Rating summary

Movie		3.0
Video		3.0
Audio		3.5
Extras		3.0
Overall		3.0

The Demons of Ludlow Blu-ray Movie Review

Reviewed by Jeffrey Kauffman June 15, 2021

Note: This film is available on Blu-ray as part of Weird Wisconsin: The Bill Rebane Collection.

Somewhat hilariously considering the geographical focus of this collection, I have previously disclosed that I discovered some time ago that undeniably weird Wisconsin is evidently the presumed center of the universe. That is a conclusion I not so coincidentally came to after I married a woman from that state, but it's a sentiment which has been regularly reinforced by a truly gobsmacking number of Wisconsin set films that have crossed my path in various ways in the time since I said "I do". There have also been an unusually high number of Wisconsin-centered or actually filmed titles that have as a matter of fact entered my queue to write about over the years, and though not part of my official reviewing duties, two wildly disparate films, American Movie and Dr. Bronner's Magic Soapbox, actually have a more or less direct connection to the tiny town my wife grew up in, Menomonee Falls. As if to make the circle complete, one of American Movie's aspiring filmmakers shows up as a talking head in the documentary about Bill Rebane included in this set. That documentary starts off with a kind of joke where a critic is asked to sum up the impact of "someone like Bill Rebane", to which the critic may understandably respond, "Who is Bill Rebane?" For those who are either unacquainted with this kind of delirious "regional" filmmaker, or in fact for those who have already fallen under the sway of "classics" (?) like Monster A Go-Go!, this new collection from Arrow provides a nice selection of Rebane's work, with the typically broad and deep assortment of supplementary material that has become Arrow's stock in trade.

As someone who has either been cursed or blessed by having played the piano since I was barely a tot, let me just start this review out by saying I have absolutely no doubt some pianos are haunted, and in fact I am absolutely convinced it is some kind of malign spirit which is keeping from mastering the likes of Chopin and/or Ravel. That (maybe?) joke aside, The Demons of Ludlow does kind of enticingly revolve around a haunted piano, something that gives this goofy enterprise a kind of wonderfully wacky demeanor. The basic story here sees a vintage piano delivered to an isolated enclave, and before long a number of odd things start occurring. The piano comes from the family who founded the town of Ludlow in 1776, and in fact it seems like folks from that era may be popping up to wreak havoc. This is a kind of fun supernatural horror film that has aspects of small town intrigue along with some almost pre-Carrie stuff going on between two characters in particular, and Rebane marshals his limited resources rather commendably.

The Demons of Ludlow Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

The Demons of Ludlow is presented on Blu-ray courtesy of Arrow Video with an AVC encoded 1080p transfer in 1.85:1. The hardback book included with this limited edition contains both an initial overall disclaimer about video quality, along with subsequent detailed information on the transfer, as follows:

All the films included in this collection have been restored by Arrow Films from the best available materials. While every effort has been made to deliver the best possible presentations, the results inevitably vary according to the condition of the source materials, some of which were in poor shape.

We hope that this does not affect your enjoyment of the films.

The Demons of Ludlow is presented in its original aspect ratio of 1.85:1 with mono audio. An original 35mm CRI element was scanned in 2K resolution at Company 3. The film was graded on Digital Vision's Nucoda Film Master and restored at R3Store Studios in London. The mono mix was remastered from the optical negative at Deluxe Audio Services.

Once again the palette is probably the strongest calling card in this presentation, with generally nice looking densities and saturation, and some decent detail levels in better lighting conditions and closer framings. The film does have a ton of dark material, and blacks regularly crush with shadow detail being murky quite a bit of the time. This is another presentation with a substantially gritty looking grainfield which can overwhelm imagery in some of the dimmest moments.

The Demons of Ludlow Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

The Demons of Ludlow has what to my ears is the best overall sounding DTS-HD Master Audio Mono track in this collection. The score, which kind of hilariously features a harpsichord rather than a piano (including when the piano is supposedly being played), sounds nicely crisp and well articulated, without any tinniness and with a surprisingly full midrange. There are once again some issues with amplitude and synch being occasionally loose, but dialogue is also presented cleanly and clearly for the most part. Optional English subtitles are available.

The Demons of Ludlow Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

The Alpha Incident and The Demons of Ludlow share the same disc, which offers the following supplements:

• Straight Shooter: Bill Rebane on The Alpha Incident (HD; 9:24)


• Straight Shooter: Bill Rebane on The Demons of Ludlow (HD; 7:44)


• Rebane's Key Largo (HD; 16:05) is a new visual essay by historian and critic Richard Harland Smith focusing on The Alpha Incident.


• The Demons of Ludlow Trailer (HD; 2:40)


• The Alpha Incident Trailer (HD; 3:20)


• Image Gallery (HD; 3:20)

The Demons of Ludlow Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

Any film featuring a haunted piano is aces in my (fake?) book, and while this is once again another Rebane effort that may not ultimately make a ton of sense, it's goofily enjoyable on its own slightly demented merits. If video has some of the same issues seen in many of the transfers in this set, this has what I consider to be the best sounding audio, and the supplements are once again very enjoyable, for those who are considering a purchase.