ASYLUM (1972) (Second Sight Films Blu-ray Review)

ASYLUM (1972) 

Label: Second Sight Films 
Region Code: B
Duration: 88 Minutes 
Rating: Cert.15
Audio: English LPCM 1.0 Mono with Optional English Subtitles 
Video: 1080p HD Widescreen (1.85:1) 
Director: Roy Ward Baker
Cast: Peter Cushing, Britt Ekland, Herbert Lom, Patrick Magee, Barry Morse, Robert Powell 

This Amicus produced horror anthology directed by Roy Ward Baker (And Now The Screaming Starts), and written by Robert Bloch (Torture Garden), is a very fine example of the classic portmanteau-film, a collection of chilling (and usually slightly hokey) short stories blended together with a unifying wrap around story. Amicus made a wonderful assortment of them in the 70's, and Asylum is a top-tier entry. I ike that the wrap-around story evolves into it's own vignette, beginning with Dr. Martin (Robert Powell, Harlequin) arriving at an asylum, interviewing for the lead physician position. He's greeted by a wheelchair bound Dr. Lionel Rutherford (Patrick Magee, Lucio Fulci's The Black Cat) who informs him that the job interview will be a bit unusual, with Dr. Martin having to interview four criminally insane inmates who are locked away on the secured second floor, deducing which of the nutters is actually the former head doctor of the asylum, he or she having had a violent mental breakdown themselves, and if he chooses correctly he will be considered for the position. That's our wrap-around story in a nutshell, with Dr. Martin touring the second floor of the facility with an orderly named Max (Geoffrey Bayldon, The House That Dripped Blood) escorting him and offering some wry commentary along the way.

The first of the stories proper is "Frozen Fear", a tale of a unhappily married man named Walter (Richard Todd, The Secret of Dorian Gray) who is desperate to be rid of his wife Ruth (Sylvia Syms, The Tamarind Seed), to that end he has planned to ax-murder her in the basement, as you do. However, her dabblings in the occult makes her murder and dismemberment one worth remembering, with her having vengeance from beyond the grave. This one starts things off briskly as the husband chops her up rather quickly after luring her to his basement/kill-room, wrapping her torso and severed head and limbs in brown deli-wrap paper and tidily binding it with string like a well-manicured cut of meat from the butcher's shop. Stowing her remains in basement freezer he begins planning a getaway with his new lover Bonnie (Barbara Parkins, The Mephisto Waltz) only to be interrupted by his ax-whacked wife whose surprisingly re-animated pieces have a go at him. I loved this one, it's a fun opening salvo that starts things off with a wink and a nod, light-hearted perfection, if you can call wife-murder light-hearted. 

Up next we have "The Weird Tailor" wherein a cash-strapped tailor named Bruno (Barry Morse, The Changeling) on the verge of being evicted from his home is approached by a seemingly wealthy patron named Mr. Smith (Peter Cushing, Corruption), tasked with stitching together a custom fitted suit with the odd instructions that it must only be sewn in the early morning hours after midnight and before dawn. Strange though the request may seem Bruno dutifully fulfills the order per the curious instructions, however, upon delivering the finished suit to his patron he finds that Mr. Smith not only doesn't have the promised money but has some weird occult resurrection in the works! Anything with Peter Cushing in it is gonna be worth a watch, but it's Barry Morse who steals the show this time around. I love his performance as the tailor, and the twist involving a store mannequin was pleasantly unexpected, if a bit goofy.  

Orderly Max next introduces Dr. Martin to a young woman named Barbara (Charlotte Rampling, Orca) in the segment "Lucy Comes To Stay", she relays to him the story of how she was formerly incarcerated at an asylum before being freed, released to her brother George (James Villiers, Otley) who sets her up at home under the supervision of a nurse named Miss Higgins (Megs Jenkins, The Innocents), but having the defacto babysitter watching over her frustrates her. When Barbara's friend, the prankster Lucy (Britt Ekland, What The Peeper Saw), shows up unexpectedly it cheers her up a bit, but when Lucy's pranks turn to murder most foul she blames Lucy, but there's a problem with that scenario we come to find out.

The last of the stories proper is "Mannikins of Horror" starring the always great (no matter how bad the film may be) Herbert Lom (Count Dracula) as a patient at the asylum who is working on some sort of soul-transference process, obsessed with the notion of sending his psyche into that of a tiny automaton, which looks for the most part like a cheap wind-up toy with a well-crafted likeness of his own head on it. Let's just not think about why a mental health facility would encourage such a thing and let him keep the damn toy in his room, but it has a decent payoff that works better than it should. Herbert Lom is fantastic, and the premise works better than the cheap looking robot would have had me believe, this one tying directly into the wrap-around story at the asylum, and then we finish-up with a fun (though not shocking) conclusion with orderly Max addressing us, the viewers, directly, as a new candidate arrives at the asylum for the same sort of interview.    

Audio/Video: Asylum (1972) arrives on region-B locked Blu-ray from Second Sight Films, this looks to be the same 2K scan as released by Severin Films as part of their The Amicus Collection. Framed in 1.85:1 widescreen the 1080p HD image is a bit on the soft side but acceptable given the source, looking to be a theatrical print, colors look good and the grain field is nicely managed for the most part, while looking overly abundant at times, it's not pristine but still a vast improvement over the Dark Sky Films DVD. The English DTS-HD MA 1.0 Mono audio exports the orchestral score from Douglas Gamely nicely,including his wonderfully bombastic rendition of "Night on Bald Mountain" which opens the film. Optional English subtitles are provided.  

Onto the extras we get the same set of extras from the U.S. Scream Factory release beginning with a lively vintage commentary with Director Roy Ward Baker and camera operator Neil Binney moderated by Marcus Hearn, many facets of the production are covered, good stuff. We then get a vintage on-set featurette by the BBC filmed during shooting of the film. New stuff begins with an appreciation of writer Robert Block (Psycho) by writer David J. Schow (Leatherface: Texas Chainsaw Massacre III), plus a remembrance of Amicus' Milton Subotsky by his widow. The 20-min Inside The Fear Factory Featurette is a nice overview of Amicus Films as told by Directors Roy Ward Baker, Freddie Francis and Producer Max J. Rosenberg, if you're a fan of British horror and Amicus in particular this is a fun watch. The disc is finished up with two trailers for the film.

The single disc release comes housed in oversized black Blu-ray keepcase with a reversible sleeve of artwork, the a-side featuring new artwork from by artist Graham Humphreys, the b-side featuring the original illustrated artwork for the film, without the blemish of the ratings logo obscuring the front cover and the spine, with the Humphrey's artwork option also being featured on the disc itself.

Asylum (1972) was previously issued by Second Sight Films as a limited edition release with a rigid slipcase along with a 40-page booklet with new essays, and While that edition is now out-of-print the film has kindly been reissued by Second Sight as this attractive standard release. 

Special Features:
- Two’s A Company: 1972 On-set report from BBC featuring Interviews With Producer Milton Subotsky, Director Roy Ward Baker, Actors Charlotte Rampling, James Villiers, Megs Jenkins, Art Director Tony Curtis and Production Manager Teresa Bolland (18 min)  
- David J. Schow on Robert Bloch (21 min)  
- Fiona Subotsky Remembers Milton Subotsky – Featurette (10 min)
- Inside The Fear Factory Featurette with Directors Roy Ward Baker, Freddie Francis and Producer Max J. Rosenberg (20 min) 
- Audio Commentary with Director Roy Ward Baker and Camera Operator Neil Binney
- Theatrical Trailers (3 min) 

I have always loved the Amicus horror anthologies, the short-story format is appealing to me, and while there's usually a dud among the three or four stories I find that the occasional bad apple doesn't spoil the whole basket of vignetted-fruit. While none of the stories in Asylum (1972) are particularly horrifying or overly clever they all bring a smile to my face, even the wrap around story is great fun, plus we have an outstanding cast that includes Herbert Lom and Peter Cushing. A well-crafted and stylish series of vignettes that flow well, making this a classic slice of British anthology horror. Asylum gets a wonderful UK release from Second Sight Films, highly recommended to UK readers who have not imported the Scream Factory release. 

 

THE CHANGELING (1980) (Severin Films Blu-ray Review/Comparison)

THE CHANGELING (1980) 

Label: Severin Films
Duration: 107 Minutes
Region Code: Region-FREE
Video: 1080p HD  Widescreen (1.85:1)
Audio: English Dolby Digital 5.1 with Optional English Subtitles
Director: Peter Medak
Cast: George C. Scott, Trish Van Devere, Melvyn Douglas, Barry Morse

TOP: SEVERIN FILMS BLU-RAY (2018) 

BOTTOM: SECOND SIGHT FILMS BLU-RAY (2018) 

Synopsis: It is perhaps the most chilling supernatural thriller of our time. It remains a career peak for star George C. Scott and director Peter Medak (THE RULING CLASS, THE KRAYS).  Now the film that Martin Scorsese calls “One of the scariest movies ever made,” finally comes to Blu-ray.  Academy Award® winner Scott delivers “One of his greatest performances ever,” (BloodyGoodHorror.com) as a Manhattan composer consumed by grief after his wife and daughter are killed in a shocking accident.  But when he moves to a secluded Victorian mansion, he will find himself haunted by a paranormal entity that may unleash an even more disturbing secret.

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The Changeling (1980) has long been one of my favorite ghost stories, I saw it as a kid on VHS and it gave me the chills down deep, a Gothic slice of goose-pimpling fright starring George C. Scott (Hardcore) as classical music composer named John Russell, a man who at the start of the film witnesses the tragic death of his wife and young daughter while on a winter vacation in Upstate New York.

Following that awful happening the composer rents a sprawling Victorian mansion from realtor Claire Norman (Scott's real-life wife Trish Van Devere, The Hearse), and the two strike-up a very chaste relationship,spending time together riding horses and discussing the history of the mansion which has apparently been vacant for many years prior to the composers arrival. Alone at the mansion John works on his latest piano composition, but finds the creaky home holds a few surprises, beginning with a recurring banging sound that thunders through the house at the same time each morning, and the water faucets begin to mysteriously turn themselves on. A local plumber attributes it all to it just being an old house, but there's certainly more happening here than just creaky old water pipes. John eventually sees an apparition of a small boy drowning in the bathtub, it startles him but not enough to run screaming from the house the way it should have, I would have been long gone! Later while exploring the exterior of the house he discovers a shard of broken red glass that has fallen from a stained glass window in the attic, which leads to the discovery of a long-hidden secret doorway to an attic bedroom, there he finds a child's wheelchair, a journal and a music box, the music box plays a tune with an uncanny resemblance to the music composition he's been working on while at the house. 

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You get the feeling that through his deep grief he feels that maybe it's his daughter that is reaching out to him from beyond the grave, which leads to him hosting a seance with a spiritual medium. The gripping seance reveals the presence of young boy who died in the home some eighty years earlier, and an audio recording made during the seance also captures the haunting child-like voice of the restless spirit, in perhaps cinema first instance of EVP, the first I can remember anyway. Afterward John take it upon himself to investigate the death and discovers an eighty year old family secret with connections to a powerful and aging senator (Melvyn Douglas, Ghost Story) whom has family ties to the mansion.

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The Changeling is a slow-burn in the best sort of way, a story that deliberately unfolds revealing secrets and tragedies along the way, it pulls you in with the shocking first few moments and then pulls back a little, allowing you to breathe with the story, building in intensity along the way right up to a shocking inferno of an ending that is a stunner, it's the sort of classical ghost story we just don't get anymore, an essential slice of supernatural cinema that in my opinion is right up there with The Haunting (1963) and The Legend of Hell House (1973), and one of the best of the 80's supernatural films, in the good company of films like Ghost Story (1981) and The Lady in White (1988), all of which contributed to my youthful obsession which the idea of ghosts. 

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It will surprise no one that George C. Scott (Exorcist III) is in fine form here, he downplays a lot of the startling ghostly events he encounters in and around the home, but he sells the deep grief of a man who has lost his wife and daughter in a tragedy. He never boils over the way he could do from time to time in films, but he's taught and tense throughout, and I never found myself questioning or doubting why he was so obsessed with solving the mystery of the film, it all ties back to the loss of his family at the beginning.

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A few of the heroes of the film include the slow moving cinematography of John Coquillon (Witchfinder General, Straw Dogs), who gives the lensing the feel of spirit wandering the home, framing every shot with precision with some skewed angles and POV shots that are very effective, playing with the deep shadows and natural light in the scenes. We also get a haunting score from composer Rick Wilkins who keeps the goosebumps coming throughout, and then there's the incredible Victorian mansion created by art director Reuben Freed and  the authentic looking stage sets used for the interiors, the mansion is a character in the film, I sort of blew my mind that it was all constructed for the films and not a real house. Stuff like the creepy cobwebbed attic and the the winding staircase add a lot of atmosphere and character to the whole shebang.

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A few moments that have always stuck with me include the shocking car wreck at the start of the film as Scott's character stares on helplessly from inside a phone booth, and the iconic scene of the red bouncing ball, few films have done so much with such so little as with this one scene, when I first saw it I was terrified at the sight of that damned red ball bouncing down the stairs! Also, the creepy, vintage kids wheelchair chasing Trish Van Devere's character through the house is hair-raising, the execution of this film is phenomenal from start to finish, it's reserved but chilling, and oh-so effective, still to this day one of the very best supernatural chillers of all time. 

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BOTTOM: SECOND SIGHT FILMS BLU-RAY (2018) 

Audio/Video: The Changeling (1980) arrives on region-free Blu-ray from Severin Films, sourced from a new 4K scan of the interpositive, presented in 1080p HD, framed in the original 1.85:1 widescreen aspect ratio. The film looks great, looking to be the same restoration as the one issued by Second Sight Films in the UK. Grain is well managed, looking authentic to the period in which this was filmed, overall everything is nicely resolved with natural looking earth tones throughout There's some minimal print damage evident throughout but nothing to worry about. The black levels are nice and deep with the skin tones looking natural, there are some very minor color shifts in the Severin release compared to the Second Sight release, but I think you'd be hard-pressed to spot them without intense scrutiny. This release offers very nice upgrade over the previous DVD offerings with more depth and clarity than we've seen from this title on home video. Audio comes by way of DTS-HD MA stereo 2.0 and surround 5.1, everything sounds clean and well-balanced, dialogue is crisp and the haunting score comes through with some nice resonance. The surround option does offer some interesting use of the rear channels, it's a creepy ghost story and the surround track complements the film, but I still preferred the stereo mix, optional English subtitles are provided. Severin also provide dubbed Italian, Spanish and German in lossy audio for those looking for a foreign language option. 

Notably Severin have issued a disc replacement program for this title, the 5.1 surround track is missing dialogue and sound effects in a few key places, my review copy is not the corrected disc and is missing the audio, you can email Severin at changelingreplacement@gmail.com to request a replacement disc if you have one of the uncorrected discs with the glitch. Second Sight's release caught the issue in QC and has so such audio issue. 

Special features for the most part mirror that of the UK disc from Second Sight, we get the audio commentary with director Peter Medak and producer Joel B. Michaels moderated by David Gregory of Severin Films. A laid back but informative conversation about the film, with plenty of talk about George C. Scott and how Medak was intimidated by him, having heard he could be difficult, but never really having any issues with him whatsoever. They also get into films like The Others, Session 9 and What Lies Beneath which they say lifted scenes directly from this film, and how directors like Scorsese and Spielberg own their own prints of the film, with Medak recalling a private screening of the film the director has with Scorsese who pressed for technical info about the film. They also discuss Medak came into the film late in the production when initial director Donald Cammell (White of the Eye) left the project due to differences in approach with the producer. 

Digging into the other disc extras we have ‘The House on Cheesman Park’ with historian Dr. Phil Goodstein, a colorful hippy-looking character who recounts the true-life origins of the story depicted in the film, which took place in Denver. It's a creepy story and very much the same story as told in the film, but with the addition of the story of how the city transformed a cemetery into a public park which lead to some supernatural shenanigans. 

We also get an interview with the music arranger Kenneth Wannberg who plays some of the main theme on piano for us, then going into his work with John Williams and working on The Changeling. Art Director Reuben Freed walks us through the process of creating the exterior facade used in the film, I was shocked to learn that the mansion was only a facade, it's an amazing piece of work that adds so much character and atmosphere to the film. He discusses his career, being from South Africa and how his dreams of becoming a documentary filmmaker ended-up with him becoming an art director. 

TV anthology Masters of Horror creator Mick Garris shows up for a brief appreciation of the director and his work, touching on Medak's turn on the Masters of Horror TV anthology show with 'The Washingtonians' episode, which is one of my favorites of the series, a delightfully demented look back at the untold story of one of our founding fathers I highly suggest you check out.

We also get a location visit with author Kier-La Janisse (House of Psychotic Women) who speaks about several of the locations including The Orpheum Theater, Sea-Tac Airport, The Historical Society, and then we have Fangoria editor Michael Gingold and director Ted Geoghegan (We Are Still Here) visiting the Lincoln Center location in NYC, film programmer Clinton McClung visits the Lakeview Cemetery, The Rainer Tower, University of Washington and The Granville Bridge, the Senator's Mansion in Seattle, and Ryan Nicholson (director of Collar) visits the location of the mansion. The well-stocked disc is buttoned-up with a trailer and TV spot for the film. 

As stated this is pretty much the same package we saw in the UK from Second Sight Films, but there is one small difference with the inclusion a still gallery of images from the film, behind-the-scenes shots, lobby card, posters and home video releases from various territories, which are always cool to sift through. 

The single-disc regular release version comes housed in a cool black keepcase with a one-sided sleeve of artwork mirroring the limited edition artwork but with a red variation and a darker background, the disc itself featuring the same key  artwork as the sleeve. 

Special Features:
- Audio Commentary with Director Peter Medak and Producer Joel B. Michaels, moderated by Severin Films' David Gregory.
- The House On Cheesman Park: The Haunting True Story of THE CHANGELING (18 min)
- The Music of THE CHANGELING: Interview with Music Arranger Kenneth Wannberg (9 min)
- Building The House Of Horror: Interview with Art Director Reuben Freed (11 min)
- The Psychotronic Tourist: THE CHANGELING (16 min)
- Master of Horror Mick Garris on THE CHANGELING (6 min)
- Poster & Still Gallery (9 min)
- Trailer (2 min)
- TV Spot (1 min) 

The Changeling (1980) is simply one of the finest ghost stories of all-time, a classic tale of the supernatural that still manages to get under the skin with a haunting score that sends this one through the roof. This region-free release from Severin looks and sounds great (with the exception of the flubbed surround audio), but I am pleased that they've recognized the error and are sending out replacement discs to correct the problem, a definite recommend for fans of classic ghost stories. 

Severin Films Presents THE CHANGELING – The 1980 horror classic in HD for the first time ever in America!

One of the finest ghost-chillers of all-time finally getting a much deserved Blu-ray from Severin Films! 

THE CHANGELING (1980) 

LIMITED EDITION 

Only 5,000 units with a bonus Embossed Slip Cover and CD Soundtrack!

Label: Severin Films
Release Date: August 7th 2018 
Duration: 107 Minutes 
Region Code: Region-FREE
Video: 1080p HD  Widescreen (1.85:1)
Audio: English Dolby Digital 5.1
Director: Peter Medak
Cast: George C. Scott, Trish Van Devere, Melvyn Douglas, Barry Morse

It is perhaps the most chilling supernatural thriller of our time. It remains a career peak for star George C. Scott and director Peter Medak (THE RULING CLASS, THE KRAYS).  Now the film that Martin Scorsese calls “One of the scariest movies ever made,” finally comes to Blu-ray.  Academy Award® winner Scott delivers “One of his greatest performances ever,” (BloodyGoodHorror.com) as a Manhattan composer consumed by grief after his wife and daughter are killed in a shocking accident.  But when he moves to a secluded Victorian mansion, he will find himself haunted by a paranormal entity that may unleash an even more disturbing secret. 

Trish Van Devere (THE HEARSE), two-time Oscar® winner Melvyn Douglas (BEING THERE) and Jean Marsh (FRENZY) co-star in “One of the most unsettling ghost stories ever” (IFC.com).  Winner of 8 Genie Awards, including Best Foreign Actor, Best Foreign Actress, and Best Canadian Film, and based on actual events.

Special Features:
- Audio Commentary with Director Peter Medak and Producer Joel B. Michaels, moderated by Severin Films' David Gregory.
- The House On Cheesman Park: The Haunting True Story of THE CHANGELING.
- The Music of THE CHANGELING: Interview with Music Arranger Kenneth Wannberg.
- Building The House Of Horror: Interview with Art Director Reuben Freed.
- The Psychotronic Tourist: THE CHANGELING.
- Master of Horror Mick Garris on THE CHANGELING.
- Poster & Still Gallery
- Trailer
- TV Spot

Video Preview
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