The Reptile Blu-ray Movie

Rating summary

Movie		3.5
Video		4.0
Audio		4.5
Extras		3.0
Overall		3.5

The Reptile Blu-ray Movie Review

Reviewed by Dr. Svet Atanasov June 4, 2012

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

The Black Death?

Shortly after the death of his brother, Harry Spalding (Ray Barrett) arrives in the remote Cornish village of Clagmoor Heath. He plans to live in his late brother’s old cottage together with his bride, Valerie (Jennifer Daniel).

On the way to the cottage, Harry stops in the only pub in the area to ask for directions and quickly discovers that the locals dislike strangers – because quite a few of them have died from a plague they refer to as the “Black Death”. Tom Bailey (Michael Ripper), the owner of the pub and the only person willing to talk to Harry, suggests that it would be best if he sold the property and moved elsewhere.

The cottage is rather small, but Valerie quickly declares that it is everything she ever wanted. Harry also likes the place, but Tom’s suggestion inspires him to go back to his pub and learn more about it and his brother’s sudden death.

Fastforward. Harry and Tom quickly realize that they could trust each other and decide to exhume a couple of bodies, including that of Harry’s brother, to figure out exactly how the victims of the "Black Death" died. What they discover is that each of the victims was bitten by something big, possibly a giant snake.

Meanwhile, Valerie meets Anna (Jacqueline Pearce), the beautiful daughter of their neighbor, Dr. Franklyn (Noel Willman). Anna invites her and Harry to dinner, but Dr. Franklyn suddenly appears and urges her to go back home. Later on, when Harry and Valerie visit the house of Dr. Franklyn they learn that Anna and her father spent many years living in Borneo.

This recently restored Hammer film directed by John Gilling is perfect for very late night viewing – it has a fairly straightforward plot and the right atmosphere these genre films ought to have. As long as one does not scrutinize its protagonists too much, one is guaranteed to have a good time with it.

The overwhelming majority of the film can be described as a period thriller. The horror amounts to only a couple of scenes where the creature responsible for the bite marks found on the exhumed bodies is revealed. The costumes and effects, however, definitely show their age, so some of these scenes actually look quite funny.

The acting is good. Barrett and Ripper both look confident in front of the camera, while Willman is excellent as the unpredictable scientist who may or may not be hiding an important secret. Willman’s facial expressions are particularly good, as they tend to give valuable clues about key relationships and conflicts. Both Daniel and Pearce have important roles and certainly do not disappoint.

The production designs are decent, but viewers familiar with Hammer’s catalog will quickly notice that the budget for this film must have been fairly small. Many of Hammer’s better films also look far more impressive than The Reptile. (The Reptile was shot back to back with The Plague of the Zombies, and used many of the same sets and even exterior shots).

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 Reptile 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 Reptile arrives on Blu- ray courtesy of Studio Canal.

Generally speaking, the new restoration of The Reptile has produced some marvelous results - the film looks lush and healthy, likely the best it ever has. I mist point out, however, that this new restoration also differs significantly from the one we saw for Quatermass and the Pit, as it appears that some denoising corrections have been applied. I would have to speculate, however, that they were applied during the restoration process, as detail and sharpness have not been compromised. Shadow definition and especially color reproduction are also very pleasing. Additionally, the nighttime footage boasts excellent clarity, and none of the blur and smear effects post-production corrections introduce are present. Close-ups also convey very pleasing depth (see screencapture #16), especially when there is plenty of natural light. This being said, during the prologue there are some fluctuations with the opticals and a few tend to look rather soft, but these fluctuations should not be surprising. All in all, Studio Canal's new restoration of The Reptile gives the film a stable and well balanced healthy look, with detail and clarity undoubtedly benefiting a great deal. (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 Reptile 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 excellent. The audio has plenty of depth that opens up the film rather well during key sequences. Don Banks' music score also benefits from the lossless treatment. The dialog is very crisp, clean, stable, and easy to follow. I specifically would like to point out that the restoration has effectively eliminated all problematic background hiss. There are no high-frequency distortions either.

The Reptile Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

• The Serpent's Tale - Hammer Film Historian Marcus Hearn, actor and writer Mark Gatiss, writers Jonathan Rigby (English Gothic: A Century of Horror Cinema), David Huckvale (Hammer Film Scores and the Musical Avant-Garde), and Wayne Kinsey (Hammer Films: The Bray Studios Years), and art director Dom Mingaye discuss the production history and unique qualities of The Reptile. There are some particularly interesting comments about the color grading of the new restoration as well. In English, not subtitled. (22 min, 1080/50i)

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

• Restoration Comparison - a short demonstration with selected clips from the film. Without sound. (3 min, 1080p).

• Trailer - Original trailer for The Reptile. In English, not subtitled. (2 min, 1080p).

The Reptile Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

The overwhelming majority of the Hammer films are excellent for very late night viewing. They don't always have original plots, but their atmosphere is excellent. John Gilling's The Reptile was recently restored by Studio Canal and is now coming out on Blu-ray. I think that it looks very good, undobtedly the best it ever has. Hammer fans residing in Region-B territories and those in Region-A territories that could play Region-B "locked" discs are in for a treat. RECOMMENDED.