Curse of the Undead Blu-ray Movie

Rating summary

Movie		3.5
Video		4.5
Audio		5.0
Extras		2.5
Overall		3.5

Curse of the Undead Blu-ray Movie Review

Reviewed by Dr. Svet Atanasov October 22, 2020

Edward Dein's "Curse of the Undead" (1959) arrives on Blu-ray courtesy of Kino Lorber. The supplemental features on the disc include vintage production and promotional materials for the film as well as exclusive new audio commentary by film historian Tom Weaver. In English, with optional English SDH subtitles for the main feature. Region-A "locked".

The gunslinger who came in from the shadows

The Wild West. In the middle of a deadly pandemic that has produced an unknown number of cold bodies, a mysterious gunslinger named Drake Robey (Michael Pate) arrives in a small town that has been paralyzed by fear. Soon after, he interjects himself in an old dispute between the proud rancher Buffer (Bruce Gordon) and the wealthy land owner Dr. Carter (John Hoyt) who has been battling a mysterious illness. When the latter dies, his daughter, Dolores (Kathleen Crowley), meets Drake and much to everyone's surprise hires him to work on her estate and keep Buffer as far away as possible. Around the same time, Preacher Dan (Eric Fleming), who finds Dolores’ decision as puzzling as everyone else in town does, meets Drake and the two immediately clash. When Dolores sides with Drake and reconfirms her wish to have him next to her, Preacher Dan temporarily backs away, but then makes a shocking discovery that confirms his fear that the newcomer is manipulating her.

It is interesting to see that Edward Dein’s film does not hide the fact that it is supposed to be a hybrid project. Its title, The Curse of the Undead, immediately makes it clear that it would deal with some type of horror material. The poster then reveals that the horror material will be merged with western material for an exotic dose of cinematic entertainment. For a film that was completed in 1959, the intent certainly demands respect. (I am unaware of an earlier film that does the exact same thing. There are some earlier westerns that adopt film noir identities, but not horror identities).

It is also interesting to see that Dein developed the script for the film with his wife, Mildred, which means that there was no studio influence to deliver something ‘different’. In other words, the film really was a good old-fashioned experiment to produce something unique while merging elements from two classic, but at the time considered incompatible, genres.

Was the experiment successful? It depends how it is approached and evaluated.

Obviously, it is difficult not to draw parallels to much bigger and better known exotic westerns that emerged after it and have followed the same path, but this isn’t a disadvantage. Indeed, the film is very much a product of its time and as such looks quite comfortable in its skin, which is one reason why it still looks attractive. Additionally, the quality of the script is quite good. It produces relationships that look equally legit in classic western and horror settings and as a result the merging of the genre elements does not feel forced.

The production values seem to be the film’s most vulnerable area. Much of the outdoor footage, for instance, does not have that grand ambience the classic westerns do. In the second half, where the horror elements become more prominent, there are no memorable effects and sets either. But are they needed? Again, it is not easy to say yes or no because as it is everything that occurs in the film feels legit. It is easy to speculate that the film could have been bigger and visually more impressive, but this does not mean that it would have been better. As the kind of experiment that it was intended to be, it works well.

The three leads -- Fleming, Crowley and Pete -- look good before the camera. However, there are a few supporting actors that appear very stiff. It is what confirms that the film was shot with a very modest budget.

*Kino Lorber’s release is sourced from an exclusive new 2K master that was prepared by Universal Pictures.

Curse of the Undead Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

Presented in an aspect ratio of 1.85:1, encoded with MPEG-4 AVC and granted a 1080p transfer, Curse of the Undead arrives on Blu-ray courtesy of Kino Lorber.

The release is sourced from a brand new 2K master that was prepared by Universal Pictures. Perfectionists will likely spot a few areas where ideally density levels and shadow definition could be slightly better, but I was enormously impressed by the very consistent healthy appearance of the film. Indeed, there is a lot of darker/nighttime footage and on my system depth remained excellent. Clarity and delineation are also very, very pleasing. If you have a larger screen, you will appreciate the terrific fluidity as well. (If you can upscale to 4K, try it on this release because the visuals become even more impressive). There are no traces of problematic digital adjustments. Image stability is excellent. Lastly, I did not see any distracting cuts, damage marks, blemishes, warped or torn frames to report. Very impressive presentation. My score is 4.75/5.00. (Note: This is a Region-A "locked" release. Therefore, you must have a native Region-A or Region-Free player in order to access its content).

Curse of the Undead Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

There is only one standard audio track on this Blu-ray release: English DTS-HD Master Audio 2.0. Optional English SDH subtitles are provided for the main feature.

The film is complemented by a very interesting chamber score that reveals plenty of psychedelic qualities. I was vquite surprised by the unusual harmonies and very pleased with the quality of the lossless track. It elevates the different nuances of the harmonics structures perfectly. The dialog is crystal-clear, clean, and stable. There are no encoding anomalies to report in our review.

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

• Poster & Image Gallery - a collection of production and promotional materials for Curse of the Undead. (1080p).

• Audio Commentary - film historian Tom Weaver, who is clearly a huge fan of Curse of the Undead (and does not hide it), shares a wealth of information about the production of the film, the manner in which it blends different genre elements, the era in which the film emerged and its reception, the work of different cast and crew members, etc. A wonderful, really well-researched and put together commentary.

• Additional Trailers - additional trailers for the following titles from Kino Lorber's catalog:
  
  1. The Black Sleep
  2. Black Sabbath
  3. The Oblong Box
  4. Zoltan: Hound of Dracula

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

The modest production values of Curse of the Undead actually make it quite attractive. I am positive I would not have enjoyed it as much as I did without its minimalist appearance. The film also has a very bizarre -- but in a good way -- score that would have been perfect in one of those '70s Italian psychedelic mind-benders, like Luigi Bazzoni's Footprints on the Moon. Kino Lorber's release of Curse of the Undead is sourced from a beautiful new 2K master that was prepared by Universal Pictures. It also features a terrific exclusive audio commentary by film historian Tom Weaver. HIGHLY RECOMMENDED.