from the British film company.

Frieda and Maria (Playboy centerfolds Madeleine and Mary Collinson) are twin girls sent to live in the village of Karnstein with their uncle Gustav Weil (Cushing) after the death of their parents. They find Karnstein is far different from their home of Venice in how uptight conservative and strictly puritanical it is. Weil is the leader of a local witch hunting group called "The Brotherhood" who is well known around the area for hunting down young women and burning them at the stake for their pact with Satan, which they usually have no proof of. Weil is also at odds with Count Karnstein, a sadistic man who secretly practices black magic and seeks the darker pleasures that only the devil can offer.

After growing tired of the superstitious, uptight nature of her uncle Frieda pays a visit to the Count and falls prey to him and his vampire ways. Frieda now tries to keep her condition secret from her sister and uncle so she can continue to see her lover and stay free of her uncle's lynch mob. The Count has a plan to switch the girls in order to allow Freida to live freely as her more innocent sister and have Maria burned at the stake. A local musician named Anton who studies the history of superstition uncovers the diabolical plan and gets The Brotherhood on his side to save Maria and take down the vampire lovers.

TWINS OF EVIL was directed by John Hough who is probably best known as director of the classic exploitation film Dirty Mary Crazy Larry. This was only Hough's second feature film before he went on to a very busy career during he 70s and 80s and continuing even to today as a producer. Hough skillfully handles the characters, especially Cushing's Gustav Weil who will do a complete 180 on you and it is totally believable with Hough's direction. Aside from Cushing the acting is all very good, never being too hammy which many genre films of this era can be guilty of. Even our twins who are realistically there as gorgeous eye candy for the most part play their respective roles with grace and play very well off of each other. David Warbeck (Fulci's The Beyond) plays the musician Anton with a great sense of urgency and it works out well.While being rooted in the gothic horror that Hammer is best known for, TWINS OF EVIL also reaches a deeper level with it's work within the witch-hunting area and the obvious questions it raises towards how the church handles certain situations. This is very reminiscent of the excellent Witchfinder General aka The Conqueror Worm. The most surprising thing about this film is how the finale really ramps up the violence and gore factor. Hough really made our lynch mob scene violent and awesome.

The Video
Synapse Films releases TWINS OF EVIL on Blu-Ray in beautiful 1080p High-Def. The original aspect ration of 1.66:1 is maintained and it looks phenomenal. Skin tones look lively (or... undead? ha!) and natural while the blood reds pop off the screen. The blacks are deep and dark and you can feel the murkiness of the European countryside and the dampness of the Count's castle. Simply an outstanding transfer.

Please note that screen grabs are from the DVD copy of the film. 

The Audio
The DTS-HD MA 2.0 Mono track is a pleasure to listen to. Dialogue levels never have to compete with Harry Robertson's excellent score. No hissing, crackling or any other noise debris to report. There are English subtitles available. 

The Extras
The Flesh And The Fury: X-Posing Twins Of Evil - This feature length documentary chronicles the history of Hammer all the way back to Sheridan Le Fanu's story of Carmilla up to the production of  TWINS OF EVIL which owes a certain bit of gratitude to the "original lesbian vampire story". Clocking in only a couple of minutes shorter than the film itself, this is chock full of information and history from historians and cast and crew. We'd be better off if every film released on disc had this sort of supplement.



The Props That Hammer Built: The Kinsey Collection - Author and Hammer historian Wayne Kinsey gives us a tour of his collection of props from various Hammer films, which of course is filled with all sorts of information on the pieces and films they come from. This is a very cool featurette that all of us geeks will enjoy and make us all jealous. 
 
Deleted Scene

Isolated Music and Effects Track 
Theatrical Trailer
TV Spots
Motion Still Gallery
DVD Version of the Film

The Bottom Line
A year and a half after I learned of it's planned release I finally get to see the final product. Yes, I've been waiting for TWINS OF EVIL on Blu-Ray since December of 2010 and I have to say that Synapse Films not only made the wait worth it, they blew my expectations out of the water. The documentary alone is worth the price of admission, and it's a special feature! This is a packed release of an expertly restored film and I have no doubt it will be among my favorite releases of 2012. 

TWINS OF EVIL is available HERE

The Woman In Black (2012)

Every nerd (or geek if you prefer) has a bucket list of certain nerdy things to do before they die. For me, one of these things was to see a Hammer film in theaters. I was able to do that as the giant HAMMER logo flashed across the screen.

Arthur Kipps (Daniel Radcliffe) is a young lawyer, looking to prove to his bosses that he wants a future with the firm. He is assigned the case of closing the Drablow estate on a coastal England town. He arranges for his son and the nanny to meet him in a few days for a nice quiet country weekend after his work is finished. When he arrives to the town he meets a friendly wealthy man named Sam Daily who helps him in his days spent around town. Kipps quickly discovers that something isn't quite right with the townspeople as they are deathly afraid of outsiders and anything that isn't in line with their customs. Even Mr. Daily and his nice car (the only in the village) is looked down upon. Kipps arrives at Eel Marsh House, a secluded mansion seemingly in the middle of the ocean with only a dirt/gravel road and it washes out when high tide comes in.

At the house Kipps begins to go through the paperwork of the estate but is haunted by the sound of footsteps and other noises such as disembodied screams. He eventually sees a ghostly figure of a woman dressed in black and reports the sighting at the local police station. While there a pair of brothers rush their sister in for help as she has become deathly ill from drinking Lye. The girl ends up dying in Kipps arms. The townspeople urge the young lawyer to leave town but he insists on staying and completing his work since his job depends on it. Kipps stay reveals a paranoia within the town that could be caused by a supernatural being and a curse.

Right off the bat it is fantastic to see a period horror film again. The set design was rich and looked great. The entire film had a dreary quality to it that fit the setting of a turn of the century coastal English town. The main thing that stuck out positively is that this is a well acted film starting at the top with Daniel Radcliffe, who pushes the young wizard from Hogwarts aside and gives a great adult performance, all the way to the various kids throughout who are convincing in their limited roles. The writing was adequate for a modern day ghost movie. Too little is left to the imagination but there is never a moment in the writing that really made me groan in agony. This film is the 2nd adaptation of the novel with the same name, and it could have taken a page from the 1989 film in which less was more. Radcliffe would have been more than capable of handling the role even if more of the focus was put on him and less on the ghostly activities. Radcliffe could have shouldered the duties and made the film shine.

Director James Watkins (Eden Lake) has mixed results behind the camera. There are some scenes handled with class and talent. Watkins manages to effectively build tension throughout the film but all too often they are ruined with bullshit jump scares. That is the main problem with THE WOMAN IN BLACK, the total reliance on jump scares. This may speak more to modern horror audiences and their general inability to appreciate anything that doesn't scream BOOM right in their face or see the nuances in a finely crafted ghost story, but it is a major mistake on Watkins' part. The other glaring problem is the amount of modern Asian horror ghost story cliches throughout. One mention of films like The Grudge or The Eye and you know what I mean.

THE WOMAN IN BLACK is influenced too much by modern ghost movies and not enough by the Gothic style Hammer films are known for. It really is a shame too because there are plenty of positive things to say about the film but the mistakes are glaring and too big to overlook.

5/10