Rating summary

Movie		2.0
Video		4.0
Audio		4.0
Extras		3.0
Overall		2.5

Ritual of Evil Blu-ray Movie Review

An underwhelming follow-up to Fear No Evil

Ritual of Evil (1970) is a psychological-horror drama which was produced as a sequel to the mega-hit television movie Fear No Evil (1969). Since Fear No Evil was such a huge ratings success, a sequel became a priority for television. The follow up was produced by David Levinson (Alfred Hitchcock Presents, Nikita). Based on characters created by Richard Alan Simmons, Ritual of Evil brings the franchise to new territory.

David Sorell (Louis Jourdan) is back for more mysterious happenings: the psychiatrist helps to treat the drop-dead-gorgeous Loey Wiley (Belinda Montgomery) after both of her parents end up deceased. As the scary turn of events unfold, David meets the mysterious witch Leila Barton (Diana Hyland). The mystery continues as David begins to realize he is in the midst of a group of satanists. Can David survive the evil encounters?

The performances continue to be a bit wooden and cookie-cutter for the television production. The team didn't seem as inspired as in the first-film – which was also unenven. The sequel even more so. Louis Jourdan seems uninspired in his return to the role of David Sorell and it shows throughout the sequel. Neither Belinda Montgomery nor Diana Hyland impress either. (Both seem to deliver purely basic television performances).

The return.

The production seems even less ambitious than the first feature-film. The art direction by William D. DeCinces (The Sword of Ali Baba, The Plainsman) doesn't manage to make a big impression. Neither does the cinematography by Lionel Lindon (Around the World in 80 Days, Going My Way) or the music score by Billy Goldenberg (The Name of the Gang, The Gangster Chronicles).

The weakest element is the screenplay by Robert Presnell Jr. (A Life in the Balance, Let No Man Write My Epitaph). The concept is somewhat interesting but the execution leaves a lot to be desired. This is certainly a lackluster script that doesn't manage to add much to the original production. The story is uninspired. The execution even more so.

Directed by Robert Day (Tarzan the Magnificent, The Big Game), Ritual of Evil is such an inconsistent sequel to the first, the franchise never managed a third entry (to cement itself as a trilogy). The film is occasionally capable of mustering up some interesting visuals – largely due to its filmmaker – but the end results are still underwhelming. Editor Douglas Stewart (The Right Stuff, Invasion of the Body Snatchers) couldn't even save it. Ritual of Evil is an average, run-of-the-mill sequel.

Ritual of Evil Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

Arriving on Blu-ray from Kino Lorber, Ritual of Evil features a robust 1080p MPEG-4 AVC encoded high definition presentation in the aspect ratio of 1.34:1 full frame. The sequel to the Fear No Evil television movie has received a brand new 2K restoration. It is just as compelling an experience as the new scan for Fear No Evil.

The release looks lovely and organic. It is hard to believe that this feature-film originated as a made-for-television movie. The production looks impressive and the cinematographic style is well suited for the high-definition presentation. Colors are somewhat less robust than modern productions (as can be expected given the age of the production). Even so, the print quality is utterly fantastic. There were no detrimental compression woes (despite sharing the disc with the transfer for Fear No Evil). A strong scan and restoration effort, Kino has beautifully preserved Ritual of Evil.

Ritual of Evil Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

The release features a DTS-HD Master Audio mono soundtrack. The lossless audio sounds quite remarkable given the age of the elements. Music reproduction sounds absolutely lovely throughout. Dialogue remains crisp, clear, and easy to understand. While one might expect a underwhelming audio soundstage for a made-for-television movie from 1970, I was surprised with how much vitality and life there was in the audio presentation. There were no glaring issues to report with regards to hiss, crackle, warps, clicks, and other age-related detriments. An exceptional audio track.

Optional English subtitles are provided.

Ritual of Evil Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

Audio Commentary by Film Historian/Screenwriter Gary Gerani

Ritual of Evil Trailer (HD, 1:38)

Ritual of Evil Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

Ritual of Evil is an underwhelming sequel to the original. While fans of the original might wish to check it out to see the return of Louis Jourdan as David Sorell, there aren't a lot of other reasons viewers would want to check out this ho-hum sequel. It occasionally has some interesting moments but the end-results are never as impressive as the original. Rent It.