7.3 | / 10 |
Users | 5.0 | |
Reviewer | 3.5 | |
Overall | 4.0 |
In 17th century England, torn by civil war, the Puritans appoint a "Witchfinder General" with the legal authority to hunt down suspected witches with the help of a henchman. When he is on the trail of one suspected witch, a young girl he has raped, her fiance, a Royalist, decides to give chase and hunt them down.
Starring: Vincent Price, Ian Ogilvy, Rupert Davies, Patrick Wymark, Wilfrid BrambellHorror | 100% |
Drama | Insignificant |
Biography | Insignificant |
History | Insignificant |
Video codec: MPEG-4 AVC
Video resolution: 1080p
Aspect ratio: 1.85:1
Original aspect ratio: 1.85:1
English: DTS-HD Master Audio 2.0 (48kHz, 16-bit)
2.0 Mono
None
50GB Blu-ray Disc
Single disc (1 BD)
Region free
Movie | 3.5 | |
Video | 3.5 | |
Audio | 4.0 | |
Extras | 4.0 | |
Overall | 3.5 |
Michael Reeves' "Witchfinder General" a.k.a. "The Conqueror Worm" (1968) arrives on Blu-ray courtesy of British distributors Odeon. The supplemental features on the disc include the film's original theatrical trailer; audio commentary by Benjamin Halligan and Michael Armstrong; alternate opening and closing credits; alternate scenes from the film's export version; stills gallery; documentary film about witchcraft; archival video interview with Vincent Price; and "Intrusion", a short film by Michael Reeves dedicated to Jean-Luc Godard. In English, without optional English subtitles for the main feature. Region-Free.
The Witchfinder
Presented in its original aspect ratio of 1.85:1, encoded with MPEG-4 AVC and granted a 1080p transfer, Michael Reeves' Witchfinder General arrives on Blu-ray courtesy of British distributors Odeon.
The film has not undergone a meticulous restoration, but it has been digitally remastered and really does look quite good. There is some transition softness (see screencapture #1) and small wear, but there are no traces of excessive denoising. Edge-enhancement is also practically kept at bay, as the only harshness that pops up is during a few of the outdoor sequences. Fine object detail is good, particularly during close-ups (see scneencapture #15). Color reproduction is also satisfying. Lastly, though not always well resolved and often mixed with small doses of light noise, the grain is visible throughout the entire film. (Note: This is a Region-Free Blu-ray disc. Therefore, you will be able to play it on your PS3 or SA regardless of your geographical location. For the record, there is no problematic PAL or 1080/50i content preceding the disc's main menu).
There is only one audio track on this Blu-ray disc: English DTS-HD Master Audio 2.0 (mono). For the record, Odeon have not provided optional English subtitles for the main feature.
The English DTS-HD Master Audio 2.0 handles Paul Ferris' music score well. Clearly, however, its dynamic amplitude is quite limited, which should not be surprising given the nature of the film and how it was produced. The dialog is stable and crisp, but I would have preferred to have optional English subtitles for the main feature. For the record, there are no large pops, cracks, or audio dropouts to report in this review.
Independent British distributors Odeon have put together a strong package for Michael Reeves' cult film Witchfinder General. The Blu-ray herein reviewed contains a digitally restored Director's Cut of the film, as well as wealth of very interesting supplemental features. It is also Region-Free. RECOMMENDED.
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