Rating summary

Movie		3.5
Video		4.0
Audio		4.0
Extras		4.0
Overall		3.5

Weird Woman Blu-ray Movie Review

Reviewed by Jeffrey Kauffman March 11, 2021

Note: This film is available as part of Inner Sanctum Mysteries: The Complete Film Series.

There may be two schools of thought with regard to those who make horror films, with one group opting for graphic, on screen representations of whatever traumas characters experience, and with another group thinking that it’s best not to show every jot and tittle of various nefarious behaviors, in the belief that the audience’s imagination can make things even scarier than any overt offerings can. In that regard, it’s interesting to think about some of the old radio shows that frequently featured mystery, thriller or horror elements, since it probably goes without saying that a broadcast without a video element necessarily requires the active participation of a listener’s imagination in order to make everything “click”. There were any number of “spooky” radio programs back in the day, including such well remembered efforts as Suspense (which kind of amazingly managed to last until 1962), though Inner Sanctum owed its genesis to another medium that requires an active imagination — namely, reading. Simon and Schuster launched an imprint called Inner Sanctum in 1930 which did traffic in mystery and thriller novels, but which kind of humorously also offered other genres, including romance.

In 1941, the radio edition premiered in January and became a staple of the American broadcast landscape, with a licensing deal with Simon and Schuster that required regular advertising of whatever the latest Inner Sanctum book was. A little bit over two years later, Universal did another licensing deal with Simon and Schuster to use the Inner Sanctum title, though as the commentary on Calling Dr. Death gets into, Universal was kind of aggressively circumscribed by both the publishing house and the radio version in that the film company could not use the radio sound effect of a creaking door (which memorably opened and closed each episode), and was also prohibited from actually adapting any of the Simon and Schuster books (which may seem like a kind of odd requirement). Universal ended up making six titles under their Inner Sanctum imprint, with all of them offering Lon Chaney, Jr. a chance to do something other than grow hair (The Wolf Man), get wrapped in ragged bandages (The Mummy's Tomb) or attempt to maraud around in Boris Karloff's oversized boots (The Ghost of Frankenstein). With regard to the two "schools" of horror mentioned above, for reasons probably related as much to the production era as to any deliberate stylistic choice, things can be somewhat discursive in terms of on screen horror.

It's not hard to imagine that this second Inner Sanctum film was made with a perhaps envious eye toward some of Val Lewton's early efforts for RKO, including what would have then been the relatively recent I Walked with a Zombie. This story offers Lon Chaney, Jr. as another high-falutin' intellectual type, as he was in the first Inner Sanctum film, Calling Dr. Death, though in this case he's a professor named Norman Reed. Reed, evidently the same kind of professorial sex symbol as Harrison Ford's Indiana Jones was, ends up marrying mysterious Paula (Anne Gwynne) while on a vacation.

Paula, it turns out, is an orphan who was raised under, well, odd circumstances on an isolated South Seas Island, where the natives consider her some sort of magical being. When Norman and Paula return home, all sorts of shenanigans ensue, with nasty Ilona Carr (Evelyn Ankers) behind at least some of them. Paula's supposed (and, actually overt) facility with voodoo practices play into the overstuffed plot, which also involves stolen research material, jealous students and a kind of small town college gossip circuit that labels Paula a "witch woman". It's all almost hysterically hyperbolic, but there's style galore and the film, while arguably not quite as creepy as the best Lewton efforts, has its own spooky ambience a lot of the time.

Weird Woman Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

Weird Woman is presented on Blu-ray courtesy of Eureka! Entertainment with an AVC encoded 1080p transfer in 1.36:1. This doesn't quite match the consistency of Calling Dr. Death, but often comes close. Kind of hilariously, what looks like the exact same hair in the gate of the credits of the first film reoccurs here and magically climbs up the left side of the frame during this film's credits. There's also some noticeable flicker at times, notably in the first scene where Paula runs home in the storm. A few transitional dissolves can look a bit fuzzy, but overall clarity is very good, contrast is strong, and detail levels are quite appealing throughout the presentation. Grain resolves naturally, but can look heavy in some opticals.

Weird Woman Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

Weird Woman features an LPCM 2.0 Mono track that supports the musical elements, including the patently ludicrous "native" sequence, as well as dialogue. Interestingly, the introductory "crystal ball" talking head is easier to understand in this second film than in the first, at least to my ears. Some sound effects, notably the big storm that begin the film, can come off as unnatural and a little brash, but there's no actual damage or distortion to report. Optional English subtitles are available.

Weird Woman Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

Eureka! has packaged this set on two discs, with both film specific and more generalist supplements on each disc. Here is a list of all the contents, including supplements, on both discs.

Disc One

• Films

  Calling Dr. Death

  Audio Commentary by C. Courtney Joyner and Regina Le Borg can be accessed under Calling Dr. Death on the Main Menu.

  
  

  Trailer (HD; 1:07) can be accessed under Calling Dr. Death on the Main Menu.

Weird Woman

Audio Commentary by Justin Humphreys and Del Howison can be accessed under Weird Woman on the Main Menu.




Trailer (HD; 1:22) can be accessed under Weird Woman on the Main Menu.

Dead Man's Eyes

Trailer (HD; 1:05) can be accessed under Dead Man's Eyes on the Main Menu.

• Kim Newman on the Inner Sanctum Mysteries (HD; 26:56) is another enjoyable interview with the typically affable and informative Newman.


• This is The Inner Sanctum (HD; 31:47) is another interesting overview of the series, which time spent on each film.


• Radio Episodes

  The Amazing Death of Mrs. Putnam (25:15)

  
  

  The Black Seagull (28:46)

  
  

  The Skull That Walked (29:42)

Disc Two

• Films

  The Frozen Ghost

  Trailer (HD; 1:11) can be accessed under The Frozen Ghost on the Main Menu.

Strange Confession

Audio Commentary by Peter Atkins and C. Courtney Joyner can be accessed under Strange Confession on the Main Menu.

Pillow of Death

• The Creaking Door: Inside the Inner Sanctum (HD; 17:37) focuses on the radio broadcast.


• Martin Kosleck Interview (HD; 11:00) begins with Kosleck insisting there are no small parts, or at least none that he ever took.


• Radio Episodes

  Skeleton Bay (29:44)

  
  

  The Man Who Couldn't Die (29:22)

  
  

  Death of a Doll (25:08)

Weird Woman Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

The Inner Sanctum series doesn't really suffer any kind of so-called "sophomore slump" with this entry, and while there's an undeniable Val Lewton-ish quality to the proceedings, the combination of small town college life and "exotic" voodoo elements make for a fun viewing experience. Video is just a little inconsistent at times, but audio is fine, and Weird Woman comes Recommended.