Arnold – Vinegar Syndrome (Blu-ray)

Theatrical Release Date: USA, 1973
Director: Georg Fenady
Writers: Jameson Brewer, John Fenton Murray
Cast: Stella Stevens, Roddy McDowall, Elsa Lanchester, Shani Wallis, Farley Granger, Victor Buono, John McGiver, Bernard Fox, Patric Knowles, Jamie Farr

Release Date: September 26th, 2023
Approximate Running Time: 95 Minutes 12 Seconds
Aspect Ratio: 1.85:1 Widescreen / 1080 Progressive / MPEG-4 AVC
Rating: PG
Sound: DTS-HD Mono English
Subtitles: English SDH
Region Coding: Region A
Retail Price: $42.98

"When wealthy, eccentric Lord Arnold Dwellyn dies, his funeral also doubles as a wedding: Arnold gets hitched to his mistress Karen, who will inherit his vast estate...if she agrees to meet several conditions. This includes remaining in his mansion with Arnold’s corpse by her side. Karen—along with Arnold’s ex-wife, his brother, and several members of his family—are unhappy with this arrangement, but desperate to get their hands on Arnold’s vast wealth, which allegedly includes a pile of money hidden somewhere on the grounds. But as each of the guests attempt to break or subvert the conditions of Arnold’s will, the consequences end up being lethal and Karen finds herself caught up in a series of grisly murders. Has Arnold returned from the dead to take revenge on his greedy loved ones, or is there a living, breathing killer lurking around the mansion?" - synopsis provided by the distributor

Video: 4.5/5

Here’s the information provided about this release's transfer, "Newly scanned & restored in 4K from its 35mm interpositive."

Arnold comes on a 50 GB dual layer Blu-ray.

Disc Size: 28.8 GB

Feature: 26.1 GB

The source used for this transfer looks great; any source debris is very minor. Flesh tones and colors look correct, image clarity, black levels, and compression are solid, and though grain remains intact, there are some moments where it is noticeably thicker.

Audio: 4.5/5

This release comes with one audio option, a DTS-HD mono mix in English with removable English SDH. The audio sounds clean, clear, balanced, and robust when it should.

Extras:

Extras for this release include a brand new video essay by film historian Samm Deighan titled The Gothic Horror Comedy in Hollywood (21 minutes 2 seconds, Dolby Digital stereo English with removable English SDH), an audio commentary with  Mike White, author and co-host of The Projection Booth Podcast, reversible cover art, and a spot gloss slipcover limited to 6,000 units.

Summary:

Directed by Georg Fenady, whose filmography mostly consists of TV series made for TV films. The other feature film that he directed was Terror in the Wax Museum, which was shot back-to-back with Arnold.

The narrative revolves around the recently deceased Arnold, who marries his mistress, who will inherit his estate as long as she remains by his side. Unhappy with the conditions of his will, family members who try to get their hands on his wealth end up dead.

Arnold features an absurd premise that somehow works as well as it does because its characters fully invest themselves in the events that unfold. And though the narrative has few real surprises, character after character comes to a tragic demise due to their greed. That is not to say that the narrative does a great job holding your attention until the final twist that ends the film.

Arnold features a solid cast who are all great in their roles, especially Stella Stevens (The Nutty Professor, 1963) in the role of Karen, the woman who marries the recently deceased Arnold. Her character is a gold digger who seduces man after man in her quest to find Arnold’s hidden fortune. Other performances of note are Elsa Lanchester (The Bride of Frankenstein) in the role of Arnold’s sister Hester and Jamie Farr (M*A*S*H) in the role of a servant named Dybbi.

Arnold is yet another in a long line of “Old Dark House’ horror films. And just like so many other “Old Dark House’ horror films, humor plays a significant role in Arnold. And nowhere is this clearer than when it comes to the aforementioned premise. That said, one of the funniest bits is how prerecorded tapes made by Arnold come up at the most opportune moments. Needless to say, the black humor in Arnold is pitch perfect in its execution. Ultimately, Arnold is a deliriously funny film that fans of subversive humor and ghoulish subject matter should thoroughly enjoy.

Arnold gets a first-rate release from Vinegar Syndrome that comes with a solid audio/video presentation and a pair of informative extras, highly recommended.

 Written by Michael Den Boer