7.3 | / 10 |
Users | 4.5 | |
Reviewer | 4.0 | |
Overall | 4.3 |
In a remote 19th-century Cornish village, an evil presence lurks within the darkness of the witching hour. A mysterious plague relentlessly consumes lives at an unstoppable rate. Unable to find the cause, Dr. Peter Tompson enlists the help of his mentor, Sir James Forbes. Desperate to find an antidote, they instead find inexplicable horror: empty coffins with the diseased corpses missing! Following a series of strange and frightening clues, they discover a deserted mine where they discover a world of black magic and a doomed legion of flesh-eating slaves ... the walking dead!
Starring: André Morell, Diane Clare, Brook Williams, Jacqueline Pearce, John Carson (I)Horror | 100% |
Video codec: MPEG-4 AVC
Video resolution: 1080p
Aspect ratio: 1.67:1
Original aspect ratio: 1.75:1
English: LPCM 2.0 (48kHz, 16-bit)
2.0 Mono
English SDH
50GB Blu-ray Disc
Two-disc set (1 BD, 1 DVD)
DVD copy
Slipcover in original pressing
Region B (locked)
Movie | 4.0 | |
Video | 4.5 | |
Audio | 4.5 | |
Extras | 3.5 | |
Overall | 4.0 |
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...
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).
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.
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.
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