Let's Kill Uncle Blu-ray Movie

Rating summary

Movie		4.0
Video		4.5
Audio		4.5
Extras		3.0
Overall		4.0

Let's Kill Uncle Blu-ray Movie Review

An offbeat gem of genre filmmaking: Let's Kill Uncle is a dark-comedy blast

A surprisingly entertaining dark-comedy gem, Let's Kill Uncle is an excellent genre film produced and directed by the great genre-filmmaking maestro: the one and only William Castle (The Night Walker, House on Haunted Hill). Let's Kill Uncle has a blast with its web of events and viewers are in for a treat. The film is a perfect blend of comedy, horror, and mayhem. There is nothing else out there quite like it: a unique genre smash that knows exactly how to play with audience emotions.

Barnaby Harrison (Pat Cardi) is a millionaire. The 12 year old orphan (who recently lost his father) is now the sole inheritor to millions of dollars. The young boy is visiting his uncle, Major Kevin Harrison (Nigel Green), a curious figure in his life who worked with British intelligence during WWII and wrote a book entitled “Killing the Enemy” (about his Nazi kills).

When upon the island of his uncle, Barnaby soon discovers that Major Harrison actually intends to kill him! Can Barnaby outwit the super-smart officer or will he bite-the-dust first? Barnaby's only ally is Chrissie (Mary Badham), a young girl who suggests they kill his uncle before he gets the chance to first!

"Please don't tell me that's a giant tarantula."

The production was well mounted and has impressive art direction by William D. DeCinces (The Sword of Ali Baba, The Plainsman) and Alexander Golitzen (Phantom of the Opera, Foreign Correspondent). The film uses a lot of interesting concepts: sharks in pool water, poisonous mushrooms, raging fires, and more. These ideas had to take a visual cue and the art directors assembled things in a way that was enormously satisfying. Some of these elements are so downright preposterous as to be beyond the ordinary concepts of silliness: the shark footage is quite different from the silly fin poking out of the water above. These moments give some extra comedic pizzazz to the proceedings.

Edited by Edwin H. Bryant (The 7^th Voyage of Sinbad, 20 Million Miles to Earth), Let's Kill Uncle has a solid rhythm to it that is hard to miss. The film is never a bore (or chore) and is easy to enjoy as the hi-jinks of the storyline revolve and turn. The pacing is quite effective and the film moves organically: neither too slow nor too fast.

The cinematography by Harold Lipstein (The Adventures of Hajji Baba, A Man Called Peter) is one of the best elements of the filmmaking. The Technicolor photography has a splendid look to it with nice, laid-back colors that are perfectly befitting the style of the story at hand. The visual cues of the film play nicely with the cinematographic aesthetic and it makes the experience easy to enjoy.

Based on the novel by June O'Grady, the screenplay by Mark Rodgers (The F.B.I., Masquerade) is simplistic but charming. For a cat vs. mouse game of death, Let's Kill Uncle is surprisingly fun to watch. The story is outlandish and its almost like watching a live-action Tom and Jerry cartoon. I enjoyed the dialogue and the tone of the film immensely. William Castle brought the story to life through his inventive camera angels and sly sensibility as a filmmaker. The end result is a genre production that is unusual but compelling nonetheless. Let's Kill Uncle is a fun film and one that enthusiasts of Castle won't want to miss!

Let's Kill Uncle Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

Arriving on Blu-ray from Kino Lorber, Let's Kill Uncle has received a surprisingly impressive 1080p MPEG-4 AVC encoded high definition in the original theatrical aspect ratio of 1.85:1 widescreen. A exceptional scan was used for the new presentation. While a 2K scan, I was surprised by how close things seemed to resemble a well-oiled 4K scan: the image clarity was robust and was surprisingly detailed throughout. The scan has little to no wear or tear (such as specks of dirt or debris and other forms of print damage). It's remarkable how well preserved the film looks. It helps the film viewing experience to be all the more engaging and impressive. Colors look true to the 35mm source and are rather pleasant given the age of the production. A nearly immaculate presentation.

Let's Kill Uncle Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

The release has received an engaging DTS HD Master Audio 2.0 mono audio presentation. Dialogue reproduction is consistently crisp, clear, and easy to understand throughout the entire presentation of the film. The music by Herman Stein is similarly well implemented. The track never seems to sound too harsh or overly critical: rather, the laid back sonic landscape helps the experience be more fun to watch.

Please Note: Optional English subtitles are provided.

Let's Kill Uncle Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

Audio Commentary by Film Historians Kat Ellinger and Mike McPadden

Mr. Castle and Me: An Interview with Actor Pat Cardi (HD, 14:45)

Let's Kill Uncle: Trailer 1 (HD, 2:21)

Let's Kill Uncle: Trailer 2 (HD, 1:09)

Let's Kill Uncle Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

A surprisingly effective genre thriller, with dark comedy undertones, Let's Kill Uncle is a total blast of B-movie fun. The story never takes itself too seriously and that is part of the undeniable charm of the film. The music score by Herman Stein (No Name on the Bullet, Backlash) also adds some effective (and eerie) undertones. William Castle (House on Haunted Hill) is an expert director who knows exactly how to handle the material best. Fans of the filmmaker should make sure to experience it. There's something kooky about it that simply works! The Kino Blu-ray release is top-notch, with a brand new restoration and some supplemental materials. Fans shouldn't overlook this under-the-radar gem. Highly recommended.