7 | / 10 |
Users | 0.0 | |
Reviewer | 4.0 | |
Overall | 4.0 |
Having escaped death by the guillotine, Dr. Frankenstein relocates to Carlsbruck. There, as Dr. Victor Stein, he successfully establishes himself as a physician with a large practice and a hospital for the poor. After three years however he is recognized by Dr. Hans Kleve but rather than expose him, the young doctor wants to join him in his research. Frankenstein has resumed his experiments and is on the verge of re-animating a body he has constructed using the brain of Fritz, the deformed assistant who helped him escape from his death sentence. The operation goes quite well and Fritz is quite pleased with his new body. An encounter with a drunken hospital attendant however sends him on the run. As his mind and his body deteriorates, he publicly reveals the good Doctor's true identity...
Starring: Peter Cushing, Francis Matthews, Eunice Gayson, Michael Gwynn, Lionel JeffriesHorror | 100% |
Sci-Fi | Insignificant |
Video codec: MPEG-4 AVC
Video resolution: 1080p
Aspect ratio: 1.66:1
Original aspect ratio: 1.66:1
English: LPCM Mono (48kHz, 24-bit)
BDInfo
English SDH
Blu-ray Disc
Single disc (1 BD)
Region free
Movie | 4.0 | |
Video | 4.5 | |
Audio | 3.5 | |
Extras | 5.0 | |
Overall | 4.0 |
Note: This version of this film is available as part of Hammer Volume Four: Faces of Fear.
Powerhouse Films has already delighted fans of a certain iconic British studio with Hammer Volume One: Fear Warning!, Hammer Volume Two: Criminal Intent and Hammer Volume Three: Blood & Terror, all of which offered an admittedly
sometimes
odd grabbag of films. This fourth volume of offerings from Hammer is itself kind of an odd grabbag of sorts, with two more “traditional”
Hammer opuses, at least in terms of offering a recognizable genre character like Frankenstein and/or Dr. Jekyll, included with two other, more
contemporary,
outings that at least may arguably offer some Gothic content in their own way.
Note: Powerhouse provided only check discs for purposes of this review.
The Revenge of Frankenstein is presented on Blu-ray courtesy of Powerhouse's Indicator imprint with an AVC encoded 1080p transfer in
1.66:1. Since I'm working from check discs without the benefit of any supporting documentation, I can't include any verbiage from Powerhouse about
the transfer, other than their website's statement that it is a "new 4K restoration". My colleague Martin Liebman reviewed the
Mill Creek Entertainment release of the film for the
North American market, and while Marty's review only contains seven screenshots, a cursory comparison shows what a noticeable improvement this
Powerhouse version is when compared to the Mill Creek. Colors on the Mill Creek release often looked muddy, and there was a lack of clarity
throughout the presentation. Things are much better here, with color timing that looks correct (if noticeably skewed more toward yellow than the Mill
Creek), and with a similar uptick in clarity and detail levels. Grain is also better resolved on the Powerhouse version, with a more organic overall
appearance. There are a few minor variances in density, with a kind of gray undertone that can creep into a few scenes, but any fans of this film will
most likely be gobsmacked by its general appearance here.
This release easily ups the ante from Mill Creek's lossy Dolby track with an LPCM Mono track that capably supports the film's sound design. Both the occasional effect (mostly lab related) and score are rendered with fine fidelity and decent depth, and dialogue also is presented cleanly and clearly throughout the presentation. Things are obviously inherently narrow on the track, but prioritization in the few "noisier" scenes is typically excellent, and I noticed no issues whatsoever to age related wear and tear.
- Audio Commentary with Marcus Hearn and Jonathan Rigby
- Audio Commentary with Stephen Jones and Kim Newman
The Revenge of Frankenstein rather smartly recasts several elements of Mary Shelley's original story, including by having the "monster" in this case be a man in search of a kind of redemption, even if his murderous tendencies finally take over. Typically handsome in the Hammer Gothic fashion, though perhaps less graphic than some fans of "Hammer red" blood might prefer, this is a film that goes a long way on mood and character. Powerhouse's release easily tops some of the earlier home video offerings in the technical merits department, and the supplemental slate here is outstanding. Highly recommended.
Indicator Series
1964
Jekyll's Inferno / House of Fright | Indicator Series
1960
Double Play
1964
Die! Die! My Darling! / Indicator Series
1965
1967
Limited Edition
1974
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1964
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1962
1939
Double Play
1957
Scream of Fear / Indicator Series
1961
Horror of Dracula / Double Play
1958
2018
El Barón del Terror | Indicator Series | Standard Edition
1962
2015
1956
1955
1933
1963
1944