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Tormented – Film Masters (Blu-ray)

Theatrical Release Date: USA, 1960
Director: Bert I. Gordon
Writers: George Worthing Yates, Bert I. Gordon
Cast: Richard Carlson, Susan Gordon, Lugene Sanders, Juli Reding, Joe Turkel, Lillian Adams, Gene Roth, Vera Marshe, Harry Fleer, Merritt Stone

Release Date: April 23rd, 2024
Approximate running time: 74 Minutes 29 Seconds
Aspect Ratio: 1.85:1 Widescreen / 1080 Progressive / MPEG-4 AVC
Rating: NR
Sound: DTS-HD Mono English, Dolby Digital Mono English
Subtitles: English SDH
Region Coding: Region Free
Retail Price: $24.95

"Set on an island in a tight-knit community, Tom Stewart (Richard Carlson) is preparing to marry the woman he loves. All is well until Tom's old girlfriend, Vi, confronts him at the top of the island's lighthouse, claiming he can only be hers! A freak accident throws the scorned woman to her death. At first relieved, Tom's tune changes when her vengeful spirit begins to follow him wherever he goes. He's soon tormented, body and soul, by an unforgiving she-ghost! What lengths will Tom go to in order to protect his secret? Will the vengeful Vi finally reveal herself to the others at hand? Find out in this harrowing tale of love between the living and the dead!" - synopsis provided by the distributor

Video: 4.5/5

Here’s the information provided about the transfer, "New Restoration from 4k scan from 35mm original archival elements".

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

Disc Size: 44.8 GB

Feature: 20.3 GB

This is another solid transfer from Film Masters; the source has been cleaned up. Also, for a film that has not been treated well with previous home video releases, this new transfer is a substantial upgrade. Image clarity is solid, black levels are strong, compression is very good, and the image looks organic. That said, there are a few moments where the quality of the source dips; fortunately, none of these are ever intrusive.

Audio: 4.25/5 (DTS-HD Mono English)

This release comes with two audio options, a DTS-HD mono mix in English and a Dolby Digital mono mix in English. For this review, I only listened to the DTS-HD mono track. The audio is in great shape. Dialog comes through clearly, and everything sounds balanced and robust when it should. Included are removable English SDH.

Extras:

Extras for this release include original raw 35mm theatrical trailer for 1960 release (2 minutes 11 seconds, Dolby Digital mono English, no subtitles), 2024 re-cut theatrical trailer (2 minutes 1 second, Dolby Digital mono English, no subtitles), unaired pilot episode of 'Untold Ghost Stories,' with Vincent Price (4 minutes 14 seconds, Dolby Digital mono English with removable English SDH), a video essay narrated by Howard S. Berger titled The Spirit is Willing (20 minutes 13 seconds, Dolby Digital stereo English with removable English SDH), an archival interview with writer/director/producer Bert I. Gordon titled Bert I. Gordon: The Amazing Colossal Filmmaker (7 minutes 52 seconds, Dolby Digital stereo English with removable English SDH), a documentary featuring C. Courtney Joyner titled Bigger Than Life: Bert I. Gordon in the 1950's and 1960's (39 minutes 25 seconds, Dolby Digital stereo English with removable English SDH), an audio commentary with author Gary Rhodes, MST3K episode featuring Tormented (91 minutes 42 seconds, Dolby Digital stereo English with removable English SDH), and a 24-page booklet with an essay titled Tormented written by Tom Weaver and The Boy and His Favorite Film novelist-filmmaker John Wooley on Tormented star Susan Gordon.

Summary:

Directed by Bert I. Gordon, whose notable films are The Cyclops, The Amazing Colossal Man, Earth vs. the Spider, and Village of the Giants.

The narrative revolves around a man who is tormented by a former lover who fell to her death during an argument. From there, her ghost haunts him, never letting him forget the role he played in her death.

Bert I. Gordon was a filmmaker who always worked with limited resources. He primarily worked on super-sized creature films that required special effects like rear projection. With Tormented, he would make a supernatural/thriller that would also rely on special effects, with shots of an embodied hand and head being a few of the effects.

What begins with blackmail evolves into an eerie thriller in which the protagonist questions their sanity as they try to cover up their involvement in a former lover's death. And though there are no real surprises along the way, the narrative still does a good job building towards a poetic justice finale.

The performances range from adequate to very good. The strongest performance was by Richard Carlson (It Came from Outer Space) in the role of Tom Stewart. He delivers a solid portrayal of a man who is tormented by a former lover who died because of his inaction. Another performance of note is Susan Gordon (The Five Pennies) in the role of Sandy, the daughter of the woman engaged to Tom.

From a production standpoint, Tormented is a slickly put-together film that exceeds the sum of its parts. The premise is well executed, and pacing is never an issue, as key moments are given ample time to resonate. And though the special effects are dated-looking, they actually work well within the confines of the story that unfolds. Ultimately, Tormented is a well-made supernatural thriller that is filled with atmosphere and eerie moments.

Tormented gets an excellent release from Film Masters that comes with a solid audio/video presentation and a wealth of extras, highly recommended.