Rating summary

Movie		3.5
Video		4.0
Audio		3.5
Extras		2.5
Overall		3.5

Curse of the Faceless Man Blu-ray Movie Review

Reviewed by Brian Orndorf February 6, 2016

There’s certainly a faceless man provided here, but it’s the curse part of the title I’m not so sure of. A horror effort from 1958, “Curse of the Faceless Man” is small-time programmer with an interesting plot, pitting science and art against an unexplainable discovery found at the site of the Pompeii disaster, unleashing a stone creature who’s not above killing anyone who stands in the way of longstanding love. Actual scares aren’t generated by the production, but “Curse of the Faceless Man” remains an agreeably odd B-movie that keeps its macabre star front and center.

The production makes a wise choice and doesn’t hide the creature from view. “Curse of the Faceless Man” retains the services of the Roman nightmare throughout the effort, returning to his zombie-style stomp repeatedly while trying to construct a worthy backstory for the monster that supports a 67-minute-long movie. “Curse of the Faceless Man” is primarily about the war between giving the audience what they want and explaining the science and myth behind the threat, keeping the low-budget picture (reportedly shot in six days) to a routine of excitement and exposition, laboring to make some sense out of a fantasy premise.

Curse of the Faceless Man Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

Boasting a fresh scan for its BD debut, "Curse of the Faceless Man" provides a sturdy AVC encoded image (1.85:1 aspect ratio) presentation. Detail, even when facing focus issues, comes through with surprising clarity, delivering agreeable facial particulars during close-ups, while set decoration is open for study, along with monster textures. Cinematographic balance is encouraging, providing secure delineation to aid in shadow play, while whites aren't overtly bloomy. Grain is fine and filmic. Source is rough in spots, but no overt damage is detected, leaving most of the clutter to speckling and mild scratches.

Curse of the Faceless Man Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

The 2.0 DTS-HD MA sound mix isn't the result of a restoration, but as a straight presentation of aged elements, it handles satisfactorily. Scoring is most pronounced, offering the listening experience a bit of percussion rumble as suspense heats up. Dialogue exchanges are adequate, hitting a few stretches of muddiness, but the track largely respects the performances, without slipping into distortive extremes when screaming takes over. Atmospherics are passable, lacking any real character for a mostly expository effort. Hiss and pops are detected.

Curse of the Faceless Man Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

• Commentary features film historian Chris Alexander.

• A Theatrical Trailer has not been included.

Curse of the Faceless Man Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

The star of the show is composer Gerald Fried, who delivers an exceptional score that keeps "Curse of the Faceless Man" humming along, finding themes that support suspense efforts. The rest of the movie doesn't share the same enthusiasm, but the picture is entertaining, hitting enough highlights of horror and obsession to keep the film busy enough before it slips back into an expositional coma.