Rating summary

Movie		2.0
Video		3.5
Audio		3.5
Extras		3.0
Overall		2.5

Blackenstein Blu-ray Movie Review

Movie bad. Supplements good.

Reviewed by Jeffrey Kauffman May 31, 2017

It’s probably instructive to note that virtually all of the supplements Severin Films has assembled for this Blu-ray release of Blackenstein deal more generally with writer and producer Frank R. Saletri than with the film itself. Though he’s only dimly remembered now if at all, Saletri entered the annals of famous Hollywood murders when he was found slain in his house in 1982. Saletri had already made his name as an attorney for some frankly B (or further down the alphabet) list stars, and he had become equally well known for his participation in any number of Los Angeles based groups devoted to horror and science fiction films. One of Saletri’s claims to fame is that he ended up buying the former mansion of Bela Lugosi, where he lived for many years (contrary to some online reports, the supplements on this Blu-ray disc state that he was not murdered in the Lugosi home, which had been torn down to make room for the expansion of one of Los Angeles’ many freeways by that time, and that Saletri had moved into another, more modern, home in the Hollywood Hills, which his sister mentions was on Primrose). Saletri’s murder has never been solved, and it seemed especially vexing at the time for reasons that included the fact that Saletri had no known enemies, but that a random robbery didn’t seem to be the motive, given the fact that tons of expensive jewelry and other booty were left at the scene of the crime. The fact that Saletri was a hulking type who was evidently a black belt in karate also made his execution style killing raise some eyebrows. Saletri had a slew of unproduced screenplays to his credit at the time of his death, including the hilariously named Black the Ripper, just one indication that he recognized there was a market for so-called blaxploitation films. Blackenstein is clearly modeled on other films like Blacula (available in this double feature from Shout Factory’s Scream Factory imprint), but it frankly doesn’t have even the baseline savoir faire that that film has.

As low rent as much of Blackenstein inarguably is, it does reinvent some of the Frankenstein mythos in at least relatively interesting ways. One of these is the fact that the individual who ultimately morphs into the monster is not in fact deceased, but instead a horribly disfigured Vietnam vet who has had the misfortune to step on a landmine. Relegated to near Johnny Got His Gun status (so to speak), Eddie Turner (Joe De Sue, a non-professional reportedly hired because he was a client of Saletri’s) is dealing not just with the aftereffects of his mishaps, but the less than nurturing treatment at the local Veterans Administration hospital (in another kind of interesting angle that seems especially prescient these days), where a bullying attendant (Bob Brophy) is making Eddie’s life even more of a living hell.

Luckily for Eddie, his fiancée is a doctor named Winifred Walker (Ivory Stone) who arrives in Los Angeles to help her love, which includes getting him into the care of noted scientist Dr. Stein (John Hart), a researcher whose DNA investigations has resulted in him winning the Nobel Peace Prize (in a tangential but perhaps head scratching plot point). Dr. Stein has a houseful of fascinating patients, including one who seems to have discovered a veritable Lost Horizon fountain of youth, and another who has already survived a limb transplant that is akin to what Eddie needs to resume his former life. Unfortunately for both Winifred and Eddie, Stein’s assistant Malcomb (Roosevelt Jackson) has some nefarious ulterior motives which ultimately make Stein’s attempts to heal Eddie backfire horribly, reducing him to an atavistic state that in some ways recalls a similar transformation in the much later Altered States (is it at all possible that the venerable Paddy Chayefsky might have stumbled across this film and gotten the spark of an idea that way?).

Blackenstein might strike some as something Ed Wood might have done had he been working in the color (and blaxploitation) era, though occasionally at least performances might inch a notch or two above the general tenor of a typical Wood film. Kind of weirdly for a film based on a villainous creature, the monster form of Eddie doesn’t really get going into rather well into this enterprise, leaving much of the initial going to kind of needless detours. Though not relevant in any major way to the actual plot (speaking of needless detours, though at least this one has a payoff), there’s also a rather fun sequence set at a nightclub where a soulful singer named Cardella Di Milo contributes a perhaps surprisingly effective song.

Blackenstein Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

Blackenstein is presented on Blu-ray courtesy of Severin Films and Vinegar Syndrome with AVC encoded 1080p transfers in 1.78:1 for both the Theatrical Release and Video Release. The Video Release comes with a disclaimer shown in screenshot 21, and I've provided two screenshots in positions 18 and 19 of what look like moments from the 1" tape master mentioned. Quality for this secondary source is obviously pretty ragged and the segues to the film elements are frequently pretty ragged looking as well, with what amount to dissolves showing clear differences in clarity, color temperature and even frame alignment. With that issue on the Video Release out of the way, the Theatrical Release, while still fairly "dupey" looking at times, at least boasts a more solid palette, as well as relatively decent detail levels in close-ups. There are still some color temperature fluctuations, and occasional milkiness in some of the darker sequences. Probably intentionally, the creature is not really seen clearly much if at all (it was rather difficult to even get the two screenshots of him/it included with this review), and then often with handheld cameras that introduce quick pans which keep detail levels at a seeming minimum. While there's some generic verbiage about this being "now restored", there's still some slight but evident age related wear and tear.

Blackenstein Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

Both versions of Blackenstein sport DTS-HD Master Audio 2.0 mono tracks which have occasional slight distortion, especially with regard to some of the music. Dialogue and effects make it through the gauntlet relatively clearly, though the Video Release has a few inartful segues where differences in things like relative amplitude and hiss levels can be heard at times. As mentioned above, the film has a perhaps unexpectedly enjoyable (if admittedly dated sounding) score, and while the high end has occasional very slight crackling, the mid and lower ranges sound full and appealing.

Note: While there's no Setup Menu indicating these options are available, there is a Dolby Digital 2.0 mono mix as well as English SDH subtitles (with a few typos) accessible via the appropriate buttons on your remote.

Blackenstein Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

Both the Theatrical Release (1080p; 1:17:46) and the Video Release (1080p; 1:27:05) are included on this release, with submenus for each version offering access to the same following supplementary material:

• Monster Kid (1080p; 19:02) is a sweet and at times emotional interview with Frank R. Saletri's little sister, June Kirk. This features some fantastic archival photographs of the interior of the old Lugosi mansion which any Lugosi fan will probably delight in seeing, including a look at a revolving bookcase that opened onto a secret passage. These fun and relatively rare looks at an iconic Hollywood home may be enough to convince some fans this is a worthwhile purchase no matter how they feel about Blackenstein itself.


• Archive News Broadcast (1080p; 6:17) is from around a year after the murder (as evidenced by the reporter's introduction) and covers some of the more perplexing aspects of the case. That said, this has the look of a "sweeps stunt" about it—note the flourish with which the reporter reveals two of the guns that were part of Saletri's personal collection.


• Producers/Directors/Actors Ken Osborne and Robert Dix Remember Frank R. Saletri (1080p; 6:36) features two separate interviews culled from a Severin documentary on Al Adamson.


• Bill Created Blackenstein (1080p; 9:13) is an audio interview with prosthetic FX creator Bill Munns which plays to various archival stills, including some fun ones of Boris Karloff getting his makeup applied.


• Theatrical Trailer (1080p; 3:24)

Blackenstein Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

I doubt even fans of Blackenstein would claim it's any kind of unappreciated masterpiece, but the film has a certain era specific charm, along with a low rent sensibility that may in fact recommend it to those who like their post-modern irony with a touch of blood and guts. This is another niche horror release where the film may be no great shakes, but some of the supplementary material is extremely interesting. Technical merits are decent if imperfect for those considering a purchase.