6.6 | / 10 |
Users | 0.0 | |
Reviewer | 4.5 | |
Overall | 4.5 |
When his friend Professor Kingsley is at deaths door, brain surgeon Dr. Sovac saves his life by means of an illegal operation that transplants part of injured gangster Red Cannon's brain. Unfortunately, the operation has a disastrous Jeckll and Hyde side effect and under certain conditions the persona of Cannon emerges. Sovac soon learns of the duel personality and of half a million dollars the gangster has hidden away. He attempts to find the money through the manipulation of his friend, an attempt that brings Kingsley closer to madness as he alternates between a meek professor of English and a brutal gangster out for murderous revenge on those who tried to kill him...
Starring: Boris Karloff, Bela Lugosi, Stanley Ridges, Anne Nagel, Anne GwynneHorror | 100% |
Sci-Fi | Insignificant |
Crime | Insignificant |
Drama | Insignificant |
Video codec: MPEG-4 AVC
Video resolution: 1080p
Aspect ratio: 1.37:1
Original aspect ratio: 1.37:1
English: DTS-HD Master Audio 2.0 (48kHz, 24-bit)
BDInfo
English SDH
Blu-ray Disc
Single disc (1 BD)
Region A (B, C untested)
Movie | 3.5 | |
Video | 4.0 | |
Audio | 4.0 | |
Extras | 4.5 | |
Overall | 4.5 |
For their final movie together at Universal Pictures, stars Boris Karloff and Bela Lugosi barely share any screen time in 1940’s “Black Friday,” which features the men prominently billed, while the actual lead role is handed to Stanley Ridges. It’s a strange situation of expectations not being met with the picture, which promises to present something more substantial with the Karloff and Lugosi, fitting them for a gangster effort with mild macabre happenings. It’s weird science yet again for the duo, but the screenplay isn’t very interested in Lugosi, who struggles with a lesser role in a minor film, with Karloff supplied with more screen time to showcase his range, portraying a doctor who’s managed to stuff part of a criminal’s mind into his best friend’s dying body.
"Black Friday" (AVC encoded, 1.37:1 aspect ratio) lives up to its title with dark cinematography, employing shadows and nighttime events to encourage a suspenseful mood the material doesn't otherwise earn. The "New 2K scan of the original film elements" is acceptable, providing a view of characters and locations. Facial surfaces are enjoyable, surveying plenty of pained looks and the pleasingly strange details of Ridges's transformation between good and evil. Costuming is also satisfactory, with emphasis on suits and evening wear, which preserves fibrous qualities. Delineation struggles some with crush issues. Grain is film- like. Source showcases some wear and tear, with scratches and speckling common.
The 2.0 DTS-HD MA sound mix encounters a heavier presence of hiss, while pops and mild crackling is also detected. Dialogue exchanges are acceptable, securing performance nuance and angry outbursts, also pinpointing the vocal changes in Ridges's work. Scoring isn't deep, remaining supportive to the tone of the feature without truly carrying it. Still, instrumentation is there. Atmospherics are slight. Sound effects deliver some snap with gunshots.
The MVP of "Black Friday" is Ridges, who's gifted a primo role that challenges him to play two distinct characters in the picture, and he pulls it off beautifully, capturing the stuffiness of an educator and the violent ooze of a gangster. Karloff has his moments as well, especially when panic rises in the second half of the feature. Lugosi has less to do, but he tries to make his moments count. If Universal wanted to use the men to sell the movie, it would've been nice for Karloff and Lugosi to actually share the frame on more than a few occasions. Instead, top billing is a misdirection, and one that leads to a somewhat lethargic endeavor with a knockout lead performance.
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