Rating summary

Movie		3.5
Video		4.0
Audio		4.0
Extras		2.5
Overall		3.5

Dementia 13 Blu-ray Movie Review

Reviewed by Jeffrey Kauffman September 17, 2021

If at first you don't succeed, try, try again might have been a suitable epigram for one Francis Ford Coppola, except that the phrase might have been more accurately refashioned to state, If at first you don't succeed, try, try, try, try again, given the fact that Coppola arguably had four "at bats" as a director that generally failed to connect with audiences and/or critics, before he of course hit a home run with The Godfather. The first of that quartet of valiant if unsuccessful tries was 1963's Dementia 13, which Coppola avers in an introduction included on this disc as a supplement was rejiggered without his consent before its release and therefore didn't represent his true "vision". Now, anyone thinking this new Director's Cut of the film is going to be a major revision with acres of new material is probably going to be disappointed, as the film even in its original theatrical version wasn't very long to begin with, and in fact this new version is even shorter.

Dementia 13 was released on Blu-ray well over a decade ago by the now little remembered label HD Cinema Classics. Those wanting a plot summary as well as my general thoughts on the film are encouraged to read my Dementia 13 Blu-ray review of that now long ago release.

Dementia 13 Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

Dementia 13 is presented on Blu-ray courtesy of Vestron Video, an imprint of Lionsgate Films, with an AVC encoded 1080p transfer in 1.67:1. The old HD Cinema Classics version I reviewed over a decade ago had a smeary, grainless appearance that made it look more like video than film, and one of the best things about this new transfer is the clear emergence of a generally organic looking grain field. The fact that there are still some noticeable if slight signs of age related wear and tear, including a few pretty significant scratches, may add to the general perception that this master was not digitally smoothed to within an inch of its life. Detail levels are nicely in evidence in at least the better lit moments. There are still some fairly wide variances in clarity and fine detail levels, some of which I attribute to various "on location" situations. There's also some minor crush in a few scenes, notably the opening vignette in the row boat. My score is 4.25.

Dementia 13 Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

Dementia 13 features the original mono track in DTS-HD Master Audio, as well as a revised DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 track. The surround track opens up the soundstage noticeably in the outdoor scenes, as well as in the fun underscore by Ron Stein, but it's still a kind of hit or miss proposition in terms of regular, consistent engagement of the side and rear channels. That said, I heard little of the "phasing" that can sometimes accompany these refigured tracks. The mono track is clear and stable and offers no issues whatsoever in terms of its rendering of dialogue, effects and score. Optional English subtitles are available.

Dementia 13 Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

• Introduction by Francis Ford Coppola (HD; 1:00)


• Audio Commentary by Director Francis Ford Coppola


• Prologue (Dementia 13 Test) (HD; 6:44) is an unintentionally hilarious and mind numbing "presentation" by Dr. William J. Bryan, Jr., evidently the "world's foremost authority on medical hypnosis". Believe me, you'll be getting very sleepy watching this.

Additionally a digital copy is included, and for those who are interesting in packaging, a slipcover is included.

Dementia 13 Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

I had frankly forgotten there even was a Blu-ray label called HD Cinema Classics until I went searching for my original Dementia 13 Blu-ray review. That label, which has evidently been subsumed by Film Chest, was never really able to muster much in the way of technical consistency, and for those who have been awaiting a decent looking version of Dementia 13, this release should quite handily fit the bill. I personally would have preferred for the original theatrical version to have also been included, especially since it's evidently in the public domain and so licensing issues really shouldn't have intruded, but perhaps Mr. Coppola didn't want to be reminded of it. Technical merits are generally solid, and this new, slightly redacted version of Dementia 13 comes Recommended.