6.2 | / 10 |
Users | 0.0 | |
Reviewer | 4.0 | |
Overall | 4.0 |
A group of nuns become possessed by demons and are then tortured in a dungeon of horrors during their inquisition.
Starring: Anne Libert, Britt Nichols, Doris Thomas, Karin Field, Cihangir GaffariHorror | 100% |
Foreign | 62% |
Surreal | 7% |
Video codec: MPEG-4 AVC
Video resolution: 1080p
Aspect ratio: 2.25:1
Original aspect ratio: 2.39:1
French: LPCM 2.0
French: DTS-HD Master Audio Mono
English: Dolby Digital 2.0 (448 kbps)
English
Blu-ray Disc
Single disc (1 BD)
Region B (locked)
Movie | 4.0 | |
Video | 3.5 | |
Audio | 4.0 | |
Extras | 3.5 | |
Overall | 4.0 |
Jess Franco's "The Demons" (1973) arrives on Blu-ray courtesy of British label Nucleus Films. The supplemental features on the disc include an English-language version of the film; vintage trailers; exclusive new video interview with author and film historian Stephen Thrower; archival interview with Jess Franco; and more. In French, with optional English subtitles for the main feature. Region-B "locked".
Presented in an aspect ratio of 2.25:1, encoded with MPEG-4 AVC and granted a 1080p transfer, Jess Franco's The Demons arrives on Blu-ray courtesy of Nucleus Films.
The release is sourced from the same remaster that the Redemption label worked with when it prepared the U.S. Blu-ray release of The Demons. (However, this release also has the shorter English-language Version included as a bonus).
There are some fluctuations in terms of density and delineation that an elaborate restoration would have eliminated, but the film has an overall organic appearance that I prefer next to the filtered new masters that were used for bigger Jess Franco films like The Girl From Rio and Eugenie. Ideally color saturation and balance should be better as well, though the current values and balance are still quite pleasing. Grain is not as well exposed as it should be, which is why the film can appear a tad soft at times, but there are no awkward anomalies of the type that wild digital tinkering typically introduces. Image stability is good. Finally, there are no large damage marks or torn frames, but some white flecks, tiny scratches, and blemishes remain. (Note: This is a Region-B "locked" Blu-ray release. Therefore, you must have a native Region-B or Region-Free player in order to access its content).
There are two standard audio tracks on this Blu-ray release French LPCM 2.0 (Dual Mono) and French DTS-HD Master Audio 1.0. Optional English subtitles are provided for the main feature. When turned on, they appear inside the image frame.
I viewed the film with the Dual Mono track and liked it quite a lot because it handles the retro score a bit better and adds more flavor to the visual experience. Clarity and stability are very good. There are a few areas where some minor work can be done to clean up the high-frequencies even better, but there are no distracting age-related imperfections.
I am very much looking forward to Nucleus Films' future Blu-ray output because during the DVD era the folks that run this label created some truly wonderful releases for various cult and genre films. (For reference, they released on DVD Just Jaeckin's Gwendoline and Mañuel Gómez Pereira's Between Your Legs, and through their genre arm Naughty gems like Jean-Claude Roy's Scandalous Photos and Donovan Winter's Some Like It Sexy). The label's first Blu-ray release is Jess Franco's The Demons, a graphic yet very atmospheric film, and judging by the technical presentation and good selection of bonus features, I feel very confident that in 2018 we will see some very special treats. HIGHLY RECOMMENDED.
La maschera del demonio / The Mask of Satan
1960
Encarnação do Demônio
2008
2008
2019
Blood Demon
1967
Amanti d'oltretomba / The Faceless Monster 3D
1965
Gli orrori del castello di Norimberga
1972
Evil Heritage / Indicator Series
1976
I tre volti della paura | Special Edition
1963
Indicator Series
1978
1970
The She Beast | Limited Edition
1966
2018
The Crimson Cult
1968
Les démoniaques / Curse of the Living Dead | Indicator Series | Limited Edition
1974
Limited Edition | 곤지암
2018
L'ultimo treno della notte / Last Stop on the Night Train | The Italian Collection #01
1975
Se sei vivo spara / The Italian Collection #36
1967
Sie tötete in Ekstase
1971
La bambola di Satana
1969