The Climax Blu-ray Movie

Rating summary

Movie		3.0
Video		4.0
Audio		3.5
Extras		1.5
Overall		3.0

The Climax 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.

Some of you musical theater fans may know that one Andrew Lloyd Webber actually wrote a sequel to his megahit adaptation of The Phantom of the Opera, entitled Love Never Dies. In the "everything old is new again" category, or perhaps more appropriately given the timeframes involved, "everything (relatively) new is old again", Webber wasn't the first and The Climax is for all intents and purposes Universal's attempt to fashion a sequel of sorts to it then recent success with its 1943 iteration of Phantom of the Opera. More basic plot information can be found in Brian Orndorf's The Climax Blu-ray review of the Shout! Factory release.

The Climax Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

The Climax 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 " The Climax presented from a 2K scan of the interpositive". This again looks very similar and arguably identical to the Shout! release, at least based on the completely unscientific approach of screenshot comparison. This has the lustrous look of vintage Technicolor, and the production design offers a wealth of bold primaries and some rather gorgeous pastel hues. Optical effects like an extended flashback sequence offer jewel tone refractions around the edges of the frame. Detail levels are generally very good to excellent throughout the presentation, especially on some of the luxe costumes and props. There are some minor fluctuations in densities and overall color temperature, and just the barest hint of fringing can be spotted at times. Grain resolves naturally throughout.

The Climax Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

The Climax features an LPCM 2.0 Mono track that I'm assuming is pretty identical to the Shout! release, though I'm probably a bit harder to please than a lot of people when it comes to sound, and my score is slightly lower than Brian's. The bulk of the film sounds nicely full bodied, but there is still a somewhat boxy sound that's especially evident in some of the orchestral playing. Foster's singing sounds fine and warm throughout. Dialogue is rendered cleanly and clearly. Optional English subtitles are available.

The Climax Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

• Audio Commentary with Kevin Lyons and Jonathan Rigby


• Trailer (HD; 2:07)


• Stills Gallery: Production Stills (HD)


• Stills Gallery: Artwork and Ephemera

The Climax Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

The commentary on this disc makes a passing point that Karloff was considered, and perhaps even slated, for Universal's 1943 Phantom of the Opera, and this may have been the studio's attempt to right that perceived wrong. Unfortunately, this film simply comes off as a somewhat watered down version of Leroux's original, though Karloff is as commanding as ever. Technical merits are generally solid for anyone who may be considering making a purchase.