The Flesh and the Fiends Blu-ray Movie

Rating summary

Movie		2.5
Video		2.0
Audio		2.0
Extras		3.0
Overall		2.5

The Flesh and the Fiends Blu-ray Movie Review

An unexpected date with death.

The Flesh and the Fiends is a classic horror film set in Edinburgh in 1827. Produced by Robert S. Baker (The Saint, The Steel Key) and Monty Berman (The Champions, Department S), The Flesh and the Fiends is stylistically imbued with Gothic undertones in the story. Starring Peter Cushing, George Rose, and Donald Pleasence.

Burke (George Rose) and Hare (Donald Pleasence) are Irish immigrants who decide to collect the bodies of the recently deceased to sell them to Dr. Robert Knox (Peter Cushing). Knox wants the deceased bodies for medical experimentation in the pursuit of new advancements in medicine. A unlikely pairing.

Things turn deadly when Burke and Hare begin to run out of easy-to-find deceased bodies and begin murdering the homeless and poor for more bodies to sell to the conspiring Dr. Knox. Everyone becomes a potential target for Burke and Hare as the body count starts to rise. Dr. Knox continues to work with them, despite the murderous development, in order to continue his research at all costs.

After Dr. Knox works with the unscrupulous duo of Burke and Hare, the doctor turns against them when one of his beloved medical students in murdered by the duo – and as the medical council sets out to disgrace him from ever working again because of his collaborations with the pair. Can Dr. Knox save his career – or is it as dead-in-the-water as the recently deceased?

The Flesh and the Fiends has some outlandish performances. The cast are over-the-top throughout the production. Peter Cushing delivers a decent performance and it is (in some respects) the most serious role in the feature-film – especially for a film with so many genre influences. The duo of Burke and Hare (performed by George Rose and Donald Pleasence) are over-the-top to the fullest despite the serious horror-theme (and the results are somewhat outlandish).

"Have you noticed lots of dead bodies keep pilling up lately?"

The production has adequate art direction by John Elphick (A Place of One's Own, Lost Daughter). The Flesh and the Fiends has decent sets and production merits on display. The genre elements of the film were well established by the production team. While not a total home run in every respect, the dark aesthetic fits: establishing a mood and tone carried throughout the story.

The cinematography by Monty Berman (Jack the Ripper, Blood of the Vampire) is dark and brooding throughout. The aesthetic fits the filmmaking well. The visuals present an almost Noir-like atmosphere to enhance the story. Fans of brooding atmosphere will appreciate the effort.

The music score composed by Stanley Black (City in the Sea, Rattle of a Simple Man) is a less effective element of the production. The score never manages to make a solid impression as a part of the film. The music doesn't help enhance the filmmaking as well as it should. The score lacks creativity and seems average-at-best.

The screenplay by John Gilling and co-screenwriter Leon Griffiths (Out of This World, The Hellfire Club) is a weak point in the production. The story is poorly written and the characterizations are as over-the-top as the performances. The Flesh and the Fiends is underwhelming. Everything seems tossed together and the pace and rhythm is a mess at times.

John Gilling (The Gamma People, The Pirates of Blood River) attempts to imbue the film with dark atmosphere – and in some respects, Gilling succeeds. However, The Flesh and the Fiends is largely lackluster and the effort is a far cry from a classic. The filmmaking is often slow and dull to watch. The editing by Jack Slade (Konga, Assignment K) doesn't help matters, either. The film is overlong. Gilling attempted to make a horror classic – and the results fall short (despite some production elements being worthwhile).

The Flesh and the Fiends Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

Arriving on Blu-ray from Kino, The Flesh and the Fiends is presented in 1080p MPEG-4 AVC encoded high definition in the original theatrical aspect ratio of 2.35:1 widescreen. The release comes from a new 2K master. Despite the new master of the film, the print quality is inconsistent and detracts from the viewing experience.

A more thorough restoration effort would certainly have been appreciated. The image-quality on the release lacks good detail and is often unstable: showcasing the poor quality of the print, weak black levels, and excessive print wear. Considerable softness throughout the presentation.

The Flesh and the Fiends Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

The release is presented in DTS-HD Master Audio mono. The lossless audio on the release is decidedly underwhelming. The track is not well defined and is a far cry from being as crisp sounding as desired. A mediocre sounding audio track with average dialogue reproduction – but beyond that adequate-enough element, the audio track sounds a bit hoarse throughout.

Optional English subtitles are provided.

The Flesh and the Fiends Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

Audio Commentary by Film Historian Tim Lucas

The Fiendish Ghouls aka Mania (HD, 1:14:13) is an alternate cut. The presentation quality is a notch below the main feature presentation and leaves a lot to be desired. Presented in DTS-HD Master Audio mono.

The release also includes a selection of trailers promoting other releases available from distributor Kino Lorber: The Hound of the Baskervilles (SD, 2:10), Dr. Who and the Daleks (SD, 3:12), Daleks' Invasion Earth 2150 A.D. (SD, 2:43), and House of the Long Shadows (HD, 2:28).

The Flesh and the Fiends Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

The Flesh and the Fiends is a far-cry from a cinema classic. The best thing about the film is the performance by Peter Cushing. Fans of the actor may wish to check it out for that reason alone. Unfortunately, the production has average direction and a weak screenplay. Some supporting performances are over-the-top as well. The Blu-ray release from Kino Lorber also features a disappointing presentation. Rent It.