Mark of the Devil – Vinegar Syndrome (4k UHD/Blu-ray Combo)

Theatrical Release Date: West Germany, 1970
Directors: Michael Armstrong, Adrian Hoven (uncredited)
Writer: Michael Armstrong, Adrian Hoven
Cast: Herbert Lom, Udo Kier, Olivera Katarina, Reggie Nalder, Herbert Fux, Johannes Buzalski, Michael Maien, Gaby Fuchs, Ingeborg Schöner, Adrian Hoven

Release Date: October 31st, 2023
Approximate Running Time: 97 Minutes 34 Seconds
Aspect Ratio: 1.66:1 Widescreen / 2160 Progressive / HEVC / H.265 / HDR10
Rating: NR
Sound: DTS-HD Mono English, DTS-HD Mono German
Subtitles: English SDH, English
Region Coding: Region Free (4K UHD), Region A (Blu-ray)
Retail Price: $64.98

"In the midst of the European witch trials, a small Austrian town is subject to the sadistic whims of self-appointed witchfinder Albino, who inflicts torture and agonizing death on those he accuses of conspiracy with the Devil. But when the zealous Lord Cumberland arrives, along with his executioner and aristocratic young attendant Christian, to take over the responsibility of local witch-hunting, the town is plunged into even greater depths of terror and depravity as he metes out ever more brutal tortures on the populace, all in the name of God. As Lord Cumberland’s maniacal practices reach a fever pitch, and Christian’s would-be love interest, Vanessa, ends up as his latest target, Christian is thrown into a crisis of faith, as the perilous edge of violence draws ever closer." - synopsis provided by the distributor

Video: 5/5 (4K UHD), 4.5/5 (Blu-ray)

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

Mark of the Devil comes on a 66 GB dual layer 4K UHD.

Disc Size: 59.8 GB

Feature: 59.6 GB

Though there is some minor source debris in the opening credits, the bulk of the transfer looks excellent. Flesh tones look healthy, colors are nicely saturated, image clarity, black levels, and compression are solid, and the image always looks organic.

Mark of the Devil comes on a 50 GB dual layer Blu-ray.

Disc Size: 45.6 GB

Feature: 26.7 GB

The Blu-ray uses the same source as the 4K UHD does for its transfer.

Audio: 4.5/5 (DTS-HD Mono English, DTS-HD Mono German)

This release comes with two audio options, a DTS-HD mono mix in English and a DTS-HD mono mix in German. Both audio tracks are in great shape; dialog comes through clearly; everything sounds balanced; and range-wise, both tracks sound very good. That said, the German-language tracks sound more robust than the English-language tracks. Included are removable English SDH for the English language track and removable English subtitles for the German language track.

Extras:

Extras on the 4K UHD disc include an archival audio commentary with director Michael Armstrong, and moderator Calum Waddell.

Extras on the Blu-ray disc that contains the feature film include an interview with Michael Armstrong titled Performing God's Work (34 minutes 35 seconds, Dolby Digital stereo English with removable English SDH), an interview with actor Udo Kier titled The Devil's Apprentice (19 minutes 26 seconds, Dolby Digital stereo English with removable English SDH), a brief guide to the screenplays of Michael Armstrong with lecturer and film historian Dr. Adrian Smith titled Words of the Devil (14 minutes 32 seconds, Dolby Digital stereo English with removable English SDH), a locations featurette titled A Hell of a Place (23 minutes 13 seconds, Dolby Digital stereo with music from Mark of the Devil playing in the background), an archival documentary from 2014 on the new wave of British horror filmmakers which emerged in the '60s and '70s titled Mark of the Times (47 minutes 42 seconds, Dolby Digital stereo English, no subtitles), and an archival audio commentary with Michael Armstrong, and Calum Waddell.

Extras on a second Blu-ray disc include three radio spots (2 minutes 3 seconds, Dolby Digital mono English, no subtitles), a theatrical trailer (3 minutes 25 seconds, Dolby Digital mono English, no subtitles), an archival artwork & image gallery, alternate German language title sequence (2 minutes 47 seconds, Dolby Digital mono with German text, no subtitles), outtakes (39 minutes 2 seconds, Dolby Digital stereo, no dialog, music from Mark of the Devil playing in the background), an archival audio interview with actor Herbert Lom (4 minutes 42 seconds, Dolby Digital stereo English, no subtitles), an archival interview with composer Michael Holm (24 minutes 18 seconds, Dolby Digital stereo English, no subtitles), an archival interview with actress Ingeborg Schöner (9 minutes 2 seconds, Dolby Digital stereo English, no subtitles), an archival interview with actress Gaby Fuchs (10 minutes 24 seconds, Dolby Digital stereo German with removable English subtitles), an archival interview with actor Herbert Fux (23 minutes 4 seconds, Dolby Digital stereo German with removable English subtitles), 2013 Q&A with Michael Armstrong (19 minutes 54 seconds, Dolby Digital stereo English, no subtitles), and an interview with author and filmmaker Michael Gingold on Hallmark Releasing, the controversial distributor behind Mark of the Devil's original U.S. release titled Hallmark of the Devil (12 minutes 13 seconds, Dolby Digital stereo English, no subtitles).

Other extras include reversible cover art and a spot gloss hard slipcase + slipcover combo limited to 7,000 units.

Summary:

Directed by Michael Armstrong, who only directed two other feature films, The Haunted House of Horror and Screamtime.

The narrative revolves around a witchfinder named Albino who finds himself in the crosshairs of a more prominent witchfinder named Lord Cumberland, who calls into question Albino’s methods for exposing those in league with the devil.

Though witchcraft has served as the premise of countless films, it was not until the release of Michael Reeves Witchfinder General that another more brutal sub-genre would emerge. And in this sub-genre, all of the films would take place during the eighteenth century, and they would all feature, in a prominent role, a witchfinder character. Another thing that would become synonymous with this genre was its graphic deception of torture towards those who were accused of being witches. Besides the aforementioned Witchfinder General, a few other key films in this sub-genre include The Bloody Judge, Cry of the Banshee, and Inquisition.

There are two main narratives that run throughout Mark of the Devil. One involves a love story between a bar maid named Vanessa and Lord Cumberland’s apprentice, Count Christian von Meruh. The other revolves around the rise and fall of Lord Cumberland. And these two narratives eventually intersect when Christian is forced to choose between his love for Vanessa or his devotion to Lord Cumberland, his mentor.

Outside of what characters reveal about other characters, this is the extent of Mark of the Devil’s backstory. Basically, the majority of the characters are defined by their reputations, and their motivations are always crystal clear. That said, there are only a few characters that exude sympathy in Mark of the Devil.

Of course, the thing that most are quickly drawn to when thinking about Mark of the Devil is shocking moments of torture. And rightfully so, since it is in this area that Mark of the Devil resonates the most. There are beheadings, death by inferno, torture racks, branding flesh with hot irons, and ripping out the tongues of those who refuse to confess their sins. It is safe to say that these moments of brutality have not lost any of their potency.

Performance-wise, the entire cast is great in their respective roles, especially Herbert Lom (A Shot in the Dark) in the role of Lord Cumberland. He gives a towering performance that dominates the film. And even his arrival in the film announces his importance. Other performances of note include Reggie Nalder (The Bird with the Crystal Plumage) in the role of Albino and Gaby Fuchs (The Werewolf Versus the Vampire Woman) in the role of Deidre von Bergenstein, the young woman whose tongue is ripped out by Lord Cumberland’s men.

From a production standpoint, the visuals and set design are first-rate. And pacing is never an issue as things move along briskly. Ultimately, Mark of the Devil is a well-made melodrama that handles the subject of witch hunting with the utmost zeal.

Mark of the Devil gets a definitive release from Vinegar Syndrome, highly recommended.

Note about the 4K screenshots: It is not possible to make Dolby Vision or HDR10 screenshots that faithfully match the experience of watching a film in motion on a TV. Instead of not having any screenshots, all of the 4K screenshots are m2ts taken with a VLC player and lossless PNGs.

Written by Michael Den Boer