Rating summary

Movie		2.5
Video		1.5
Audio		3.0
Extras		0.5
Overall		2.0

The Torture Chamber of Dr. Sadism Blu-ray Movie Review

Reviewed by Jeffrey Kauffman May 30, 2019

Note: This film is available as part of The Hemisphere Box of Horrors.

For certain lovers of cult cinema, the name Hemisphere Pictures will most likely forever be linked to The Blood Island Collection, and perhaps more generally to Philippine shot outings in general, but as the movies collected in Hemishpere Box of Horrors make clear, this relatively small scale independent “studio” (if it could even be called that) at least attempted to try a few (marginally?) different things through the years. The five films assembled for this set document an approach that might be thought of as part Hammer, part Roger Corman (especially his Poe adaptations), but with a very peculiar, and some may reasonably feel distinctive, air. Part of that is due to the features shot in the Philippines, but there’s a weirdly exotic feel to even the stateside shot, admittedly low budget and often generally lo-fi offerings. One of the fun supplements on some of the Blood Island Collection discs were the reminiscences of Hemisphere marketing guru Samuel S. Sherman, and Sherman is back with more background information here, helping to explain how Hemisphere was seeking some kind of identity on the grindhouse and/or drive-in circuit(s), finding some unexpected success along the way. There's little doubt that any, and indeed probably all, of these films fits rather snugly into the confines of "cult cinema", but even devoted acolytes of this particular cult may need to temper expectations based on the source elements Severin was able to procure.

The Torture Chamber of Dr. Sadism is another outing that obviously owes a debt of gratitude to Corman - Poe adaptations, notably The Pit and the Pendulum. This is a “Hemisphere Picture” in name only, really, with a higher profile cast, including Lex Barker and Christopher Lee, than is usually associated with Hemisphere. The film has almost a mid-sixties nascent giallo vibe at times, but it’s plotted kind of haphazardly and could have used more development. Barker plays a guy on the hunt for his family history, and of course he gets more than he bargained for, though at least he also gets a girl played by Karin Dor. Lee fans will probably get a kick out of it one way or the other, even if their favorite fanged villain is consigned to third billing.

The Torture Chamber of Dr. Sadism Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

The Torture Chamber of Doctor Sadism is presented on Blu-ray courtesy of Severin Films with an AVC encoded 1080p transfer in 1.66:1. The film comes with this text card prologue:

The following presentation was scanned in 2K from the best elements available: two 16mm collector prints with the alternate US release title Blood Demon.

This is the most problematic transfer in the box set, and some may wonder why Severin even chose to release this, though perhaps the "marquee value" of a Christopher Lee film was thought to be helpful. As can easily be gleaned from the screenshots accompanying this review, the source elements are in pretty bad shape, not just from a damage standpoint, but especially from fading. I'm assuming the rather vast variabilities seen in this presentation are due at least in part to the two different 16mm sources utilized. Some of this transfer has at least marginally passable color, though even this "better" element is badly faded, with flesh tones skewed toward purple and no primary colors registering very well at all. The "lesser" moments verge toward black and white at times, and in fact Christopher Lee's big scene toward the end of the film has virtually no color whatsoever. Detail levels are about what you'd expect from an old, faded 16mm source. Grain looks surprisingly natural throughout.

The Torture Chamber of Dr. Sadism Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

As with The Black Cat, this film features an LPCM 2.0 mono track. There's some crackling and other damage as the film starts up, but things subside and the bulk of the presentation, while still showing signs of age, gets the job done well enough. The dubbing here is not especially artful, so even the English speakers' lip movements don't always match the words emanating from them. This is another track that has a slightly muffled, boxy sound, but there's no egregious damage to report.

The Torture Chamber of Dr. Sadism Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

The Black Cat and The Torture Chamber of Doctor Sadism share a disc (and are available only as part of the box set, while the other films have standalone releases), so I'm including the disc's extras here:

• The Black Cat Trailer (1080p; 1:29)


• Blood Demon Trailer (1080p; 1:44)

The Torture Chamber of Dr. Sadism Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

The Torture Chamber of Doctor Sadism is actually kind of goofily enjoyable on its own merits. It doesn't really reach the heights of the best Corman Poe adaptations, but it has its own rather distinctive atmosphere. Unfortunately, technical merits here are the worst of the films in the Hemisphere Box of Horrors set, which may be one reason this film was consigned to "bonus disc" status.