6.5 | / 10 |
Users | 0.0 | |
Reviewer | 3.5 | |
Overall | 3.5 |
A forbidding castle in the Black Forest holds dangers for Sir Ronald Burton (Richard Greene) when he is invited there for a hunt by the cruel Count von Bruno (Stephen McNally). Burton, searching for evidence that the count murdered his friends, becomes ensnared in a cat-and-mouse game that turns deadly when he falls in love with the count's wife, Elga (Paula Corday). Lovely Elga is being held prisoner by the count with the help of his hulking servant Gargon (Lon Chaney, Jr.). Only the castle physician, Dr. Meissen (Boris Karloff), may have the power to free the lovers, but his method could put them in even greater jeopardy.
Starring: Richard Greene, Boris Karloff, Stephen McNally, Rita Corday, Lon Chaney Jr.Horror | 100% |
Mystery | 10% |
Thriller | Insignificant |
Video codec: MPEG-4 AVC
Video resolution: 1080p
Aspect ratio: 1.37:1
Original aspect ratio: 1.37:1
English: LPCM 2.0 Mono (48kHz, 24-bit)
English SDH
Blu-ray Disc
Single disc (1 BD)
Region B (A, C untested)
Movie | 3.5 | |
Video | 4.0 | |
Audio | 4.0 | |
Extras | 1.5 | |
Overall | 3.5 |
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.
The Black Castle 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". I found this to be a somewhat more consistently pleasing looking transfer than Night Key, perhaps due at least in part to the difference in their ages. Detail levels are generally excellent throughout this presentation, and solid contrast helps to support some near chiaroscuro lighting effects. There's some very minor age related wear and tear, but nothing of any import, and the entire presentation has a nicely organic appearance.
The Black Castle features an LPCM 2.0 Mono track which is very much in keeping with the two others in this set. Somewhat limited dynamic range and an intermittently boxy sound offer occasional hurdles, and this has a bit more of a strident high end than the others in this set for whatever reason, but all dialogue is rendered without any major problems. Optional English subtitles are available.
The horror elements here are somewhat muted, and it's probably salient to note that both Boris Karloff and especially Lon Chaney are definitely in supporting roles, but this offering has an unexpected amount of swagger and fun. Technical merits are generally solid and the commentary very appealing. Recommended.
(Still not reliable for this title)
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