Rating summary

Movie		4.0
Video		3.0
Audio		3.0
Extras		0.0
Overall		3.5

The Horrible Dr. Hichcock Blu-ray Movie Review

Reviewed by Dr. Svet Atanasov October 18, 2016

Riccardo Freda's "The Horrible Dr. Hichcock" a.k.a. "L'orribile segreto del Dr. Hichcock" (1962) arrives on Blu-ray courtesy of independent distributors Olive Films. There are no supplemental features on the disc. In English, with optional English SDH subtitles for the main feature. Region-A "locked".

Is it a ghost?

Riccardo Freda’s The Horrible Dr. Hichcock delivers exactly what one would expect from an Italian gothic horror film made in the early 1960s -- tremendous atmosphere. The film is based on an original story and screenplay by Ernesto Gastaldi, who would later on contribute to a number of equally atmospheric giallo films that are now considered cult classics (The Case of the Scorpion's Tail, All The Colors of The Dark, Your Vice Is a Locked Room and Only I Have the Key).

The respected anesthesiologist Dr. Bernard Hichcock (Robert Flemyng, The Quiller Memorandum) routinely uses his beautiful wife, Margaret (Maria Teresa Vianello), as a guinea pig in the basement of his lavish Victorian mansion. She does not mind. In fact, she actually enjoys the ‘experiments’ because they routinely evolve into fetish games that keep their marriage exciting.

But one of Dr. Hichcock’s experiments goes terribly wrong and Margaret dies in his hands. Devastated and terrified, Dr. Hichcock then locks her cold body in the basement and leaves the mansion.

More than a decade later Dr. Hichcock returns home with his new wife, Cynthia (Barbara Steele, Black Sunday), who knows little about his past. The creepy housekeeper Martha (Harriet Medin, The Whip and the Body) immediately makes it clear that she does not like Margaret’s replacement, but Dr. Hichcock assures Cynthia that in time she will warm up to her and the two will get along well.

Soon after, a series of odd events push Cynthia on the verge of a serious nervous breakdown. First, she begins hearing some really spooky noises, then she sees a white ghost in the garden, and eventually she discovers that Dr. Hichcock might be secretly drugging her with some powerful sleeping pills. Unsure if she is going crazy or there is something really strange happening in the mansion, Cynthia turns for help to her husband’s young and handsome assistant, Dr. Kurt Loewe (Montgomery Glen).

It is fairly easy to tell where the story is heading once Dr. Hichcock returns to the mansion with Cynthia, but this isn’t something that actually affects negatively what the film is trying to accomplish. What matters here is the period atmosphere, and the entire buildup is basically one big display of special effects and sounds.

A lot of the visuals should appeal to admirers of Mario Bava’s early work, though rather unfortunately the current transfer for this release isn’t optimal and some of cinematographer Raffaele Masciocchi’s unique lighting choices and color preferences actually suffer quite a bit. Still, the footage from the mansion is quite spectacular and even with the source limitations the film can certainly leave a lasting impression.

Steele was the right actress for this film because her facial expressions are far more effective than the spooky sounds and noises that are heard in the back. At times Flemyng and Medin can both look genuinely unhinged.

The film has a fittingly moody orchestral score that was composed by Roman Vlad (Beauty of the Devil, The Law).

The Horrible Dr. Hichcock Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

Presented in an aspect ratio of 178:1, encoded with MPEG-4 AVC and granted a 1080p transfer, Riccardo Freda's The Horrible Dr. Hichcock arrives on Blu-ray courtesy of Olive Films.

The current master that was used to produce the release is clearly not in optimal condition. There are some pretty rough spots on it that make it obvious that Paramount probably has not bothered to upgrade it since the DVD era, possibly even earlier. Unsurprisingly, there are various density fluctuations, even some light color fluttering. Tiny specks, scratches, and some dirt spots can be seen as well. But there is some good news. While the film does look dated, there are absolutely no traces of recent compromising digital corrections. What this means is that even though there are various fluctuations in terms of clarity, definition and color stability/saturation, certain organic qualities are retained. This makes quite a difference because when projected the film actually has a 'vintage' look of sorts that is unquestionably preferable next to the harsh digital look a lot of releases of older films that have been sourced from old masers have. (The bulk of Universal's releases of catalog titles sourced from old masters are a prime example). My score is 3.25/5.00. (Note: This is a Region-A "locked" Blu-ray release. Therefore, you must have a native Region-A or Region-Free player in order to access its content).

The Horrible Dr. Hichcock Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

There is only one standard audio track on this Blu-ray release: English DTS-HD Master Audio 2.0. Optional English SDH subtitles are provided for the main feature.

The dialog is clear and easy to follow, but there are some stability issues in the mid/high registers. During the music excerpts there is also light distortion; some buzz can be heard as well. Depth is lacking, though certain areas where there is mostly dialog and hardly any sound effect fare much better. Overall balance can be improved as well.

The Horrible Dr. Hichcock Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

Most unfortunately, there are no supplemental features to be found on this Blu-ray release.

The Horrible Dr. Hichcock Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

Ricardo Freda's body of work is quite impressive so fans of European genre films should not need my recommendation to take a look at his film The Horrible Dr. Hichcock. I think that it is very much on par with some of Mario Bava's early films, perhaps even better, and Barbara Steele looks beautiful in it. The film can certainly look stronger in high-definition, but the current presentation is free of compromising digital corrections. The Blu-ray is priced right, so if you like these types of films consider picking up a copy for your collection. RECOMMENDED.