6.7 | / 10 |
Users | 0.0 | |
Reviewer | 4.5 | |
Overall | 4.5 |
John Ellman (Boris Karloff), an ex-convict who is framed by the mob for the murder of the judge who first put him away. Evidence proving Ellman's innocence arrives seconds after he is electrocuted. Officials allow Dr. Evan Beaumont (Edmund Gwenn) to experiment with putting a mechanical heart into Ellman. The device revives the dead man, but he has become a white-haired, monster-faced zombie who hangs out in graveyards and seeks revenge on the conspirators who framed him.
Starring: Boris Karloff, Ricardo Cortez, Edmund Gwenn, Marguerite Churchill, Warren HullHorror | 100% |
Sci-Fi | Insignificant |
Crime | Insignificant |
Video codec: MPEG-4 AVC
Video resolution: 1080p
Aspect ratio: 1.37:1
Original aspect ratio: 1.37:1
English: DTS-HD Master Audio 2.0 Mono (48kHz, 24-bit)
English SDH
Blu-ray Disc
Single disc (1 BD)
Region A (B, C untested)
Movie | 4.0 | |
Video | 5.0 | |
Audio | 4.5 | |
Extras | 4.0 | |
Overall | 4.5 |
Not to be mistaken for the television franchise that just won't die, Michael Curtiz's The Walking Dead offers one of horror icon Boris Karloff's very best lead performances. Already well-known for his turns in Frankenstein, The Bride of Frankenstein, and The Mummy, Karloff returns to more hauntingly sympathetic territory with his moving portrayal of a wrongfully executed man given a miraculous second chance at life. Newly restored by Warner Archive from the original nitrate camera negative, The Walking Dead is a near-classic that's ripe for re-evaluation on Blu-ray.
What follows is predictably a bit of a Frankenstein scenario, one in which Beaumont and company may as well scream "It's alive!" as electricity crackles in the background and the once-dead Elman reawakens. But while the setup of The Walking Dead and established filmography of Karloff might suggest a tale rooted in in science fiction and otherworldly horror, Elman's kinda-sorta revenge plot is played surprisingly straight. Karloff is his typically magnetic and haunting self, living out his second life in a surprisingly static and controlled manner but still seeking out the truth from those who wronged him. He does so with a new and heightened sense of reality as it pertains to the actual guilty parties, many of whom have naturally reinforced his beliefs by showing their own haunted projections of culpability.
It's a strange story indeed, one with inarguable highlights -- Karloff's lead performance, capable direction by Curtiz, outstanding cinematography --
as well as a few lingering elements that hold it back ever-so-slightly, such as a reliance on plot coincidences and unavoidable compromises brought
on by newly-enforced Hays Code restrictions. Luckily The Walking Dead survives these speed bumps with energy to spare, coasting by on
the strength of its atmosphere and underdog status as a lesser-known entry in Karloff's stacked résumé. Another big reason to celebrate its
resurrection is the tireless efforts of Warner Archive, who have put together an extremely well-rounded Blu-ray package that might sneak onto a
few Top 10 lists this year. Sourced from a brand-new restoration of original elements and paired with a nice collection of suitable supplements, it's
a disc I can endorse for established fans and newcomers too.
Sourced from a new 4K scan of the original nitrate camera negative and treated to a round of careful manual cleanup, The Walking Dead fittingly gets another chance at life on home video thanks to Warner Archive's reliable restorative efforts. The silvery sheen of its nitrate source is in full effect here, creating velvety textures that showcase its striking cinematography which deftly mixes haunting close-ups, nicely composed wide shots, and a few welcome touches of German Expressionism just for good measure. The result is an exceedingly clean but purist-friendly presentation with copious amounts of organic film grain, solid black levels, excellent contrast, and only the smallest hints of forgivably remaining source material damage. Given the less-than-impressive appearance of previous discs including WB's own Karloff & Lugosi Horror Classics DVD collection, this 1080p transfer will look like an absolute revelation.
Not to be outdone is the DTS-HD 2.0 Master Audio mix, which offers a proportionally clean and crisp presentation of its one-channel source material. Dialogue and background effects rarely fight for attention, there's plenty of room for the original score by Bernhard Kaun (who fittingly provided the music for both Frankenstein and Doctor X), and only trace levels of hiss remain so as not to risk compromising the dynamic range. It's a solid effort, all things considered, and deserves credit for supporting The Walking Dead's haunting atmosphere just as much as its visuals.
Optional English (SDH) subtitles are included during the main feature only, not the extras below.
This one-disc release ships in a keepcase with striking poster-themed cover artwork and includes a somewhat unexpected but certainly welcome variety of new and vintage bonus features.
It's not very often that an actor's name deserves to be the focal point of a movie poster, but Boris Karloff's towering performance in The Walking Dead is clearly the main reason to watch it. Don't get me wrong: this is an effective story well-told thanks to its supporting performances, striking visuals, and of course the excellent direction by Michael Curtiz, but Karloff's turn as a wrongfully executed man who gets a second chance at life is certainly one of his best. Warner Archive's welcome Blu-ray treatment absolutely demolishes past DVD editions with a top-tier 4K-sourced restoration of the original nitrate camera negative, haunting lossless audio, and a nice collection of new and legacy bonus features, it's one of the boutique label's finest releases in a great year and comes Highly Recommended.
Warner Archive Collection
1936
1946
Warner Archive Collection
1938
1949
Warner Archive Collection
1939
1932
Warner Archive Collection
1941
Warner Archive Collection
1946
Warner Archive Collection
1958
Reissue | Special Edition
1948
The Vanishing Body
1934
1940
2013
1988
1953
1940
1955
1956
1940
Collector's Edition
1967