Horrors of the Black Museum: Restored Uncut Special Edition - VCI Entertainment (Blu-ray)

Theatrical Release Date: UK, 1959
Director: Arthur Crabtree
Writers: Herman Cohen, Aben Kandel
Cast: Michael Gough, June Cunningham, Graham Curnow, Shirley Anne Field, Geoffrey Keen, Gerald Andersen, John Warwick, Beatrice Varley, Austin Trevor, Malou Pantera, Howard Greene, Dorinda Stevens

Release Date: December 12th, 2023
Approximate Running Time: 81 Minutes 49 Seconds
Aspect Ratio: 2.35:1 Widescreen / 1080 Progressive / MPEG-4 AVC
Rating: NR
Sound: LPCM Mono English
Subtitles: English SDH
Region Coding: Region Free
Retail Price: $29.95

"London is fear struck, and Scotland Yard is baffled by a series of strange murders that have plagued the city. Stories of the atrocities, by crime journalists Edmond Bancroft (Michael Gough -- yes, the same loveable 'Alfred Pennyworth' from the new Batman movies), come to their own conclusions missed by the "Yard". This is because of the fact that Edmond is behind these horrible crimes in order to create material for his writing. Along with his assistant, Rick (Graham Curnow) who helps him run a private "Black Museum" filled with murder and torture devices." - synopsis provided by the distributor

Video: 4.25/5

Here’s the information provided about this release's transfer, "a new 2023 4K scan of the original 35mm film masters!"

Horrors of the Black Museum comes on a 50 GB dual layer Blu-ray.

Disc Size: 42.5 GB

Feature: 23 GB

The source of this new 4K scan is StudioCanal. This transfer is in excellent shape; all source debris has been cleaned up. Flesh tones look correct, colors are nicely saturated, image clarity, contrast, and black levels are strong throughout, compression is very good, and there does not appear to be any digital noise reduction.

Audio: 4.25/5

This release comes with one audio option, a LPCM mono mix in English with removable English SDH. The audio is in great shape; there are no issues with distortion or background noise. Dialog comes through clearly, everything sounds balanced, and range-wise things sound very good.

Extras:

Extras for this release include reversible cover art, a photo gallery (stills/lobby cards/posters), U.S. theatrical trailer (3 minutes 15 seconds, LPCM mono English, no subtitles), European theatrical trailer (2 minutes 54 seconds, LPCM mono English, no subtitles), a video tribute to producer Herman Cohen (19 minutes 50 seconds, LPCM stereo English with removable English SDH), an archival interview with actress Shirley Anne Field (22 minutes, LPCM stereo English with removable English SDH), an archival phone interview with actor Michael Gough (2 minutes 39 seconds, LPCM stereo English with removable English SDH), an archival phone interview with producer Herman Cohen (11 minutes 18 seconds, LPCM stereo English with removable English SDH), original U.S. Hypno-vista opening featuring psychologist, Emile Franchel (11 minutes 48 seconds, LPCM mono English with removable English SDH), an archival audio commentary with Herman Cohen, and an audio commentary with film historian and artist Robert Kelly.

Summary:

Directed by Arthur Crabtree, whose other notable films are Dear Murderer and Fiend Without a Face. Produced by Herman Cohen, whose other notable films are Crime of Passion, I Was a Teenage Werewolf, I Was a Teenage Frankenstein, and How to Make a Monster.

Horrors of the Black Museum is a B-movie British horror film that is most remembered for its gory kill scenes. There are deadly binoculars that impale a woman's eyes; a bed that's made into a guillotine, impaled by ice tongs; and a body submerged in a vat filled with acid—these are some of the gory delights on display. All of these grisly kills reinforce the Horrors of the Black Museum’s Grand Guignol vibe.

Horrors of the Black Museum starts off strong with the aforementioned scene, where a woman’s eyes are impaled when she looks into binoculars. This opening sequence does a phenomenal job of setting the foundation for the events that follow; it also does a superb job of setting the tone. From there, the rest of the narrative is a good mix of exposition and murder set pieces, with a solid finale providing a satisfying conclusion.

Though there is nothing wrong with any of the performances, outside of Michael Gough (Horror of Dracula) in the role of a journalist with an interest in true crime, none of the other performances leave any lasting impression. His character interest in the macabre plays a key role in the story that unfolds.

From a production standpoint, despite its limited budget, Horrors of the Black Museum is a film that maximizes its resources. Also, when it comes to the premise, this is an area where Horrors of the Black Museum delivers and then some. Ultimately, Horrors of the Black Museum is a well-made horror film that fans of Hammer Horror and 1950s and 1960s British horror cinema are sure to enjoy.

Horrors of the Black Museum gets a first-rate release from VCI Entertainment that comes with a strong audio/video presentation and informative extras, recommended.

Written by Michael Den Boer