Fear in the Night Blu-ray Movie

Rating summary

Movie		2.5
Video		4.0
Audio		4.0
Extras		3.0
Overall		3.0

Fear in the Night Blu-ray Movie Review

Reviewed by Dr. Stephen Larson July 22, 2024

The North American Blu-ray of Jimmy Sangster's FEAR IN THE NIGHT (1972) remains in print courtesy of Scream Factory. The disc presents viewing options in two aspect ratios. The bonus features include two audio commentaries, an older Blu-ray featurette, an archival interview, still gallery, and a trailer. Region "A" locked.

The opening scene of Fear in the Night is characterized by still and empty spaces. A play field for sports has no participants to be found. We hear sounds from a boys' choir singing a hymn but the corridors and classrooms inside the school are vacant. Is anyone there? The scene shifts to a London flat where Peggy Heller (Judy Geeson), a newlywed, is speaking to Robert Heller (Ralph Bates), her husband, about a trip they'll be taking the following day. Very shortly thereafter, Peggy is blindsided by a figure cloaked in black, who attempts to strangle her. She grabs and detaches a prosthetic arm the intruder is wearing. Peggy passes out, and when she awakens, her attacker is gone. She's laying down and surrounded by her landlady, Mrs. Beamish (Gillian Lind), and a doctor (James Cossins). She wants them to call the police but they dissuade her from doing so. Peggy suffered a nervous breakdown six months earlier and her doctor thinks she's experiencing delusions.

Robert seems to sense that a change of scene will be good for his wife. He wants Peggy to move with him to a boys' boarding school in the south of London where he works as an associate headmaster to headmaster, Michael Carmichael (Peter Cushing). Robert tells her that the school is on a term break so that's why there are no students roaming the campus. But why is there a term break in the autumn? Once in the school, Peggy is startled by Michael, who sneaks up on her abruptly. She asks the headmaster to fix her head scarf, which he obliges. But is Michael up to something sinister? When Peggy gets back to her new home, she's attacked once again by possibly the same perpetrator. When she goes out to get fresh air, she tends to a rabbit but is shocked by the sound of a shotgun, which pierces the small animal. The hunter is the headmaster's younger wife, Molly Carmichael (Joan Collins). Molly is very sexy, but also snide and spiteful. Peggy's troubles continue when someone trespasses into her living quarters. Is she merely imagining these things or are they real?

Robert and Peggy.

Jimmy Sangster originally developed Fear in the Night as a screenplay titled Brainstorm in 1963 but it never got off the ground. The title was changed to The Claw in 1967 with Freddie Francis assigned to direct. But filming never got underway. Sangster initially had a boathouse as the film's main setting but co-writer Michael Syson changed it to a boarding school. Sangster maintained that Henri-Georges Clouzot’s classic Les diaboliques (1955) was an influence on Fear in the Night and other earlier thrillers he wrote for Hammer. While the French film is definitely imprinted on Fear in the Night, another major influence is Hitchcock's Dial M for Murder (1954). Sangster and Syson appear to borrow a key story event, which I won't elaborate on for those who haven't seen one or the other. It's apropos that Howard Maxford refers to Fear in the Night as a "mini Hitchcock" in his 2018 book, Hammer Complete: The Films, the Personnel, the Company.

The writing for Fear in the Night is a big letdown. For example, even though Peggy did suffer a mental breakdown months earlier, why is the doctor who's played by James Cossins act so cold to her after she awakens from a possible attack? Even if the doc believes she was only imagining the event, he could at least demonstrate some compassion. The same goes for Robert, who claims that his wife is experiencing delusions after repeat episodes. He refuses to call the police and is hardly supportive to her.

Sangster begins toying with the audience in the initial scene between Peggy and Michael. He wants viewers to know something about the headmaster that Peggy doesn't. But Fear in the Night becomes too clever for its own good. Ralph Bates's character is written in such a way that his ulterior motives later become rather predictable. In addition, both Michael and Molly are underdeveloped. This shouldn't happen because Fear in the Night is akin to a chamber drama and has a very small number of characters which need to be explored but aren't.

Fear in the Night Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

Fear in the Night was originally processed in a three-strip, dye-transfer in Technicolor. The transfer Scream Factory presents here is likely struck from the same 2K-scanned master that Studio Canal used for its Blu-ray editions in Germany and the UK. The film is presented in its original exhibition ratio of 1.85:1 (average bitrate: 32.0 Mbps) along with an option to view it in 1.66:1 (average bitrate: 24.0 Mbps). I have assembled a comparison of ten identical captures apiece in the Screenshots tab. The 1.66 often adds information to the image at the bottom of the frame while the 1.85:1 sometimes adds info to the left side. Overall, I prefer the framing on the 1.66 for granting a little more headroom. I also generally perceive more picture info all the way around in that AR.

The print is in very good shape. Grain is omnipresent and nicely balanced across the frame. Textures are abundant and generally pleasing. Colors look natural.

Screenshot #s 1-10, 12, 14, 16, 18, 20, 22, 24, 26, 28, & 30 = 1.85:1 Version
Screenshot #s 11, 13, 15, 17, 19, 21, 23, 25, 27, & 29 = 1.66:1 Version

A dozen scene selections accompany the 94-minute feature.

Fear in the Night Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

Scream has supplied a DTS-HD Master Audio Dual Mono mix (1565 kbps, 24-bit), which is the sole audio track for both versions. The track sounds authentic to the original recording. It's also a clean mix. There are no audible pops or scratches. Dropouts are nonexistent. Dialogue is clear and understandable. There's an effective use of strings and the snare drum by composer John McCabe.

The optional English SDH deliver a complete and accurate transcription of the dialogue.

Fear in the Night Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

• EXCLUSIVE Audio Commentary with Film Historian Troy Howarth - Howarth gives a feature-length track full of nuggets about Fear in the Night and its cast/crew. Howarth is incredibly knowledgeable about the films Sangster wrote and/or directed, which he shows in abundance here. He also discusses his research about some of the experiences by the cast in the movie's production. While Howarth believes Ralph Bates is a decent actor, he doesn't think he was the correct choice for the role of Robert Heller. Howarth also explains why he thinks Bates may have been chosen for parts in other Hammer films and why he wasn't the right fit for those either. Howarth's opinions about Bates's acting chops contrast markedly with those of fellow film historian Bruce Hallenbeck, who was both a fan and friend of the late British actor. In English, not subtitled.

• Audio Commentary with Co-writer/Producer/Director Jimmy Sangster and Hammer Film Historian Marcus Hearn - this archival commentary track was recorded for the 2002 Anchor Bay DVD under the defunct label's The Hammer Collection banner. It also appeared on Optimum Releasing's R2 DVD. Hearn moderates this feature-length chat with Sangster, who reminisces about his time at Hammer and working with James and Michael Carreras. There are some gaps throughout. The commentary is solid but not on the same level as the track with Howarth. In English, not subtitled.

• Vintage Interview with Co-writer/Producer/Director Jimmy Sangster (15:52, upconverted to 1080p) - this is a 1993 British TV interview with Sangster conducted by John Stoker. Scream Factory has intercut production photographs and poster images of various Hammer productions into the interview. Sangster speaks about a typical working day at Hammer, his early work at the studio, Tony Hines, writing The Curse of Frankenstein and its themes, Horror of Dracula and its sequel, and producing. He spends the second half discussing The Horror of Frankenstein, Lust for a Vampire, and the influence Les diaboliques had on him. Sangster speaks very briefly about Fear in the Night. The interview is shot in 1.33:1 and sourced from a videocassette. In English, not subtitled.

• End of Term: Inside FEAR IN THE NIGHT (16:38, 1080p) - this featurette was initially included in Studio Canal's 2017 UK BD/DVD combo pack. Interviewed are Alan Barnes (co-author of The Hammer Story), Jonathan Rigby (author of English Gothic), Kevin Lyons (editor of eofftv.com), and cultural historian John J. Johnston. The interviewees discuss the origins of the script, how it developed over several years and later came together as a feature, stories from the production, performances by the cast, sets, and its place in the Hammer canon. The program offers a pretty solid look at the making of the film. Clips are shown in 16x9-enhanced 1.66:1. In English, not subtitled.

• Theatrical Trailer (3:03, upconverted to 1080p) - Anglo and MGM-EMI's official UK trailer for Fear in the Night presented in anamorphic widescreen with an aspect ratio of 1.75:1. The trailer has not been restored.

• Still Gallery (3:30, 1080p) - a slide show comprising 45 distinct images, all pertaining to Fear in the Night. The first 25 photos (in both black & white and color) are snapshots from the production. They come from press packets and publicity campaigns. The next 20 are a mixture. Several are lobby cards and ad slicks. There's also scanned pages from the UK pressbook and adverts for exhibitors.

Fear in the Night Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

Fear in the Night (1972) arrived about a decade too late. Hammer produced several chilling Gothic thrillers in the Sixties, which are superior to this Sangster film. The script hamstrings the actors and their performances. Scream Factory's video and audio transfers are each very good. The boutique label has added an excellent commentary track by film historian Troy Howarth to complement vintage extras, which are ported over from prior DVD and BD editions. Fear in the Night is one of the weakest Hammer movies I have seen. RECOMMENDED only to Hammer completists.