10kbullets

Devil Doll / Curse of the Voodoo – Vinegar Syndrome (Blu-ray)

Theatrical Release Dates: UK, 1964 (Devil Doll), UK, 1965 (Curse of the Voodoo)
Director: Lindsay Shonteff (Both Films)
Cast: Bryant Haliday, William Sylvester, Yvonne Romain, Sandra Dorne, Nora Nicholson, Alan Gifford, Karel Stepanek, Francis De Wolff (Devil Doll), Bryant Haliday, Dennis Price, Lisa Daniely, Mary Kerridge, Ronald Leigh-Hunt, Jean Lodge, Dennis Alaba Peters, Danny Daniels, Tony Thawnton, Beryl Cunningham (Curse of the Voodoo)

Release Date: April 15th, 2025
Approximate Running Times: 85 Minutes 5 Seconds (Devil Doll), 83 Minutes 50 Seconds (Curse of the Voodoo)
Aspect Ratio: 1.66:1 Widescreen / 1080 Progressive / MPEG-4 AVC (Both Films)
Rating: NR
Sound: DTS-HD Mono English (Both Films)
Subtitles: English SDH (Both Films)
Region Coding: Region A
Retail Price: $49.98

Devil Doll: "Acclaimed magician The Great Vorelli dazzles audiences with his mastery of hypnosis while shocking them with a strange ventriloquist dummy named Hugo. Determined to uncover Vorelli’s methods for making Hugo’s movement and speech appear so real, reporter Mark English begins a covert investigation. However, nothing can prepare him for the strange and horrifying secret trapped inside the dummy, nor for the murderous actions it will take to be freed..." - synopsis provided by the distributor

Curse of the Voodoo: "Mike Stacey is a cold-blooded guide to novice big game hunters. While on safari in Africa, he has to clean up the mess of one of his clients, shooting a lion they wounded but couldn't kill. But no sooner than moving in to collect the body is he accosted by the local tribesmen who reveal that the lion is their deity and that any man who dares interfere will suffer unimaginable torments. Upon returning to England, Mike is besieged by unrelenting nightmares and a paranoid sense that he’s being watched, chased, and hunted like the animals he preys upon. As he descends further into madness, he realizes that the only way he can break the curse is by returning to Africa and again facing the deadly tribe..." - synopsis provided by the distributor

Video: 5/5 (Devil Doll), 4.5/5 (Curse of the Voodoo)

Here’s the information provided about the transfers, "Newly scanned & restored in 4K from their 35mm original camera negatives."

Here is additional information about Devil Doll, “During our reconstruction of the Continental ‘nude’ version of Devil Doll, we discovered that previous home video editions had removed a short transition, which compelled the deletion of a narratively significant dialogue scene and retained it only in the ‘clothed’ version. We have ratified this issue and are proud to present the complete, original, and uncut version of Devil Doll containing all nude footage and dialogue. In light of this, we present the two brief alternate ‘clothed’ sequences as bonus features.”

Devil Doll and Curse of the Voodoo come on a 50 GB dual layer Blu-ray.

Disc Size: 45.5 GB

Feature: 19.6 GB (Devil Doll), 19.2 GB (Curse of the Voodoo)

Devil Doll's source looks excellent; image clarity, contrast, black levels, and compression are solid, and the image always looks organic. Curse of the Voodoo’s source is in great shape; any imperfections are minor. Image clarity, contrast, black levels, and compression are solid, and the image always looks organic.

Audio: 4.25/5 (Both Films)

Each film comes with one audio option, a DTS-HD mono mix in English with removable English SDH. Both audio tracks sound clean, clear, and balanced, and range-wise they sound very good.

Extras:

Extras for this release include alternate clothed scenes for Devil Doll (2 minutes 39 seconds, Dolby Digital mono English, no subtitles), an interview with Curse of the Voodoo editor Barrie Vince titled Time for Tommy's Tea (19 minutes 41 seconds, Dolby Digital stereo English, no subtitles), an interview with writer and film film critic Kim Newman titled Traditions and Legacies, he discusses Curse of the Voodoo (22 minutes 40 seconds, Dolby Digital stereo English, no subtitles), an interview writer and film historian Jonathan Rigby titled Casting a Spell, he discusses Devil Doll (25 minutes 424 seconds, Dolby Digital stereo English, no subtitles), an audio commentary with writers/film critics Kim Newman and Barry Forshaw for Devil Doll, an audio commentary with producer Richard Gordon and film historian Tom Weaver for Devil Doll, an audio commentary with film historians Rod Barnett and Adrian Smith for Curse of the Voodoo, reversible cover art, a spot gloss slipcover (limited to 5,000 units), and a 16-page booklet with an essay titled Doll and Lion Man Lindsay Shonteff’s Early Forays into English Exploitation written by Johnny Walker.

Summary:

Devil Doll and Curse of the Voodoo were directed by Lindsay Shonteff, a filmmaker recognized for his low-budget genre films. His notable films include The 2nd Best Secret Agent in the Whole Wide World, The Million Eyes of Sumuru, Clegg, Permissive, and How Sleep the Brave.

Devil Doll: A reporter covering a story about a hypnotist with a lifelike ventriloquist doll uncovers something sinister related to the doll.

There is something inherently creepy about ventriloquist dolls, and a film like Devil Doll has an intriguing hook that draws you in. The story that unfolds is so much more than a tale about a ventriloquist and his dummy; the ventriloquist is also well versed in hypnotism. The narrative does a superb job of bringing these two things together in a finale that delivers a twist that most will not see coming.

The narrative has two parallel stories that unfold. The first of these is the ventriloquist and his dummy. The other revolves around a reporter who's doing a story on the ventriloquist. The thing that brings these two stories together is the reporter’s heiress girlfriend, whom the ventriloquist becomes infatuated with.

Though there are no performances that are lacking, only one stands out: Bryant Haliday (Tower of Evil) in the role of a ventriloquist/hypnotist named The Great Vorelli. It is a menacing performance that reinforces his character's mysterious aura. Notable cast members are William Sylvestor (2001: A Space Odyssey), who portrays the reporter investigating The Great Vorelli, and Yvonne Romain (Captain Clegg), who portrays the heiress.

Lindsay Shonteff is known for working with limited budgets, and though Devil Doll was made on a modest budget, it is one of his most polished-looking films. The well-executed narrative does a superb job holding your attention; pacing is not an issue, and it is very effective in building momentum to a finale that puts everything into perspective. The narrative also employs a lengthy flashback that reveals a secret about The Great Vorelli and his dummy. Other strengths include striking black-and-white cinematography and a collection of music cues that, in combination, reinforce the mood. Ultimately, Devil Doll is a well-made film that fans of possession horror films should thoroughly enjoy.

Curse of the Voodoo: An African tribe places a curse on a big game hunter who has killed a sacred lion.

Curse of the Voodoo is more of a psychological drama than a horror film. Though the premise deals with a curse, there are no real surprises or frightening moments. The closest that Curse of the Voodoo comes to being scary are nightmares that the man who shot the lion is having.

Bryant Haliday (The Projected Man) is cast in the role of the protagonist, a big game hunter named Mike Stacey. Where he delivered a performance that held your attention for Devil Doll, the same cannot be said for Curse of the Voodoo. Notable cast members include Dennis Price (Vampyros Lesbos), who portrays Major Lomas, the man who arranged Mike Stacey’s hunting trip, and Beryl Cunningham (The Weekend Murders) in the role of a nightclub dancer. That said, none of the performances leave a lasting impression.

Made on a budget even smaller than Devil Doll, Lindsay Shonteff does a remarkable job, especially when it comes to creating moments that are supposed to be taking place in Africa. The opening and closing moments are the strongest; unfortunately, the narrative is slow-moving and struggles to build any momentum. Ultimately, Curse of the Voodoo is a clichéd film that many will find tedious to sit through.

Vinegar Syndrome gives both films solid audio/video presentations and informative extras, only recommended for Devil Doll.