New Blu-ray/DVD Releases

[horrorhunter]

Here are reviews of the new Willard and Ben BD/DVD Combos from Scream Factory courtesy of DVD Drive-In:



http://www.dvddrive-in.com/reviews/t-z/willard71blu.htm



http://www.dvddrive-in.com/reviews/a-d/benblu72.htm

I ordered mine from Target for a good price and free shipping. I prefer to order movies from retailers like Target and Walmart when possible because the prices are very competitive and returns are hassle free at the nearby stores. I've sworn off Amazon after getting a raw deal from their customer service (actually more like a nightmare, customer disservice is more accurate). For important pre-orders like the new Naschy Blus and Island Of Terror Blu I use Diabolik DVD. They're a little more expensive but they ship in a box so you know you won't get damaged cases, and their customer service is very good.

[BRICK]

I just got my Dracula and Mummy Blu-Ray sets in the mail; I know what I'm going to be doing this weekend!

[BRICK]

I had to get my Kharis fix; so I just watched the new cleaned up Blu-Ray of The Mummy's Hand on the big screen, with simulated surround-sound; I have just one word for it: DAMN!!!

[Mike Scott]

I have just one word for it: DAMN!!!

Aw, that's too bad!

[BRICK]

So far I have watched Dracula's Daughter as well as both the Mummy's Hand and Tomb. The image and sound quality has been excellent, throughout. What I find so amazing is that when I watch the trailers (which, sadly, have not been cleaned up or restored) I imagine that this is probably comparable to the image/sound quality of the films when I first saw them on our old rabbit ears television set, in the early to mid 1970's. With no VCR's to record it, viewing was precious and, while I'm sure I didn't think about it at the time, I probably would have assumed that I was watching the best copy of the film available. Even then, those films were old and old films are bound to have a good deal of wear and tear. Now it looks like they were filmed yesterday. What I'm trying to say is that I feel these restored sets are a gift, one that I don't take for granted.

[horrorhunter]

Here's the DVD Drive-In review for the new Inquisition Blu-ray from Mondo Macabro:



INQUISITION (1976) Blu-ray
Director: Jacinto Molina
Mondo Macabro
Paul Naschy hunts witches in his directorial debut INQUISITION, out on Blu-ray from Mondo Macabro.

The setting is sixteenth century France and plague is ravaging the lands. Believing the plague to be symptomatic of the region giving itself over to Satan, inquisitors Bernard de Fossey (Naschy), elder Nicolas Rodier (Ricardo Merino, THE RED RINGS OF FEAR), and apprentice Pierre Burgot (Tony Isbert, THE DRACULA SAGA) arrive in the village of Pyriac to stamp out heresy. Welcomed as guests in the home of a wealthy landowner, de Fossey finds himself disturbed by his attraction to the man's daughter Catherine (Daniela Giordano, THE GIRL IN ROOM 2A) who is already betrothed to handsome Jean (Juan Luis Galiardo, TWO MALES FOR ALEXA). An outcast because of his disfigurement, the family groom Renovar (Antonio Iranzo, CUT-THROATS NINE) accuses two of the young woman (VOODOO BLACK EXORCIST's Eva Leon and THE LORELEY'S GRASP's Loreta Tovar) who rejected him of witchcraft, setting off a chain of accusations by those who want attention, have ulterior motives, or are simply afraid of being consigned to the stake themselves. As de Fossey and the inquisitors torture confessions out of the accused and burn them at the stake, Catherine becomes convinced that de Fossey is the Devil himself. When Jean is killed by highwaymen on the road, Catherine falls ill and her adopted sister Madeleine (Monica Randall, THE WITCHES MOUNTAIN) takes her to witch Mabile (Tota Alba, THE SWEET SOUND OF DEATH) to cure her. Driven by grief and a thirst for vengeance, Catherine allows herself to be initiated as a witch in order to learn the identity of Jean's murderer. As De Fossey finds his tested by his desires for Catherine, he also becomes paranoid that Nicolas is trying to usurp his position.

After his fantastical treatment of the story of occultist/child murder Gilles de Rais (also one of Joan of Arc's knights) with Carlos Aured's HORROR RISES FROM THE TOMB, Naschy mounted a more historical take on the character with Leon Klimovsky's THE DEVIL'S POSSESSED but the results were quite dull. While INQUISITION's gory, sexualized tortures seem inspired by MARK OF THE DEVIL, Naschy's directorial debut INQUISITION might be more flatteringly seen as his WITCHFINDER GENERAL with a side of THE DEVILS. There is usually little acclaim for the screenplays for Euro horror – and not just because of the English dubbing – including those of Naschy, but INQUISITION is as impressively scripted as it is shot. Ambiguities in the plotting are not the usual plot holes but quite thought-provoking. It is very possible to interpret Catherine's Sabbat initiation as a drugged hallucination while the revelation of the identity of Nicolas' murderer may have less to do with magic than her subconscious suspicions and/or her revulsion towards de Fossey. Similarly, the film does not reduce the actions of de Fossey and the inquisitors to sexual sadism and opportunism, and de Fossey may indeed desire Catherine but his subsequent actions – including convincing her father to sign over the guardianship of herself and her sister Elvire (Julia Saly, NIGHT OF THE WEREWOLF) to him – may indeed be consciously motivated by genuine concern. His lecture to Catherine on incubi and succubi upon learning that she has a lover could be taken at face value whereas it would be all too easy to make him a hypocritical villain like the inquisitors of Jess Franco's THE BLOODY JUDGE and THE DEMONS.

The most interesting characters are the supporting personages of Madeleine and village doctor Emile (Eduardo Calvo, HOUSE OF PSYCHOTIC WOMEN). Fearing that Jean might not be genuine in his promises to Catherine, Madeline went to Mabile to cast a binding spell, and it seems to be her guilt over this and the effect she believes it has had on Catherine that motivates her to bring her to Mabile and sees the harm she has done after the old witch is herself burned at the stake. Emile is the voice of reason, believing de Fossey and the others to be religious zealots and the witches to be poor wretches rebelling against hunger, sickness, misery, and tyranny. He believes the witches sabbat to have only been experienced by these women in dreams, and Catherine's initiation is presented as a hallucinatory set-piece on a different plane in which artifice is emphasized with imagery Catherine has already been exposed to by de Fossey showing her pages from the Malleus Maleficarum of the demons and church sermons reveling in the details of the practices of witchcrafts (rituals that were usually interpreted as the inverse of the Christian mass). The climax is a genuine tragedy of de Fossey's downfall, Catherine's grief turned to madness, and the deaths of good-natured characters at the hands of the greedy and lustful. The scoring of Máximo Barratas (NIGHT OF THE WALKING DEAD) stays away from the more psychedelic strains of Naschy's earlier films or the CAM library tracks of his later works, but the standouts here are the photography of Miguel F. Mila (RETURN OF THE EVIL DEAD) – by turns stately and experimental – and the art direction of Gumersindo Andrés (CURSE OF THE DEVIL) that mixes real locations, impressive sets, and authentic period props from witchfinders' tomes to the torture devices.

Although one of Naschy's strongest films, INQUISTION went unreleased theatrically in the United States (and undistributed in many territories). The film first reached American viewers in 1984 via Video City's wonderfully lurid clamshell VHS release of a cropped but uncut print. A Spanish DVD was rleased in 2011 (as part of a Naschy set with THE LAST KAMIKAZE, THE BEAST AND THE MAGIC SWORD, and THE MUMMY'S REVENGE and then as an individual disc in 2014) with a brand new anamorphic transfer. Mondo Macabro's 1080p24 MPEG-4 AVC 1.85:1 widescreen Blu-ray – which opens with the Video Mercury logo – appears to have been derived from the same master. Colors seem more vibrant and blacks truer than the upscaled clips in the Naschy introduction ported over from the DVD but the film actually seems to fare better in terms of crispness in wide angle long shots than close-ups which seem softer, but it is still quite the revelation in terms of color and composition compared to the more familiar Video City-derived transfer. Although the Panorámica framing is only 1.85:1, cinematographer Mila balances the frame with elements of set decoration or extras flanking the main components of the shots (although it was assumed that Mila was given secondary credit as DP on Sergio Martino's ALL THE COLORS OF THE DARK and that his primary credit in the Spanish version was for quota purposes, the Sabbat scenes here make one question whether he might have shot similar scenes in the Martino film). Audio options include the English and Spanish dubs in LPCM 2.0 mono, with the latter being the superior choice (particularly when it comes to the voice casting of Giordano), and optional English subtitles.

Extras start off with an audio commentary by Naschycast podcasters Rod Barnett and Troy Guinn (who are also contributing commentaries to Scream Factory's forthcoming Naschy set) in which they discuss the deceptive nature of what Naschy himself called a "simple story", Naschy's use of authentic props as well as his extensive research (including some superstitious lore of which they have been unable to trace the sources), the polish of the production (with particular nods to Mila and Andrés), as well as background on Naschy, Leon (who was married to WEREWOLF SHADOW's Andres Resino), Calvo, and Saly (including the possible meanings of her nickname "La Pocha"). Drawing on interviews with Naschy, Giordano, and Naschy's son Sergio Molina, as well as information provided by Latarnia's Mirek Lipinski and Spanish Fear's Elena Anele, they keep the discussion moving over the course of the film's ninety minutes while making some interesting points of their own (including the way that Naschy eschewed his usual scripting practice of having multiple female characters desire him in favor of the story's requirements).

Ported over from the Spanish DVD is the introduction with Naschy (14:24) who recalls his fascination with the inquisition and desire to make a film about Torquemada only to be advised by a historian that the Spanish inquisition were pretty mild, focusing on heresy while the French, German, and Swiss inquisition were much more brutal (the Spanish having gained their reputation trough the "Black Legend" propaganda meant to discredit Spain and the power of the church). He regards the film as highly as actress Giordano who also appears in an interview (24:24) in which she refers to INQUISITION as her first "real film." She was disappointed that it did not sell to other territories including Italy and arranged a screening for Italian distributors in the early 1980s but it did not have enough of the requisite exploitable elements or any actors other than her who would have been recognizable to Italian audiences to go to the expensive of dubbing it for release.

Also included is the Eurotika episode "Blood and Sand" (24:24) featuring the input of Naschy, Giordano, actresses Caroline Munro (HOWL OF THE DEVIL) and Orchidea de Santis (SEVEN MURDERS FOR SCOTLAND YARD), Eurocine producer Daniel Lasoeur, and directors Jose Ramon Larraz (VAMPYRES) and Amando de Ossorio (DEMON WITCH CHILD). Larraz and Naschy discuss how Spain's traditions of the macabre were suppressed by the church and then by General Franco, with the filmmaking during his reign consisting primarily of religious films, musicals, and comedy until Jess Franco's THE AWFUL DR. ORLOFF, but it was Naschy's own WEREWOLF SHADOW that kicked off the heyday of Spanish horror (clips include THE VAMPIRE'S NIGHT ORGY, CURSE OF THE VAMPYR, TOMBS OF THE BLIND DEAD, INQUISITION, and plenty from DR. JEKYLL AND THE WEREWOLF), with Naschy being one of the few who continued on in the horror tradition as Spanish film moved towards sexploitation in the late 1970s and into the 1980s. The disc also includes the usual Mondo Macabro clip reel. A 666-copy limited edition included a red case but is now sold out. (Eric Cotenas)

http://www.dvddrive-in.com/reviews/i-m/inquisition76blu.htm

[Memphremagog]

Here's the DVD Drive-In review for the new Inquisition Blu-ray from Mondo Macabro:



INQUISITION (1976) Blu-ray

One Naschy's best films and a great Eurohorror all around! Well worth picking up!

[horrorhunter]

One Naschy's best films and a great Eurohorror all around! Well worth picking up!

I very much agree! I'm excited that some of these great Naschy films are making it to Blu-ray with cool extras. My copy should be rolling in soon along with The Paul Naschy Collection from Scream Factory. 

[horrorhunter]

DVD Drive-In review of the new Blue Underground double feature Blu-ray of the two Jess Franco Fu Manchu flicks:



THE BLOOD OF FU MANCHU (1968)/THE CASTLE OF FU MANCHU (1969) Blu-ray
Director: Jess Franco
Blue Underground

Although neither title here is considered the cream of the crop when it comes to the most desired of Christopher Lee's movies, Blue Underground's double feature tribute to the late actor and international cinema icon ("at his sinister best") is still a marvelous package. Here are the final two entries in a popular 1960s horror/espionage film series from producer Harry Alan Towers (both written by him under his "Peter Welbeck" pen name) and cult director Jess Franco (who makes cameos in both films), and based on the legendary literary villain created by Sax Rohmer. Even if you dive into these films with reservations based on negative fanboy feedback, no doubt there's some fun to be had here, and they look outstanding on Blu-ray!

Presented here are THE BLOOD OF FU MANCHU and its immediate sequel, THE CASTLE OF FU MANCHU. Harry Alan Towers' "Fu Manchu" series starring Christopher Lee started in 1965 with THE FACE OF FU MANCHU followed by BRIDES OF FU MANCHU (1966) and VENGEANCE OF FU MANCHU (1967)—all British productions released quite prosperously through Warner Brothers/Seven Arts. When it came to the fourth installment, Towers called upon Spanish exploitation maverick Jess Franco to direct, rather than the usual proficient Englishman he was employing. Towers is quoted as telling Franco that he successfully "killed" Fu Manchu and most fans and critics appall these two entries. But as Tim Lucas once stated in his liner notes for the films (when they were first released on DVD in 2003 as part of "The Christopher Lee Collection"), "Blue Underground's new, integral, digital remasterings make these films easier to appreciate than before." This writer is in total agreement with that statement (even moreso now that they're on Blu-ray), but I guess the viewer will have to decide for himself. 
THE BLOOD OF FU MANCHU (released in the U.S. by Commonwealth United/AIP as KISS AND KILL and also known as AGAINST ALL ODDS and KISS OF DEATH) has the totally evil Asian crime lord Fu Manchu (Lee) and his equally corrupt daughter Lin Tang (Tsai Chin, YOU ONLY LIVE TWICE) hiding out in their cavern headquarters in the Amazon jungle. In another attempt at world domination, ten beautiful women are kidnapped and are injected with a poisonous venom that will enable them to kill men with a simple kiss on the lips. First up is his arch enemy in London, Nayland Smith (Richard Greene, TALES FROM THE CRYPT) who falls victim to the deadly kiss but instead of dying turns temporarily blind. With the help of the loyal Dr. Petrie (Howard Marion Crawford, CARRY ON REGARDLESS), Smith heads for the jungle in search of an antidote and to hopefully destroy Fu Manchu once and for all. Also on the upright side of things are a handsome archeologist/adventurer Carl Jansen (Götz George, MAN CALLED GRINGO) and pretty nurse Ursula Wagner (Towers' wife Maria Rohm, THE BLOODY JUDGE) whose uncle was viciously done in by Fu's cronies.

Shot largely on location in Brazil and Spain, THE BLOOD OF FU MANCHU has plenty of action and scenic locations on display (comparable to the first three entries), and there's also a posse of Mexican bandits lead by Sancho Lopez, played by rotund Spanish character Ricardo Palacios—a frequent co-star of Paul Naschy—who resembles an unshaven and dark-skinned Chris Farley—but he's an absolute scene-stealer here. These sequences somewhat resemble a 1960s spaghetti western, and that's actually a good thing. Greene (taking over the role from Nigel Green and Douglas Wilmer in the previous films) is well cast, but unfortunately has little to do. GOLDFINGER actress Shirley Eaton appears briefly in a throwaway sequence that she apparently never got paid for; it seems Franco inserted some footage of her from THE GIRL FROM RIO, and the actress didn't find out about it until many years later. Of the film, Lee said in the book The Films of Christopher Lee by Robert W. Pohle Jr. and Douglas C. Hart, "I can only say this again—I believe this was the third or fourth one—you can take a marvelous character, a marvelous series of stories, and turn the thing into a travesty of what it is intended to be". Apparently, Lee had become just as disenchanted with playing Fu Manchu as he was with Dracula, but for fans of the actor, he's still a delight to watch and again makes the roll his own.

The final film in the series, THE CASTLE OF FU MANCHU, is often considered the worst. Shot in 1968 but not released to U.S. theaters until 1972, Lee, Chin, Green and Crawford all return in the same roles (Rohm, on the other hand, was spared from this one, unusual since she was in just about everything her husband produced at this time). Shot in Spain (substituting as Turkey), the film opens up with footage from BRIDES OF FU MANCHU, as well as blatantly embarrassing black & white stock footage (culled from 1958's A NIGHT TO REMEMBER, Roy Ward Baker's masterpiece), depicting Fu and company destroying an ocean liner (I bet you didn't know that Fu Manchu was responsible for sinking the Titanic?). The evil Asian mastermind wants to turn major bodies of water into ice, so he kidnaps a doctor (Günther Stoll, THE BLOODSTAINED BUTTERFLY) and his beautiful assistant (Maria Perschy, HUNCHBACK OF THE MORGUE) to perform a heart transplant on a dying professor (Gustavo Re, SUMMERTIME KILLER) who knows how to execute the plan. Since Fu takes over a castle in Istanbul, he also tries to outwit a lecherous opium dealer named Omar (José Manuel Martín, CUT-THROATS NINE) and a men's suit-wearing female assassin played by Rosalba Neri (aka Sara Bay, LADY FRANKENSTEIN). In comes Nayland Smith and Dr. Petrie to once again try and put a stop to the nonsense, and although he claimed he'd be back after all the explosions and such, not surprisingly, he didn't—ending the series once and for all.

The poor reputation of THE CASTLE OF FU MANCHU doesn't really derive from decades of calling it one of the worst movies ever made (it's far from it) but rather the material being so repetitious and tired for a series closer. Not only is there footage culled from A NIGHT TO REMEMBER and BRIDES OF FU MANCHU (featuring an easily recognizable Burt Kwouk of "The Pink Panther" series), but during a dam bursting disaster (caused by Fu of course) they use impressive shots from the 1957 production CAMPBELL'S KINGDOM, and if you look carefully you'll spot Dirk Bogarde and Stanley Baker (apparently Towers and Franco didn't mind that they were inserting obvious 1950s set-footage into a story which was supposed to take place decades earlier)! But in the film's defense, Lee is still imposing as the character (in the usual array of fancy satin robes and unusual hats), and the climax is definitely more exciting than the rushed wrap-up that occurs in THE BLOOD OF FU MANCHU.

Even if you never cared for or could hardly endure these two before, you still might want to give Blue Underground's Blu-ray double feature a try. Before BU issued them on DVD in 2003, the previous video versions were dark, muddy, cropped affairs. Blue Underground's new Blu-ray renderings of THE BLOOD OF FU MANCHU and THE CASTLE OF FU MANCHU are notches above the previous DVDs. Both films are a presented in 1.66:1 aspect ratio in 1080p HD, with the transfers being crisp and well-detailed, with colors being bold and the grain looking natural in appearance. The cinematography of Franco regular Manuel Merino is complimented by these HD offerings, and even if his efforts here are rather workmanlike (and at times zoom-heavy), the close-ups definitely boast more clarity than some of the softer long and medium shots—so much so that you expect Lee's eyelid appliances to fall off at any minute. Both film feature English-language DTS-HD Master Audio 1.0 tracks which sound fine; good fidelity and the dialogue is also rendered cleanly and clearly throughout. English SDH subtitles are included. In the case of THE BLOOD OF FU MANCHU—like the previous DVD—the Blu-ray restores some nudity not scene in the previous U.S. video versions, but topless shots of star Maria Rohm (shown as publicity photos in the accompanying still gallery) are not present and probably don't exist.

The great featurettes from the two films' 2003 DVD releases have thankfully been carried over to this Blu-ray. THE BLOOD OF FU MANCHU includes a piece entitled "The Rise of Fu Manchu" (15:03) and contains interviews with director Franco, producer Towers, and stars Lee and Chin. Franco explains how he got the call from Towers to do the film, while Lee and Chin (very amusing and of course nothing like her onscreen persona) discuss their involvement (Chin regrets that there were limited roles for Asian women during those days, but seemed to have fun doing the movies. Lee was discouraged that the films strayed from their literary source but is accepting of their cult following). Shirley Eaton is also interviewed briefly, as her cameo in the film was taken from THE GIRL FROM RIO without her knowledge, and Franco and Towers sort of evade the issue. Franco, Towers, Lee and Chin again are interviewed for the appropriately titled, "The Fall of Fu Manchu" (14:00), the featurette accompanying THE CASTLE OF FU MANCHU. It picks up where the second one left off, and features some interesting anecdotes, with Franco telling how when he got the call to do the first one, he thought it was his friends pulling a hoax, and also about his working relationship with Lee. THE BLOOD OF FU MANCHU includes its international trailer and U.S. theatrical trailer (as KISS AND KILL) and THE CASTLE OF FU MANCHU also has a theatrical trailer. The poster & still galleries for both films are far more extended than what was presented on the previous DVDs. (George R. Reis)

http://www.dvddrive-in.com/reviews/a-d/bloodcastleoffumanchu68blu.htm

I'm definitely in for these.

[FrankFan95]

Got in the new The Mummy Complete Legacy Collection a week ago and just in time for the new film coming out Friday. Watched all and just reviewed the set. Highly worth it I compare and give my thoughts in the video below enjoy!

Ryan
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ucfQft1TXr4

[horrorhunter]

DVD Drive-In review for the new Island Of Terror Blu-ray:



ISLAND OF TERROR (1966) Blu-ray
Director: Terence Fisher
Scream Factory/Shout! Factory

Terence Fisher, Hammer Films' most celebrated director, and Peter Cushing the superstar who was essential in putting the company on the map, make their first film together outside the Hammer name, a creepy sci-fi effort and perfect Saturday afternoon popcorn entertainment. ISLAND OF TERROR now makes its U.S. digital debut courtesy of Scream Factory, who deliver the stunning presentation that longtime fans have been waiting for!

In a secluded mansion on a remote island off the Irish coast, Dr. Phillips (Peter  Forbes-Robertson, THE HOUSE THAT VANISHED) receives a shipment of chemicals related to his cancer research, but things go horribly wrong during the experiment. Soon after, Constable Harris (Sam Kydd, MOON ZERO TWO) discovers a dead local in a cave; his body mush and all bones removed. The island's physician Dr. Landers (Eddie Byrne, Hammer's THE MUMMY) investigates this ghastly discovery and immediately calls upon London pathologist Dr. Brian Stanley (Peter Cushing, THE LEGEND OF THE 7 GOLDEN VAMPIRES) who in turn calls on his young bone specialist friend Dr. David West (Edward Judd, THE VAULT OF HORROR). West's latest flame Toni (Carole Gray, DEVILS OF DARKNESS) offers her father's helicopter for the trip to the island, so she tags along with the three of them. Stanley and West are baffled by the boneless corpse (as well as the puncture wounds on it) and find more of the same at Dr. Phillips' mansion lab, where all the inhabitants are found dead in the same condition. After studying Phillips pile of notes, they deduct that his intention was to create a new organism that would counteract cancer cells, but the actual outcome is soon witnessed first-hand: creatures called silicates which multiply at an alarming rate and devour humans and animals by sucking out every bit of cartilage. Now that the island is faced with this catastrophic disaster, the brave scientists team up with the island's leader Roger Campbell (Niall MacGinnis, CURSE OF THE DEMON) and general store owner Peter Argyle (James Caffrey, THE BEDFORD INCIDENT) to wrangle up more villagers and try and stop these strange creatures. They prove impossible to destroy (even with explosives) and an assemblage of all the villagers in the town hall results in further panic, not to mention the building being surrounded by the pesky silicates!

ISLAND OF TERROR was one of two science fiction pictures Fisher directed for Planet Film Productions, the other being 1967's ISLAND OF THE BURNING DAMNED (aka NIGHT OF THE BIG HEAT) which also featured Cushing in a small "guest star" role (with Christopher Lee having a significant starring part). Although they are similar in style and execution, this is considered by many the better of the two films. Fisher was best known for stylizing the gothic Hammer horrors of the late 1950s and 1960s, so whenever he embraced modern-set science fiction (other examples include Hammer's FOUR SIDED TRIANGLE and SPACEWAYS, as well as Lippert's THE EARTH DIES SCREAMING)—as in the case of ISLAND OF TERROR—it's almost immediately looked upon as a lesser effort with uninspired direction. Although Fisher likely took this as a jobbing filmmaker and gets through the proceedings with mostly long and medium shots and little close-ups, this a rather handsome British production shot on some great locations (including Black Park, a Hammer background favorite) and some simple yet believable sets at Pinewood, giving the movie a seamlessly picturesque look and feel that's anything but studio-pound in appearance. There are also some very tense scenes, especially when the villagers lock themselves inside the town hall and are surrounded by the bone-sucking goblins that eventually make their way in—evoking NIGHT OF THE LIVING DEAD, made some three years later. The script harkens back to 1950s monster flicks (accounting for much of its appeal) and the results are undeniably fun. Executive producer Richard Gordon was the main force behind the film, falling in love with script when he optioned it under the title "The Night the Silicates Came" and he was very happy with the results, always wishing he had the chance to work with Cushing again (on a side note, it was because of this film and Gordon's working relationship with Cushing, that he was instrumental in convincing the actor to fly to Florida from the U.K. to appear in Ken Wiederhorn's SHOCK WAVES a decade later).

Peter Cushing gives his usual reliable performance, bringing accepted authority to yet another screen scientist, playing his character with more of a sense of sarcasm than usual and delivering lines which might be considered ridiculous (and he has some of the best here) with conviction. Judd is another actor that sometimes gets a bad wrap, but he definitely has good chemistry with Cushing as they work as a team, and at the time of the film's release, he was considered something of an easily recognizable British science fiction hero after appearing in THE DAY THE EARTH CAUGHT FIRE, FIRST MEN ON THE MOON and INVASION (ironically, his leading man parts began to dwindle after ISLAND, and he became more of a character actor). Carole Gray was something of a scream queen in her own right, also appearing in such genre favorites as CURSE OF THE FLY and THE BRIDES OF FU MANCHU, and she's not just another pretty face and romantic interest of Judd, as she elicits empathy and likeability to her watered-down part (as she often did in these films), and there's a point during the climax where you really feel for her character.

As for the silicates themselves, they are quite effective as far as classic movie monsters go. With fleshy green reptilian bodies in the shape of large turtle shells, they have snake-like tentacles that wrap around their victims' necks and arms. Knowing the film's low budget, they likely constructed just a few of them that were made to look like many by using the same ones over and over again on screen (when the silicates split themselves, the ooze resembles the contents of those old-school cans of Franco American macaroni and cheese). For their movement, these creatures were pulled around by wires (as are their tentacles) which are often visible, but some of the best "attack" bits have them dropped flat on their victims' stomachs. Great stuff! Of course, the unearthly sound effects used for the silicates is what really gives them an eerie aura, and this is also aided by the impressively composed score by Malcolm Lockyer (DR. WHO AND THE DALEKS). In America, ISLAND OF TERROR was released by Universal Pictures in 1967 on a double bill with THE PROJECTED MAN (also from executive producer Richard Gordon), so let's up that Scream Factory might also have that rarity in their sights for a future Blu-ray release!

ISLAND OF TERROR is still owned outright by Universal in the U.S., and they last visited the title on VHS back in the 1990s, as it was never issued here on DVD. The film has been released on DVD in various parts of the world (including the U.K. and Germany), and most recently Odeon/Screenbound Pictures released a region free Blu-ray in the U.K. Scream Factory's new Region A Blu-ray of ISLAND OF TERROR has been licensed from Universal (using Universal's film elements) and their transfer looks superb (it's also fully uncut, with the hand-chopping scene intact). Presented in 1080p in a 1.78:1 aspect ratio, colors are very distinct with the saturation looking dead-on and the flesh tones also appear natural. The detail is high and the image remains sharp throughout with no noticeable softness, and grain is left intact and looks wonderfully organic. Blemishes are minor, and if anything, add a touch of character to the well-textured filmic look, and this is an overall terrific presentation (it surpasses the Odeon/Screenbound Blu-ray in terms of much bolder colors as well as stronger detail). The audio is presented in a DTS-HD Master Audio 2.0 track; dialogue is clear and the sound effects definitely have some nice oomph to them. Optional English SDH subtitles are included.

An audio commentary has been included with film historian Dr. Robert J. Kiss and blogger/actor Rick Pruitt. The commentary is dominated by Kiss who shares an exhausting amount of information about the movie's production, the actors, the locations and sets, the budget, the differences between the U.S. and U.K. credit sequences, how Fisher and Cushing got involved, the music score, why there's similarities to FIEND WITHOUT A FACE and the Daleks, and he also goes into the production of THE PROJECTED MAN a bit. Pruitt comes in around the 46-minute mark to talk about seeing ISLAND OF TERROR on its original American theatrical run as a teenager, and he gives a charmingly descriptive account (for about ten minutes) of experiencing the ISLAND OF TERROR/THE PROJECTED MAN at a drive-in theater. Rounding out the extras are a lengthy still gallery and a full-screen theatrical trailer. The cover (which features the American post art), is reversible with better-conceived imagery showing Cushing on the opposite side. (George R. Reis)

http://www.dvddrive-in.com/reviews/i-m/islandoterror66blu.htm

This is one of my favorite movies and I'm really glad it finally made it to Blu-ray. For years the only copy I've had of this is a DVD-R I burned of a VHS copy I made of the Sci-Fi (pre SyFy) Channel showing of it on their "Mutant Meltdown" marathon back in 1993. My BD copy should be rolling in from Diabolik soon. I encourage everyone to grab a copy of the Blu-ray and enjoy this classic '60s Sci-Fi/Horror with the great Peter Cushing. It's a real treat, especially if you haven't seen it.

[Mord]

Got in the new The Mummy Complete Legacy Collection a week ago and just in time for the new film coming out Friday. Watched all and just reviewed the set. Highly worth it I compare and give my thoughts in the video below enjoy!

Ryan
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ucfQft1TXr4

Great! I was on the fence about buying yet another reissue. This definitely changed my mind. Thsnks.

[BRICK]

I was on the fence about buying yet another reissue.

I feel your pain, but these cleaned up versions really do look great. I'm noticing little things in these copies that I never noticed before (the image quality is so clear). I really think that these versions are worth it.

[Mord]

I feel your pain, but these cleaned up versions really do look great. I'm noticing little things in these copies that I never noticed before (the image quality is so clear). I really think that these versions are worth it.

I'm just not sure if I should wait until all of them are released, just in case they do some spectacular boxed set (with busts or a figure or book). I've been suckered too many times before.

[Lunkenstein]

Fantastic news!!! Check this out:

https://dailydead.com/kino-lorber-to-release-entire-the-outer-limits-original-series-on-blu-ray-and-dvd/

The original OUTER LIMITS and THE PRISONER are my two top favorite shows of all time. I missed out getting the PRISONER Blu Rays and now they cost mucho bucks on Ebay. I won't make that mistake with these.