The Undying Monster Blu-ray Movie

Rating summary

Movie		3.5
Video		4.0
Audio		3.0
Extras		4.0
Overall		4.0

The Undying Monster Blu-ray Movie Review

Reviewed by Brian Orndorf December 10, 2016

While it boasts the presence of a shadowy wolfman, 1942’s “The Undying Monster” isn’t truly a horror picture. Adapted from a novel by Jessie Douglas Kerruish and directed by John Brahm (1944’s “The Lodger”), “The Undying Monster” is more of a murder mystery, preferring acts of sleuthing to shock value. It’s a talky effort, but wonderfully constructed by Brahm, who works overtime to make what ends up becoming a series of conversations and tasteful confrontations somewhat unsettling, bathing the feature in gothic mood.

Something vicious is stalking the area, but it’s not a menace exposed early to the light in “The Undying Monster.” The screenplay is more intrigued by clues and investigations, following the characters around foggy locations and deep into an eerie crypt to explore the possibility of a wolfman on the attack. “The Undying Monster” isn’t about menace, but intellectualism, generating a Sherlock Holmes-esque tone that prizes the art of deduction more than a celebration of the macabre. It takes some time to adjust to the approach, but Brahm secures interest through his management of sharp, darkly comic performances, expressionistic style, and welcome brevity, wisely hitting the highlights and ending the endeavor in 63 minutes.

The Undying Monster Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

The AVC encoded image (1.35:1 aspect ratio) presentation provides a reasonably detailed look at the essentials of "The Undying Monster," finding encouraging textures on gothic set decoration and costuming, and expressive faces are defined to satisfaction. Delineation isn't problematic. Cinematographic balance is preserved. Source does show signs of wear and tear, with slight judder at times, and mild flicker. Scratches and speckling are also detected.

The Undying Monster Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

The 2.0 DTS-HD MA sound mix is basic in design, emphasizing dialogue exchanges, which manage some degree of clarity while fighting obvious age-related issues, including persistent hiss and pops. Scoring is also acceptable without precision, capturing the spooky mood and dramatic escalation adequately.

The Undying Monster Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

• Commentary #1 features film historians Tom Weaver and Robert J. Kiss, joined by Sumishta Brahm, John Brahm's daughter.

• Commentary #2 features Weaver and film historian David Schecter.

• "Concerto Macabre: The Films of John Brahm" (16:30, SD) is an overview of the German director's filmography, transitioning from a biographical discussion to an artistic one, spotlighting the helmer's iconic work on "The Lodger."

• "2007 Restoration Comparison" (3:13, SD) is a brief look at the digital work used to clean up the picture.

• "Animated Montage of Images" (4:14, SD) collects promotional materials.

• And a Theatrical Trailer (1:04, SD) is included.

The Undying Monster Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

"The Undying Monster" saves its big reveals for the finale, but to get there requires some patience, with a detour into courtroom antics throttling the picture's momentum. Despite some questionable distractions to preserve the material's literary origin, "The Undying Monster" is entertaining and periodically lively. Just don't expect a creature feature, as it takes the effort quite some time before it begins indulging more visceral encounters.