New Horrors to Blu-ray since last Halloween

By Christopher P. Jacobs
Movies Editor

Halloween is barely more than a weekend away, so it’s time to plan those scary-movie parties. While last year saw the Blu-ray debuts of several major classic horror films, from Hitchcock’s “Psycho” and Sam Raimi’s “Evil Dead” to the “Alien” quadrilogy and “The Exorcist,” there have been a number of notable spooky movies newly available in hi-def over the past year, with a few more just about to show up (including the original Lon Chaney “Phantom of the Opera”).

Two films from Mexico deserve a wider recognition, both treating horror as a personal art form rather than an exploitation genre. Guillermo del Toro’s first feature, the brilliant low-key vampire story “Cronos” (1993), came out on an excellent Blu-ray from Criterion last December and in January Alejandro Jodorowski’s peculiar (to say the least) psychotic-revenge-murder oddity “Santa Sangre” (1989) showed up from Severin films. “Last May” from Legend Films came a budget Blu-ray double-feature of the notable and far more traditional British horror films “The Man Who Could Cheat Death” (1959) and “The Skull” (1965), both featuring Christopher Lee and both classics of the drive-in/grindhouse approach to the genre.

Another bargain Blu-ray, recently released from Mill Creek, has a trilogy of entertaining and surprisingly well-made Japanese monster-movie reboots with drastically higher production values than their cheesy 1960s inspirations: “Gamera: Guardian of the Universe” (1995), “Gamera: Attack of the Legion” (1996), and “Gamera: Revenge of Iris” (1999). Even more surprising from this cut-rate distributor is the high quality of the Blu-ray transfers, including alternate audio tracks with both dubbed English dialogue and original Japanese with subtitles. The third movie (available separately as well) also includes substantial behind-the-scenes footage as a bonus.

Guillermo del Toro’s second feature was his first American production, “Mimic” (1997). It just came out on Blu-ray from Lionsgate on September 27th in a new “director’s cut” where del Toro tries to undo as many of the studio-demanded changes as possible. But despite the requirements of market-conscious executives, even in its original theatrical release “Mimic” was a distinctively del Toro work, looking far more like a European artfilm than a standard Hollywood monster formula until closer to the end.

Essentially it’s a variation on “Frankenstein” and effective updating of “Them!,” among other classic monster movies. It feels more like an eerie mystery-thriller than a monster picture, with a thoughtful depth that asks for deeper analysis as scientists try to stop a plague of giant insects mutated from their own creation intended as a biological pest control. From the very first scene, a pervasive dark golden tone to the color, unexpected camera placements, and artistic use of lighting contribute greatly to its ominous feeling. Moreover, the rounded characters and believable performances provide a dimension usually lacking in horror films. The fact that these are not simply generic faces or wooden caricatures makes it that much more of a shock when a character is threatened or killed by the creatures.

Picture quality ranges from good to excellent, with a few softer shots (mainly nighttime second-unit footage), and the DTS-HD 7.1 audio is superb. Extras include a video introduction by Del Toro, a director’s commentary, deleted scenes, storyboard animatics, gag reel, trailer, and three featurettes including one on “reclaiming” the film.
MIMIC on Blu-ray— Movie: A-  /  Video:  A   /  Audio: A+  /  Extras: A-

More of a moody ghost story than true horror, Swedish actor-director Victor Sjöström’s “The Phantom Carriage” or “Körkarlen” (1921), is new to Blu-ray from Criterion, also released September 27th. Nobel prize-winning novelist Selma Lagerlöf worked with Sjöström to adapt her book to the screen. The story chronicles the adventures of an alcoholic vagrant suffering from tuberculosis (played by writer-director Sjöström) and the ancient Norse legend that the last person to die on New Year’s Eve must spend the following year driving the ghostly horsecart of Death to collect the souls of all who die that year.

Of course it’s about more than supernatural chills, but is a moving, complex character study and morality tale that has numerous obvious parallels in the work of Ingmar Bergman three to five decades later. Although only a toddler when the film was made, a teenage Bergman saw it in revivals and credited it as the film that made him become a filmmaker himself. Its preoccupation with death and human perversity, the contrasts between good and evil, affected his work deeply. He would even cast Sjöström in some of his most memorable films.

Criterion’s HD transfer is excellent, although the restored film shows some wear and minor flicker inherent in the surviving film material. There are two fine options for music accompaniment to enhance the silent drama, one a small orchestra score in a traditional style that highlights the drama perfectly, and the other an experimental duo that is also very effective, creating more of a horror film mood.

Bonus features include a fascinating audio commentary by a Scandinavian film historian, a filmed 1981 interview with Ingmar Bergman in HD, a new HD featurette about the film’s Bergman connection, footage of the construction of the movie studio where “The Phantom Carriage” was filmed, and a booklet with credits and a critical essay.
THE PHANTOM CARRIAGE on Blu-ray — Movie: A-  /  Video: A-  /  Audio: A+  /  Extras: A

Over the past year, all five seasons of the original “Twilight Zone” TV series, 156 episodes from 1959-1964, have made it to Blu-ray. They present a wonderful anthology of thoughtful, literate fantasy/sci-fi morality tales, with several episodes leaning more towards true horror, a number being distinctly comedic, and more than a few touchingly poignant dramas. The HD transfers from the original 35mm film negatives look truly outstanding, sharper than many Blu-rays of recent Hollywood hits (except for a few season 2 episodes that were shot on video for budget reasons)! There’s also a generous amount of bonus features, including numerous audio commentaries, interviews, bonus programs, and video excerpts.
TWILIGHT ZONE (TV series) on Blu-ray— Movies: A+ to B   /  Video: A+  /  Audio: A   /  Extras: A-

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