Barry Forshaw

THE CURSE OF FRANKENSTEIN 4K, Terence Fisher director/Hammer Films

Any praise that I offer for this spectacular deluxe 4K sprucing up of The Curse of Frankenstein, the film that essentially started the Hammer revolution should perhaps be tempered by the fact that I am a contributor to one of the commentaries (along with Kim Newman, Stephen Jones and other colleagues). But objective or not, this is a collector’s set to end them all, with six discs: two ultra high def and four Blu-rays, along with an absolute cornucopia of special features. The Curse of Frankenstein — at a stroke — established Terence Fisher as the de facto director of such product for the studio, although critical respectability was not to come to much later; but there can be few directors who went so firmly from being journeyman directors to authentic auteurs. What is perhaps most astonishing about the unified elements of this first Hammer colour film is just how many of the important constituent elements are already in place – and, what’s more, functioning from the off at the top of their game. There is Fisher, of course; the writer Jimmy Sangster (whose first major Gothic enterprise for the company this was – and who produces a stripped-down scenario some considerable distance from Mary Shelley but absolutely utilitarian and at the service of the film Fisher and his associates wanted to make); the composer James Bernard, with an effective score, albeit lacking anything as distinctive as the plangent leitmotif he was to compose for the subsequent Dracula; the cinematographer Jack Asher, responsible as much as any other member of the creative crew for forging a strong visual identity for the film and its successors; and production designer Bernard Robinson, whose particular skill was to manufacture a facsimile of sumptuousness on extremely restricted budgets. While Hammer Films rarely have the air of spaciousness of their Universal Studios predecessors, the British studio’s more confined spaces are dressed in the most creative and evocative of fashions, affording a pleasure as keen as anything else within the film. And notice that I haven’t mentioned Peter Cushing and Christopher Lee – is it really necessary? Whether you are new to the film or a long-time admirer, this highly tempting package is now the default way to experience it.

THE DIABOLICAL DR Z, Jess Franco, director/Eureka

This early voyage into the horror genre by cult director Jess Franco is presented here in a splendid new transfer, and it looks better than this elusive film ever has. A Spanish/French coproduction, The Diabolical Dr Z is graced with a screenplay by no less than Jean-Claude Carriere (celebrated for his work with the great Luis Bunuel) in which a mad scientist forges a device that allows him to take control of human minds – the Dr ‘Z’ or Zimmer of the title whose death is avenged by his implacable daughter. Following his international breakthrough with The Awful Dr. Orloff, Jess Franco next delivered a startling pair of crime-thrillers that riffed on European notions of crime film. The director of over 100 films, Franco has engendered a huge worldwide cult following for his output, even the ramshackle ones (and there are plenty of those), and here is the perfect opportunity to submit yourself to a key movie, strikingly shot.

EVIL LAUGH, Steven Baio, director/88 Films

if you thought that every nook and cranny of the slasher genre had now been explored and excavated by the DVD/Blu-ray industry, think again: here’s another obscurity which apparently had extra sequences of gruesomeness shot in order to enhance its saleability. Needless to say, this disc is the uncut version, as is the norm these days.

JACOB’S LADDER, Adrian Lyne, director/StudioCanal

The disturbing Adrian Lyne thriller Jacob’s Ladder stars Tim Robbins, Danny Aiello, Ving Rhames and Elizabeth Peña, and appears here in a welcome new 4K restoration, courtesy of StudioCanal. Writer Bruce Joel Rubin scored a success with the screenplay for Ghost, and provides an ambitious scenario here in which Robbins plays a Vietnam vet living in New York who is plagued by hallucinations. The nightmarish visions are well handled by Lyne and Robbins, the latter providing a rich and interesting character study. Another plus for the film is an uncharacteristic score from Maurice Jarre, darker and more threatening than his usual fare.

THE BETRAYAL, Tokuzo Tanaka, director/Radiance

In Tokuzo Tanaka’s remarkable drama, a samurai who is trying to live according to the ideals he is devoted to finds himself estranged from his colleagues and, accordingly, vulnerable. Taking on his own shoulders the negative behaviour of others, he is exiled for a year before he may be brought back into his clan’s embrace, but as the title suggests, betrayal is the name of the game, and he is soon a hunted quarry. This is a mesmerising piece with performances that are more understated than is customary for the genre. Visuals, too are skilfully realised.

SS EXPERIMENT CAMP, 4K UHD + BD Sergio Garrone, director/88 Films

Italian exploitation films remain a peculiar subsection of cinema, particularly those which deal with the difficult subject of the Nazi era. This is one of the most famous – or should that be notorious? –entries in the field, and is delivered unblushingly although (obviously) it will not be to every taste. If you are an admirer of filmmakers stretching the boundaries of what is acceptable, Garrone’s extreme film may already be on your radar.