Rating summary

Movie		4.0
Video		4.5
Audio		4.5
Extras		3.5
Overall		4.0

The Plague of the Zombies Blu-ray Movie Review

Reviewed by Dr. Svet Atanasov June 20, 2012

John Gilling's "The Plague of the Zombies" (1966) arrives on Blu-ray courtesy of Studio Canal. The supplemental features on the disc include original theatrical trailer; making of featurette; restoration comparison; and "Mummies, Werewolves and the Living Dead", an episode of the World of Hammer documentary series. In English, with optional English SDH subtitles for the main feature. Region-B "locked".

I am watching you...

In 1860, Sir James Forbes (Andre Morell, Barry Lyndon, The Bridge on the River Kwai) and his daughter Sylvia (Diane Clare, Ice Cold in Alex) decide to visit Dr. Peter Tompson (Brook Williams, Where Eagles Dare) and his wife Alice (Jacqueline Pearce, The Reptile, Don't Raise the Bridge, Lower the River), who live in a small Cornish village not too far away from London. Dr. Tompson is a former student of Sir James, while Alice is a high-school friend of Sylvia.

Upon arrival in the village, Sir James discovers that Dr. Tompson is on the verge of a serious nervous breakdown because the locals have lost their faith in him – a plague has struck the village and despite the doctor’s efforts many have died.

Feeling that something just isn’t right, Sir James decides to find out more about the plague. When he begins questioning Dr. Tompson, he is shocked to discover that none of the deceased were examined after their death because the village's most powerful man, Squire Clive Hamilton (John Carson, Captain Kronos: Vampire Hunter), warned the doctor to stay away from them. Without wasting any time, Sir James proceeds to exhume a body and examine it – and discovers that all of the coffins in the local graveyard are empty.

Soon after, Alice dies in an accident. While investigating her death, Sir James befriends Sergeant Jack Swift (Michael Ripper), who is also curious about the plague. From him, Sir James learns that Squire Hamilton is a strange man who has travelled a lot and made a fortune abroad. He has also purchased the local tin mine but for no apparent reason abandoned it. When Sir James visits Hamilton’s lavish home, all hell breaks loose.

John Gilling’s The Plague of the Zombies flows much better than his The Reptile. The plot is again fairly straightforward, but the atmosphere is far more effective. It has that unique Gothic flavor the best Hammer films are known for. Additionally, the tension builds slowly without ever letting up, and the climax does not disappoint.

The Reptile was shot back to back with The Plague of the Zombies and the two used many of the same sets and even exterior shots, but the latter looks far more impressive. Particularly once the action moves to the abandoned mine, it becomes clear that a lot more work must have gone into the set designs and costumes.

The cast is very good, but admittedly the script for The Plague of Zombies is also better. Morell, in particular, is excellent as the persistent professor who quickly realizes that something evil has taken over the sleepy Cornish village. Williams and Clare’s contribution to the film is respectable.

Ultimately, The Plague of the Zombies delivers exactly what a good Hammer film should – good atmosphere, entertaining story, and a few laughs. I don’t know about other viewers, but I find the overwhelming majority of the Hammer films quite charming. They certainly look dated and the acting in many of them is often quite rough, but there is a degree of enthusiasm in these films that is difficult not to admire.

Note: The Reptile and The Plague of the Zombies were recently restored and scanned at 2K resolution from the original negatives stored at Pinewood Studios.

The Plague of the Zombies Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

Presented in an aspect ratio of 1.67:1, encoded with MPEG-4 AVC and granted a 1080p transfer, John Gilling's The Plague of the Zombies arrives on Blu-ray courtesy of Studio Canal.

This restoration has produced even better results than the one Studio Canal did for The Reptile. I find this a bit surprising as the two films must have been worked on at the same time, but I definitely like this high-definition transfer better. Most close-ups convey strong depth and clarity (see screencaptures #2 and 4), while the outdoor footage looks pleasingly crisp. During the nighttime footage clarity is also very good. There are no traces of problematic lab tinkering. Some careful denoising corrections have been applied, but a good dose of well resolved grain has been retained. Naturally, the film has a pleasing organic look, and detail never appears compromised. Color reproduction is also very convincing. There are a variety of natural and stable greens, blues, browns, grays, and yellows. Lastly, there are no scratches, cuts, and damage marks. All in all, this is a competent presentation of The Plague of the Zombies that is guaranteed to please its fans. (Note: This is a Region-B "locked" Blu-ray disc. Therefore, you must have a native Region-B or Region-Free PS3 or SA in order to access its content).

The Plague of the Zombies Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

There is only one audio track on this Blu-ray disc: English LPCM 2.0. For the record, Studio Canal have provided optional English SDH subtitles for the main feature.

The lossless track is one of the best I've heard so far on a Hammer film. This isn't to imply that it has a tremendous dynamic amplitude, but the audio is indeed remarkably crisp and well rounded. Also, there are absolutely no audio distortions of any kind, or strong background hiss to report in this review. So, while I don't have a DVD release of this film in my library to compare specific sequences, I would be shocked if previous DVD releases could come even remotely close in matching the audio quality. It is quite clear to me that a full remastering job was done because the depth and crispness of the dialog and and the music score are simply outstanding.

The Plague of the Zombies Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

• Trailer - original trailer for The Plague of the Zombies. In English, not subtitled. (2 min, 1080p).

• Restoration Comparison - a short demonstration with selected clips from the film. Without sound. (5 min, 1080p).

• Raising the Dead - in this featurette, actors John Carson (Squire Hamilton) and Jacqueline Pearce (Alice Tompson) recall their contribution to The Plague of the Zombies, while actor and writer Mark Gatiss, writers Jonathan Rigby (English Gothic: A Century of Horror Cinema) and David Huckvale (Hammer Film Scores and the Musical Avant-Garde), art director Don Mingaye, and Hammer Films Historian Marcus Hearn, among others, discuss the production history of the film. In English, not subtitled. (35 min, 1080/50i).

• World of Hammer Episode - Studio Canal have included the "Mummies, Werewolves and the Living Dead" episode from the popular TV series, written and created by Ashley and Robert Sidaway, and narrated by Oliver Reed. In English, not subtitled. (25 min, PAL).

The Plague of the Zombies Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

Studio Canal's restoration of John Gilling's The Plague of the Zombies should make a lot of Hammer fans very happy. The film unquestionably looks the best it ever has. Buy with confidence, folks, and don't forget that the studio also has lined up for Blu-ray release The Mummy's Shroud and Rasputin: The Mad Monk. HIGHLY RECOMMENDED.