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The Bloody Judge (Der Hexentöter von Blackmoor) - Koch Films (Blu-ray)

Theatrical Release Date: Italy/West Germany/Spain/Liechtenstein, 1970
Director: Jesús Franco
Writers: Enrico Colombo, Jesús Franco, Michael Haller, Harry Alan Towers, Anthony Scott Veitch
Cast: Christopher Lee, Maria Schell, Leo Genn, Hans Hass Jr., Maria Rohm, Margaret Lee, Peter Martell, Howard Vernon, Milo Quesada, Diana Lorys

Release Date: July 9th, 2020
Approximate running times: 102 Minutes 40 Seconds (International Verison), 104 Minutes 8 Seconds (Integral Version), 79 Minutes 4 Seconds (German Version)
Aspect Ratio: 2.35:1 Widescreen / 1080 Progressive / MPEG-4 AVC (International Verison, German Version), 2.35:1 Anamorphic Widescreen (Integral Version)
Rating: FSK 16 (Germany)
Sound: LPCM Mono English (International Verison), LPCM Mono German (International Verison, German Version), Dolby Digital Mono English (Integral Version), Dolby Digital Mono German (Integral Version)
Subtitles: English (International Verison, Integral Version), German (All Versions)
Region Coding: Region B/Region 2 PAL
Retail Price: EUR 49,80

"England in the 17th century: George Jeffreys was appointed Chief Justice by the Royal Household. And thus to become the first witch hunter in the country, who leads a cruel regiment with the help of his no less sadistic torturers. Political adversaries fall victim to him just as much as young women, who he sends into the flames as witches, especially when they do not want to submit to him. A false word, and the pyre is on fire!" – Synopsis provided by the Distributor

Video: 4.5/5 (International Verison), 3.5/5 (Integral Version)

The Bloody Judge, the international version comes on a 50 GB dual layer Blu-ray.

Disc Size: 30.5 GB

Feature: 30.3 GB

The source used is in excellent shape; there are no issues with source-related damage. Colors are nicely saturated, flesh tones look correct, image clarity is good, and black levels are solid. Compression is strong throughout, and the image retains an organic look.

The Bloody Judge, the German version comes on a 25 GB single layer Blu-ray.

Disc Size: 24.3 GB

Feature: 22.3 GB

The Bloody Judge, the integral version comes of a dual layer DVD.

Disc Size: 6.9 GB

For a DVD, this transfer looks very good; it is on par with the transfer that Blue Underground used for their DVD.

Audio: 4.25/5 (LPCM Mono English - International Version), 3.5/5 (Dolby Digital Mono English - Integral Version)

The international version comes with two audio options, a LPCM mono mix in English and a LPCM mono mix in German. The English language track is in great shape. Dialog comes through clearly; everything sounds balanced and robust when it should. Included are removable English and removable German subtitles. It should be noted that there are two English subtitles: the first translates the whole English language track, and the second translates sections where the dialog is only available in German.

The German version comes with one audio option, a LPCM mono mix in German; there are no subtitles.

The integral version comes with two audio options: a Dolby Digital mono mix in English and a Dolby Digital mono mix in German. The English language track sounds clean, clear, and balanced. It should be noted that there are two English subtitles: the first translates the whole English language track, and the second translates sections where the dialog is only available in German.

Extras:

There are no extras on the Blu-ray disc that contains the international version.

Extras on the Blu-ray disc with the German version include an image gallery (71 images - posters/lobby cards/stills/other promotional materials), a double feature TV spot for Blood from the Mummy’s Tomb and Night of the Blood Monster (32 seconds, LPCM mono English, no subtitles), a double feature theatrical trailer for Blood from the Mummy’s Tomb and Night of the Blood Monster (1 minute 51 seconds, LPCM mono English, no subtitles), Night of the Blood Monster theatrical trailer #1 (54 seconds, LPCM mono English, no subtitles), Night of the Blood Monster theatrical trailer #2 (1 minute 2 seconds, LPCM mono English, no subtitles), additional scenes one is from Spanish version (6 minutes 17 seconds, LPCM mono Spanish with non-removable German subtitles), and an introduction by Christian Kessler (4 minutes 37 seconds, LPCM stereo German, no subtitles).

Extras on the DVD with the integral version include a featurette comparison of scenes edited differently in the Spanish version (2 minutes 14, Dolby Digital mono Spanish with removable German subtitles).

Extras on a second DVD include a super 8 version of Night of the Blood Beast (31 minutes 40 seconds, Dolby Digital mono German, no subtitles), and a documentary titled Franco-Philes (75 minutes 19 seconds, Dolby Digital stereo English with removable English subtitles).

A CD with Bruno Nicolai's thirty-five track score.

A sixteen page bookelt with an essay titled Two and a half years, nine films: Jess Franco and Harry Alan Towers written by Oliver Nöding. Text is in German.

Summary:

When The Bloody Judge was originally released in the U.S., it was under the alternate title Night of the Blood Monster. Producer Harry Alan Towers had a good eye for finding and exploiting whatever was trending. And The Bloody Judge was made in response to films like Michael Reeves The Witchfinder General.

The Bloody Judge was Harry Alan Towers' eighth of nine collaborations with Jess Franco. And though most of these films are more restrained than Jess Franco’s post-Harry Alan Towers films, there are still many flourishes throughout these nine films that are undeniably Jess Franco.

The Bloody Judge is loosely based on Lord Jefferies, the Lord Chief Justice of seventeenth-century England. He used his position to further his political and sexual desires by condemning women as witches, when they were often not witches.

Christopher Lee (The Whip and the Body) is cast in the role of Lord Jefferies. This is the type of character that Christopher Lee excelled at portraying. He delivers a diabolical performance in which he fully immerses himself. Other notable cast members include Maria Schell (99 Women) in the role of a blind witch named Mother Rosa, Howard Vernon (The Other Side of the Mirror) in the role of the executioner, and Maria Rohm (Venus in Furs) in the role of Mary Gray, a woman who is falsely accused of being a witch by Lord Jefferies.

From a production standpoint, there are no areas where The Bloody Judge is lacking. The premise is well-executed, the narrative does a great job building tension, and the production design and costume design are first-rate. Also, there is an abundance of naked flesh and brutal moments of torture. Another area that excels is composer Bruno Nicolai’s exceptional score, which perfectly reinforces the mood. Ultimately, The Bloody Judge is a satisfying mix of sadism and historical melodrama.

The Bloody Judge gets a strong release from Koch Films that comes with multiple versions of the film and an informative documentary, recommended.

International Verison Screenshots.