5.5 | / 10 |
Users | 0.0 | |
Reviewer | 2.5 | |
Overall | 2.5 |
A group of delinquent youths wind up at a remote castle where they spend a grueling night of horror after being challenged by the mysterious owner to find the body of his lost love.
Starring: Christopher LeeForeign | 100% |
Video codec: MPEG-4 AVC
Video resolution: 1080p
Aspect ratio: 1.67:1
Original aspect ratio: 1.66:1
Italian: DTS-HD Master Audio 2.0 Mono
English
Blu-ray Disc
Two-disc set (2 BDs)
Region A (B, C untested)
Movie | 2.0 | |
Video | 4.5 | |
Audio | 3.0 | |
Extras | 5.0 | |
Overall | 2.5 |
Note: This film is available on Blu-ray as part of The Eurocrypt of Christopher Lee Collection.
According to the typically semi-reliable IMDb, Christopher Lee amassed an almost astounding 282 acting credits over the course of his long and
venerable career. If many younger viewers tend to understandably associate him with films like The Lord of the Rings: The Motion Picture Trilogy and/or Star Wars: Episode II - Attack of the
Clones, and if somewhat more seasoned audience members may link him to his long run of so-called "Hammer Horror" outings which
account for over twenty of those acting credits and include films like The Curse of Frankenstein, there is obviously by dint of the sheer number included on the IMDb's list a veritable glut of
roles
with which even diehard Lee fans may not be all that familiar. Severin Films has come to the rescue of Lee fans on the hunt for some rarer titles
featuring the actor, amassing five feature films and all the surviving episodes of Lee's anthology series Theatre Macabre, along with a
treasure trove of supplementary
material.
Challenge the Devil is presented on Blu-ray courtesy of Severin Films with an AVC encoded 1080p transfer in 1.67:1. The back cover of the keepcase insert states this has been "scanned in 2K from the Italian negative for the first time ever", and as with several other transfers in this set, the results are often very impressive. Contrast is mostly secure, with only a few slightly milky shots intruding, with often sumptuous blacks and nicely modulated gray scale. Detail levels are generally excellent across the board as well, hampered only slightly by the film's emphasis on barely lit scenes, something I suspect may have been done to hide less than opulent production elements. There is one extended sequence in a hall of mirrors that kind of echoes elements in The Lady from Shanghai, and a few moments in this longish scene have somewhat degraded video quality for whatever reason (see screenshot 19).
Challenge the Devil features a DTS-HD Master Audio 2.0 Mono mix in the original Italian. While Lee fans will no doubt be disappointed not to hear the star's redolent speaking voice, this is one of the stronger tracks in this set, with solid fidelity supporting score (including some musical performances in the film) and effects. Dialogue is rendered cleanly and clearly throughout. Optional English subtitles are available.
Disc One: Challenge the Devil
Challenge the Devil seems to have been a victim of unfortunate circumstances surrounding both its production and its post-production, and it certainly is not the best film in this set. That said, there's an almost circus like atmosphere to the proceedings at times, and some of the faces in the story are positively Fellini-esque. Technical merits are generally solid, especially video, and the supplementary package (especially the bonus disc) very enjoyable, for those who are considering a purchase.
(Still not reliable for this title)
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