Night Gallery: Season Two Blu-ray Movie

Rating summary

Movie		4.0
Video		4.0
Audio		5.0
Extras		5.0
Overall		4.0

Night Gallery: Season Two Blu-ray Movie Review

Reviewed by Dr. Svet Atanasov August 22, 2022

"Night Gallery: Season Two" (1971-1972) arrives on Blu-ray courtesy of Kino Lorber. The supplemental features on the release multiple exclusive new audio commentaries and vintage promotional materials. In English, with optional English SDH subtitles for the main feature. Region-A "locked".

Let's begin our session

If the producers of Night Gallery had reached out to Mario Bava with a lucrative offer to write and direct Season Two of their TV show, he would have delivered content that is very similar to the one that is featured in this five-disc set. I had seen a few of these episodes, but now that I have gone through the entire Season Two, I am quite astonished at how similar some of this content is to Bava’s work. It is similar in several ways as well.

Consider for instance the story and visual style of I’ll Never Leave You -- Ever. A young woman cannot wait for her sick husband to die so that she can begin a new life with her secret lover and reaches out to an old witch with a request for help. The witch gives her a tiny voodoo doll, the woman returns home, and shortly after ends the misery of her sick husband -- well, sort of. The segment is fairly short, but it has the type of period ambience you would discover in Bava’s Black Sabbath. Rich color lights, thick shadows, heavy smoke imitating the presence of heavy fog, this is one-hundred percent Bava territory.

Now go to Lindemann’s Catch. A grumpy old sea captain pulls out of the ocean a very, very unusual catch -- it is half-woman, half-giant fish. At first, few people believe him, but he reveals his catch and instantly silences the skeptics. When the same skeptics begin urging him to release the ‘thing’ back into the ocean, he declares that he is communicating with it and plans to spend the rest of his life with it. The slick twist that follows again reminds of Bava’s work because it makes the entire segment seriously disturbing and at the same time quite funny. Bava had a notorious sense of humor that frequently produced very similar twists.

The contemporary material is of the kind that is also easy to associate with Bava. In The Boy Who Predicted Earthquakes, a very demanding and seriously annoying TV producer is introduced to a young boy whose grandfather reveals that he can predict the future. The TV producer remains skeptical but gives the boy a try and suddenly finds himself running an incredibly popular show. But the boy makes a chilling prediction that instantly invalidates the success of the show. Have you seen Bava’s Four Times That Night? This segment bends reality in much the same manner Bava does in his film.

Is there at least one oddly violent segment that Bava would have been happy to script and direct? There are quite a few. For example, in The Hand of Borgus Weems a young man visits a famous doctor and requests that he amputates his right hand. Why? Because the young man is convinced that it is possessed. Initially, the doctor refuses, but then agrees to do the procedure, and shortly after makes a shocking discovery. In this segment, the young man looks legitimately unhinged, and the sequence where his supposedly possessed right hand takes over the steering wheel and he attempts to run over a pedestrian easily could have been extracted from Bava’s Rabid Dogs.

The above comparisons are not meant to suggest that Season Two borrows from different places and does not have an identity of its own. On the contrary, they are meant to highlight how easily the creators of Season Two move through different period environments and mix diverse genre content. Additionally, Season Two maintains a very convincing fluid tone and personality, which isn’t easy given the richness of the content and the large cast that was assembled for it.

Some of the directors that were hired to work on Season Two are John Badham, Daniel Haller, John Newland, Jerrold Freedman, William Hale, Jack Laird, Jeff Corey, and Jeannot Szwarc.

Night Gallery: Season Two Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

Presented in its original aspect ratio of 1.33:1, encoded with MPEG-4 AVC and granted a 1080p transfer, Night Gallery: Season Two arrives on Blu-ray courtesy of Kino Lorber.

The quality of the content is practically identical to that of Night Gallery: Season One. All episodes have been remastered in 2K and virtually all look quite good. Depending on how each episode was lensed, some density fluctuations are quite easy to observe, and in darker areas often shadow definition can reveal minor inconsistencies as well. This being said, a few episodes also reveal very light traces of grain management, so there are additional discrepancies that trained eyes will spot. However, delineation, clarity, and depth remain very pleasing, so you do not have to worry about distracting visual anomalies. Color balance is very good. The primaries and supporting nuances look nicely saturated and remain stable. In some darker areas, there is minor crush, but I would not describe it as problematic. Image stability is good. There are no distracting large cuts, debris, damage marks, warped or torn frames, but some small nicks, dark spots, and blemishes can be seen. (Note: This is a Region-A "locked" Blu-ray release. Therefore, you must have a native Region-A or Region-Free player in order to access its content).

Night Gallery: Season Two 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 audio is clear, sharp, and easy to follow. I did not have to adjust the volume of my system so that I could be able to hear clearly all exchanges. Dynamic intensity varies between the different segments, but I think that these are inherited fluctuations. The overall range of dynamic nuances I think is very good for TV content from the 1970s. There are no encoding anomalies to report in our review.

Night Gallery: Season Two Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

BLU-RAY DISC ONE

• Commentary One - audio commentary for "The Boy Who Predicted Earthquakes"/"Miss Lovecraft Sent me"/"The Hand of Borgus Weems"/"Phantom of What Opera?" by critic Craig Beam.

• Commentary Two - audio commentary for "Death in the Family"/"The Merciful"/"Class of 99"/"Satisfaction Guranteed" by critics Scott Skelton and Jim Benson.

• Commentary Three - audio commentary for "Death in the Family"/"The Merciful"/"Class of 99"/"Satisfaction Guranteed" by Television Music Historian Dr. Reba Wissner.

• Commentary Four - audio commentary for "Since Aunt Ada Came to Stay"/"With Apologies to Mr. Hyde"/"The Flip-side of Satan" by Night Gallery Authors/Historians Jim Benson and Scott Skelton,

• Commentary Five - audio commentary for "Since Aunt Ada Came to Stay"/"With Apologies to Mr. Hyde"/"The Flip-side of Satan" by by Television Music Historian Dr. Reba Wissner.

• Commentary Six - audio commentary for "A Fear of Spiders"/"Junior"/"Marmalade Wine"/"The Academy" by Night Gallery Authors/Historians Jim Benson and Scott Skelton.

• Commentary Seven - audio commentary for "The Phantom Farmhouse"/"Silent Snow, Secret Snow" by screenwriter and critic Gary Gerani.

• Commentary Eight - audio commentary for "The Phantom Farmhouse"/"Silent Snow, Secret Snow" by director Guillermo del Toro.

• Commentary Nine - audio commentary for "The Phantom Farmhouse"/"Silent Snow, Secret Snow" by screenwriter and critic Gary Gerani.

• TV Spots - presented here are four vintage TV spots for segments from Season Two. In English, not subtitled. (5 min).

BLU-RAY DISC TWO

• Commentary One - audio commentary for "A Question of Fear"/The Devil is Not Mocked" by critics and novelists Kim Newman and Stephen Jones.

• Commentary Two - audio commentary for "Midnight Never Ends"/"Brenda" by Night Gallery Author/Historian Jim Benson and Actress Laurie Prange (Star of "Brenda").

• Commentary Three - audio commentary for "Midnight Never Ends"/"Brenda" by critic Amanda Reyes.

• Commentary Four - audio commentary for "The Diary"/"A Matter of Semantics"/"Big Surprise"/"Professor Peabody's Last Lecture" by Night Gallery Authors/Historians Jim Benson and Scott Skelton.

• Commentary Five - audio commentary for "House -- With Ghost"/"A Mindight Visit to the Neighborhood Blood Bank"/Dr. Stringefellow's Rejuvenator"/"Hell's Bells" by Night Gallery Authors/Historians Jim Benson and Scott Skelton.

• Commentary Six - audio commentary for "The Dark Boy"/"Keep in Touch -- We'll Thing of Something" by critic Amanda Reyes.

• TV Spots - presented here are five vintage TV spots for segments from Season Two. In English, not subtitled. (5 min).

BLU-RAY DISC THREE

• Commentary One - audio commentary for "Pickman's Model"/"The Dear Departed"/"An Act of Chivalry" by Actress Louise Sorel (Star of "Pickman's Model") and Night Gallery Authors/Historians Scott Skelton and Jim Benson.

• Commentary Two - audio commentary for "Pickman's Model"/"The Dear Departed"/"An Act of Chivalry" by screenwriter and critic Gary Gerani.

• Commentary Three - audio commentary for "Cool Air"/"Camera Obscura"/"Quoth The Raven" by author Mark Dawidziak, director John Badham and screenwriter and critic Gary Gerani.

• Commentary Four - audio commentary for "Cool Air"/"Camera Obscura"/"Quoth The Raven" by writers and critics Kim Newman and Stephen Jones.

• Commentary Five - audio commentary for "Cool Air"/"Camera Obscura"/"Quoth The Raven" by Night Gallery Authors/Historians Jim Benson and Scott Skelton.

• Commentary Six - audio commentary for "The Messiah on Mott Street"/"The Painted Mirror" by director Guillermo del Toro.

• Commentary Seven - audio commentary for "The Different One"/"Tell David..."/"Logoda's Heads" by critic Craig Beam.

• Commentary Eight - audio commentary for "Green Fingers"/"The Funeral"/"The Tune in Dan's Cafe" by Director John Badham and Night Gallery Author/Historian Scott Skelton.

• TV Spots - presented here are three vintage TV spots for segments from Season Two. In English, not subtitled. (5 min).

BLU-RAY DISC FOUR

• Commentary One - audio commentary for "Lindemann's Catch"/"The Late Mr. Peddington"/"A Feast of Blood" by Night Gallery Authors/Historians Jim Benson and Scott Skelton.

• Commentary Two - audio commentary for "The Miracle at Camafeo"/"The Ghost of Sorworth Place" by Night Gallery Authors/Historians Jim Benson and Scott Skelton.

• Commentary Three - audio commentary for "The Waiting Room"/"The Last Rites for a Dead Druid" by author and critic David J. Schow.

• Commentary Four - audio commentary for "Deliveries in the Rear"/"Stop Killing Me"/"Dead Weight" by Night Gallery Authors/Historians Jim Benson and Scott Skelton.

• Commentary Five - audio commentary for "I'll Never Leave You -- Ever"/"There Aren't Any More MacBanes" by author and critic David J. Schow.

• TV Spots - presented here are five vintage TV spots for segments from Season Two. In English, not subtitled. (5 min).

BLU-RAY DISC FIVE

• Commentary One - audio commentary for "The Sins of the Fathers"/"You Can't Get Help Like That Anymore" by novelist and critic Tim Lucas.

• Commentary Two - audio commentary for "The Sins of the Fathers"/"You Can't Get Help Like That Anymore" by Night Gallery Author/Historian Scott Skelton.

• Commentary Three - audio commentary for "The Caterpillar"/"Little Girl Lost" by screenwriter and critic Gary Gerani.

• Commentary Four - audio commentary for "The Caterpillar"/"Little Girl Lost" by director Guillermo del Toro.

• Commentary Five - audio commentary for "Lost Tales From Season Two: Die Now, Pay Later"/"Room for One Less"/"Witches' Feast"/"Little Girl Lost" by Night Gallery Authors/Historians Jim Benson and Scott Skelton.

• Featurettes -
  
  1. Revisiting the Gallery: A Look Back – featuring actors Lindsay Wagner, Pat Boone, Joseph Campanella, Laurie Prange, James Metropole; directors John Badham, Jeannot Szwarc, William Hale; Composer Gil Mellé; Make-up artist Leonard Engelman; artist Tom Wright; and Night Gallery Authors/Historians Jim Benson and Scott Skelton. In English, not subtitled. (30 min).
  
  2. The Syndication Conundrum Part Two - this program examines the show's second life in reruns. Produced by film historian Craig Beam. In English, not subtitled. (67 min).
  
  3. Art Gallery: The Painting - a closer look at the conception of the various paintings that are used during the introduction of each episode. In English, not subtitled. (4 min).

• TV Spots - presented here are two vintage TV spots for segments from Season Two. In English, not subtitled. (5 min).

• NBC TV Promos - presented here are a couple of vintage TV spots for Season Two from NBC's vaults. In English, not subtitled. (2 min).

• DVD Easter Eggs - raw footage from the shooting of Season Two. In English, not subtitled. (2 min).

• Leaflet - a season guide with short descriptions of the original pilot and each segment from Season Two.

Night Gallery: Season Two Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

Night Gallery Season One and Season Two have identical structures and Rod Serling continues to guide in a familiar fashion. However, Season Two has more stylistically diverse and bolder content that often reveals a wicked sense of humor as well. While viewing Season Two, I was constantly reminded of Mario Bava's work and some of the special ways in which it overlaps the dark and the disturbing with the funny while creating a very special, often unforgettable atmosphere. Kudos to the folks at Kino Lorber for bringing Season Two to Blu-ray. Hopefully, Season Three is just around the corner. HIGHLY RECOMMENDED.