Rating summary

Movie		2.0
Video		4.5
Audio		3.0
Extras		4.0
Overall		2.5

The Night of the Executioner Blu-ray Movie Review

Reviewed by Dr. Svet Atanasov August 2, 2023

Paul Naschy's "The Night of the Executioner" (1992) arrives on Blu-ray courtesy of Mondo Macabro. The supplemental features on the release include new program with actor Manolo Zarzo; new program with actor Pepe Ruiz; new program with Sergio Molina; and new audio commentary by critics Rod Barnett and Troy Guinn. In Spanish, with optional English subtitles for the main feature. Region-Free.

Paul Naschy’s final film, The Night of the Executioner, is such a massive misfire it almost seems wrong that it ended his unique cinematic opus. It is the type of cheaply made and uninspired film that independent producers loved to include in package deals for small international distributors during the glory days of VHS. The savviest of these independent producers invested heavily in quality posters for films like The Night of the Executioner, which were essential bait for buyers and future renters, and this is the only reason a few of them are still remembered.

While it is unclear whether The Night of the Executioner was conceived to pay homage to Michael Winner’s Death Wish, the connection between the two is indisputable. Indeed, Naschy takes the blueprint for Death Wish and then embellishes several areas of it to give The Night of the Executioner a Spanish personality. However, the gap in quality between Death Wish and The Night of the Executioner is so dramatic -- and instantly recognizable in so many different areas -- the latter only manages to create the impression that it is an undercooked vanity project.

Dr. Hugo Arranz (Naschy) is celebrating his fiftieth anniversary with his loving wife and beautiful teenage daughter at their upscale apartment. While he opens a special present, several thugs who have seen him paying a big bill at a local supermarket rush in and demand that they are given all family jewelry and cash. But the loot does not satisfy the thugs and they go berserk -- the teenage girl is gang-raped and killed, the wife is abused and badly beaten, and the doctor has his tongue cut off.

After he recovers in a local hospital, the mute doctor vows to track down the thugs and begins training at a local gym. Elsewhere, he also learns how to properly throw knives and fire a gun. When his training is completed, the mute doctor begins scouting several of the sleaziest and most dangerous areas of his city, hoping that he would dig up leads that will point him in the right direction.

Eventually, at a local brothel, an aging madam befriends the mute doctor and after realizing that he has gone on the warpath to avenge the destruction of his family decides to help him out. She reveals to him that one of her regular clients is a member of a gang that does jobs on behalf of a powerful shadow figure and explains how to track him down. Shortly after, the mute doctor gathers enough information to conclude that the madam’s client is one of the thugs that broke into his apartment.

The Night of the Executioner produces a couple of graphic sequences where the thugs are seen torturing the doctor’s family and innocent residents that are undoubtedly its greatest strength. But this is the type of material that will impress only a tiny fraction of its audience because it is purely exploitative and utterly meaningless. More importantly, it looks very mediocre.

Everything else in The Night of the Executioner is instantly forgettable. For example, Naschy goes through a series of entirely predictable situations that essentially delay the inevitable judgment day, which turns out to be a very underwhelming quick shootout in a quiet fancy neighborhood. The shadow figure that gives orders to the thugs is also revealed but instead of helping the story, it solidifies the impression that Naschy was struggling to do a proper genre film.

The most disappointing aspect of The Night of the Executioner is its inability to produce a special atmosphere. Some of Naschy’s very best films have plenty of the same weaknesses but manage to produce a special atmosphere that effectively invalidates them because they introduce interesting characters. The Night of the Executioner does have such characters and the trick is never even a possibility.

The Night of the Executioner Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

Presented in an aspect ratio of 1.36:1, encoded with MPEG-4 AVC and granted a 1080p transfer, The Night of the Executioner arrives on Blu-ray courtesy of Mondo Macabro.

The release is sourced from a recent 4K master that was struck from the original camera negative. Rather predictably, the entire film looks very healthy. To be honest, I do not think that there is any room for significant improvements, aside from possibly optimizing the encode to ensure that certain areas handle grain exposure a little better. Despite minor density fluctuations, on my system delineation, clarity, and depth were either good or very good. The color grade is very convincing, too. The primaries are healthy and nicely balanced, while the supporting nuances complement each other very well. Darker areas look terrific as well. I did not see any examples of distracting black crushing and there is plenty of material where a lot could have gone wrong. Image stability is very good. I spotted a few blemishes, but there are no large cuts, damage marks, worn or torn frames to report. My score is 4.25/5.00. (Note: This is a Region-Free Blu-ray release. Therefore, you will be able to play it on your player regardless of your geographical location).

The Night of the Executioner Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

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

I was not impressed with the lossless track. In several areas it sounds quite thin, plus from time to time it feels like it is pitched a bit high. I do not know why. One actress in particular sounds very distracting and I think that it is extremely unlikely that this is how the soundtrack was finalized. Dynamic intensity is modest, but this is to be expected given the low-budget nature of the entire production. Finally, on my system the English subtitles looked very small and I often struggled to read them.

The Night of the Executioner Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

• Commentary - this exclusive new audio commentary was recorded by Rod Barnett and Troy Guinn from The Naschycast podcast. The commentators discuss the conception of The Night of the Executioner and its placement in Paul Naschy's body of work, the fact that it is a non-horror film with horror elements, its low-budget appearance and characters, etc.

• Interview with Sergio Molina - in this recent program, Sergio Molina, son of Paul Naschy, clarifies that The Night of the Executioner was completed during the late 1980s (not in 1992), and discusses his father's working methods and passion for genre films. Also, there are some interesting comments about the Spanish film industry and independent filmmakers that worked with minuscule budgets. In Spanish, with English subtitles. (37 min).

• Interview with Manolo Zarzo - in this recent program, actor Manolo Zarzo discusses his background, his prolific career (and specifically how his film work differed from his theater work), and notable collaborations with the likes of Chapo, Jose Suarez, León Klimovsky, Pedro Lazaga, Paul Naschy, etc. In Spanish, with English subtitles. (25 min).

• Interview with Pepe Ruiz - in this recent program, actor Pepe Ruiz (the Spanish Dick Miller) discusses his background and collaborations with Paul Nschy on several of his best films. In Spanish, with English subtitles. (21 min).

The Night of the Executioner Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

It is impossible to place The Night of the Executioner among Paul Naschy's good and great films, and it is not because it does not deal with the fantastic, which is a key element of his work. It is a small project done with a minuscule budget that quite simply does not work. It appears that it was inspired by Michael Winner's Death Wish, and as strange as it may sound considering that Naschy was involved with it, this is the best compliment one could give it. Mondo Macabro's release is sourced from a very nice recent 4K master and features a good selection of bonus features, one of which is a very interesting program with actor Manolo Zarzo.