Rating summary

Movie		3.0
Video		3.5
Audio		3.5
Extras		1.5
Overall		3.0

Night Key Blu-ray Movie Review

Reviewed by Jeffrey Kauffman September 15, 2022

Note: This version of this film is available on Blu-ray as part of Universal Terror.

Universal rightly or wrongly is often considered to be the studio when it comes to horror films, at least during the so-called Golden Era of Hollywood (we can discuss Hammer and other Johnny-Come-Lately studios at another time). The title Universal Terror and a cover emblazoned with the name Karloff in even bigger letters may of course (appropriately, to utilize a term associated with being raised from the dead) resurrect memories of such classics as Frankenstein and/or The Mummy, but the three films Eureka! Entertainment has released under its Eureka Classics imprint are considerably less remembered than either of those iconic landmarks, which is not to suggest this trio of films doesn't offer its own spooky pleasures at times. These three films received prior releases in Region A courtesy of Shout! Factory (evidently licensing requires an exclamation point in the distributor's name), and while the video and audio presentations are similar, these sport different supplements.

Night Key offers Karloff a relatively sympathetic role as the inventor of a high tech (for 1937, anyway) security system who finds himself being threatened both by supposed upstanding citizens and gangsters. More basic plot information is available in Brian Orndorf's Night Key Blu-ray review of the Shout! Factory release. As often happens, my scores may vary from other reviews of the same material.

Night Key Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

Night Key is presented on Blu-ray courtesy of Eureka! Classics, an imprint of Eureka! Entertainment, with an AVC encoded 1080p transfer in 1.37:1. Eureka! only sent check discs for the purposes of this review, and so I'm not privy to any verbiage in an insert booklet, but the press sheet briefly mentions " Night Key and The Black Castle presented from 2K scans of fine grain film elements". While this appears to be substantially similar, maybe identical, with the Shout! Factory release, once again "different reviewers means different opinions" and I'm a bit less enthusiastic about this transfer than Brian was, though that said, there really isn't anything of major concern here. Detail levels are generally very strong, especially on some of the intricate patterns on costumes, and the entire presentation has a nicely organic look that is free from any huge damage (as with the version Brian reviewed, there are some passing minor blemishes). This struck me as just a tad too dark at times, something that can lead to minor bouts with crush and a diminution of fine detail in the most dimly lit scenes.

Night Key Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

As with the video side of things, I'm assuming this disc's LPCM 2.0 Mono track is substantially the same as the one offered on Shout! Factory's release, but I'm typically curmudgeonly and am slightly lowering my score from what Brian assessed. The track is actually rather fine shape in terms of any major age related wear and tear, though it still shows clear signs of boxiness and some slight background hiss in the quieter moments. Dialogue is rendered cleanly and clearly throughout. Optional English subtitles are available.

Night Key Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

• Audio Commentary with Kevin Lyons and Jonathan Rigby


• Trailer (HD; 1:38)


• Stills Gallery: Production Stills (HD)


• Stills Gallery: Artwork and Ephemera

Night Key Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

As so often seemed to happen with these programmers, the creatives were probably concerned about getting too far afield from what audiences might expect, and so while this benefits from a solid concept, it may fritter away some of that initial energy with some rote subplots involving the criminal class. Technical merits are generally solid and the commentary very appealing for anyone who may be considering making a purchase.