The Black Sleep Blu-ray Movie

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The Black Sleep Blu-ray Movie United States

Kino Lorber | 1956 | 83 min | Not rated | Mar 22, 2016

The Black Sleep (Blu-ray Movie)

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Movie rating

6.4
 / 10

Blu-ray rating

Users0.0 of 50.0
Reviewer3.5 of 53.5
Overall3.5 of 53.5

Overview

The Black Sleep (1956)

England, 1872. The night before he is to be hanged for a murder he did not commit, young Dr. Gordon Ramsey is visited in his cell by his old mentor, eminent surgeon Sir Joel Cadmund. Cadmund offers to see that Ramsey gets a proper burial and gives him a sleeping powder to get him through the night, which Ramsey takes, unaware it is really an East Indian drug, "nind andhera" ("the black sleep"), which induces a deathlike state of anesthesia. Pronounced dead in his cell, he is turned over to Cadmund, who promptly revives him and takes him to his home in a remote abbey. Cadmund explains he believes Ramsey is innocent and needs his talents to help him in an project, which he is reluctant to immediately discuss further. In fact, Cadmund's wife lies in a coma from a deep-seated brain tumor, and he is attempting to find a safe surgical route to its site by experimenting on the brains of others, whom Ramsey comes to learn are alive during the process, anesthetized by the "black sleep", and ...

Starring: Basil Rathbone, Akim Tamiroff, Lon Chaney Jr., John Carradine, Bela Lugosi
Director: Reginald Le Borg

Horror100%
Sci-FiInsignificant

Specifications

  • Video

    Video codec: MPEG-4 AVC
    Video resolution: 1080p
    Aspect ratio: 1.85:1
    Original aspect ratio: 1.75:1

  • Audio

    English: DTS-HD Master Audio 2.0 Mono (48kHz, 16-bit)

  • Subtitles

    None

  • Discs

    25GB Blu-ray Disc
    Single disc (1 BD)

  • Playback

    Region A (B, C untested)

Review

Rating summary

Movie3.0 of 53.0
Video4.0 of 54.0
Audio3.5 of 53.5
Extras4.0 of 54.0
Overall3.5 of 53.5

The Black Sleep Blu-ray Movie Review

Reviewed by Brian Orndorf February 22, 2016

The mad scientist routine is disrupted to a degree in 1956’s “The Black Sleep,” which looks to merge surgical horrors with heartfelt motivation. Not that the production is trying to offer an especially emotional experience to the horror-hungry audience, but the screenplay by John C. Higgins manages to soften outright ghoulishness while still indulging all the shadowy encounters and stalking scenes the genre is known for.


“The Black Sleep” is perhaps most notable for its all-star cast, with genre titans Basil Rathbone, Lon Chaney Jr., Bela Lugosi, and John Carradine appearing, while Tor Johnson pops up in a brief role. Director Reginald Le Borg isn’t exactly masterminding a battle royal here, but the endeavor makes good use of its eclectic cast, with everyone committed to bringing out the eeriness of their specific roles. Rathbone is particularly effective, creating a human character out of a mad butcher, leaving the viewer with a surprisingly effective motivation for his bad ideas. That’s not to suggest “The Black Sleep” doesn’t provide gruesome sights and shock encounters with mangled characters, but it carries itself with a slightly mournful mood, which helps to digest all the filler exposition between monster rampages.


The Black Sleep Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality  4.0 of 5

The AVC encoded image (1.85:1 aspect ratio) presentation arrives with a recent scan, doing a laudable job pulling detail out of the low-budget movie, with production limitations easily spotted. Costuming remains fibrous and make-up work is open for study. Delineation is crisp and whites are secure. Grain is fine and filmic. Source is in stable shape, with a few larger gashes spotted during the viewing experience, while speckling remains consistent.


The Black Sleep Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality  3.5 of 5

The 2.0 DTS-HD MA sound mix delivers the spooky mood of "The Black Sleep" loudly, offering secure emphasis during dialogue exchanges, remaining within a comfortable range, never slipping into distortive extremes. Music is active and accessible, adding to intensity without steamrolling over dramatics. Sound effects are thick but passable. Overall volume dips some in the final five minutes of the movie, never returning to its original level. Hiss is detected.


The Black Sleep Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras  4.0 of 5

  • Commentary features film historians Tom Weaver and David Schecter.
  • "Trailers From Hell" (2:02, SD) is hosted by Joe Dante, who briefly covers the feature's distribution history, casting, and macabre exhibition reputation.
  • Animated Image Gallery (2:00) displays publicity photos and poster art.
  • And a Theatrical Trailer (1:36, HD) is included.


The Black Sleep Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation  3.5 of 5

"The Black Sleep" isn't a true nail-biter, slipping into absurdity in its grand finale, which also pays off the casting as lunatics run wild, beefing up the body count. It's sluggish at times, but it's entertaining, generating intended discomfort while exploring more grounded reasoning for madness.