7.3 | / 10 |
Users | 0.0 | |
Reviewer | 4.0 | |
Overall | 4.0 |
A reporter hunts down a 144-year old alchemist who is strangling women in Seattle and taking their blood.
Starring: Darren McGavin, Simon Oakland, Scott Brady, Margaret Hamilton, John CarradineHorror | 100% |
Supernatural | 21% |
Mystery | 9% |
Thriller | Insignificant |
Crime | Insignificant |
Video codec: MPEG-4 AVC
Video resolution: 1080p
Aspect ratio: 1.34:1
Original aspect ratio: 1.33:1
English: DTS-HD Master Audio 2.0 (48kHz, 16-bit)
BDInfo
English
Blu-ray Disc
Single disc (1 BD)
Slipcover in original pressing
Region A (locked)
Movie | 3.0 | |
Video | 4.5 | |
Audio | 3.5 | |
Extras | 4.0 | |
Overall | 4.0 |
There wasn’t a person around who expected the January, 1972 airing of “The Night Stalker” on ABC to produce record ratings, but when the movie collected a massive audience to watch a newspaper reporter take on the creatures of the night, the money men wanted another instalment. A quickie production, airing a year later, “The Night Strangler” returns to the world of Carl Kolchak and his uncanny ability to be present when supernatural evil rises up to claim lives. For the first installment of the series, a vampire was up to no good, but for “The Night Strangler,” the perpetrator is something a bit more complicated, with writer Richard Matheson making some attempt to shake up expectations for the second go-around. Originality isn’t big with the sequel, but it retains McGavin and his ability to huff and mug his way through the dullest of scenes, giving his second time with Kolchak needed agitation for a production that’s stuck in full rehash mode.
Joining "The Night Stalker" on Blu-ray is "The Night Strangler," which also boasts the claim of a "Brand new 4K restoration!" The AVC encoded image (1.34:1 aspect ratio) presentation does well with the feature's limited cinematic look, capturing a good sense of facial particulars with close-ups, including tiny beads of sweat on actor Scott Brady, who probably suffered greatly, forced to scream at the top of his lungs while standing under hot lights and wearing a tight police uniform. Costuming retain fibrous qualities, and distances maintain detail, delivering a full feel for scattered Seattle exteriors and studio sets. Colors are satisfactory, leading with a more blazing sense of red emerging from exotic dancer outfits and nightclub lighting. Buildings are also varied, with bright signage. Skintones are appealing, perhaps pushing a little too red at times. Delineation is tested in full, with large sections of "The Night Strangler" taking place in the shadows, but solidification isn't encountered. Grain is fine and filmic. Source has some bursts of speckling.
Much like "The Night Stalker," "The Night Strangler" offers a 2.0 DTS-HD MA sound mix that's not meant to be much more than functional, offering a basic listening experience for the television production. Threatening clarity is hiss, which is pronounced throughout, intruding on scenes of suspenseful silence. However, dialogue exchanges retain adequate clarity, following line readings that often run hot, with argumentative behavior common during the film. Some reactions on the higher end are a tad blown out, but it's relatively stable track. Scoring maintains compelling instrumentation, with jazzy mood preserved and propulsive. Sound effects are acceptable, communicating violent encounters and snapping newsroom bustle. A few second- long audio dropouts are encountered.
McGavin's wily performance is always charming, with the early formation of arguably his greatest turn, as the Old Man in "A Christmas Story," taking shape here, giving Kolchak more unhinged qualities that spice up the detective story. Unfortunately, there's not enough idiosyncrasy or originality to really get the juices flowing here, with Curtis basically reheating many elements that worked the first time around, only with less directorial flair and snappy violence. It's still entertaining to watch Kolchak challenge men in charge, work out evidence, and wrestle with monsters, but the character deserved more variation for his second at bat.
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