The House That Screamed – Arrow Video (Blu-ray)

Theatrical Release Date: Spain, 1969
Director: Narciso Ibáñez Serrador
Writers: Narciso Ibáñez Serrador, Juan Tébar
Cast: Lilli Palmer, Cristina Galbó, John Moulder-Brown, Maribel Martín, Mary Maude

Release Date: March 6th, 2023 (UK), March 7th, 2023 (USA)
Approximate Running Times: 94 Minutes 22 Seconds (The House That Screamed), 105 Minutes 11 Seconds (The Finishing School)
Aspect Ratio: 2.39:1 Widescreen / 1080 Progressive / MPEG-4 AVCC (Both Versions)
Rating: 15 (UK), NR (USA)
Sound: LPCM Mono English (Both Versions), LPCM Mono Spanish (The Finishing School)
Subtitles: English (The Finishing School), English SDH (Both Versions)
Region Coding: Region A,B
Retail Price: £24.99 (UK), $39.95 (USA)

"Thérèse (Cristina Galbó) is the latest arrival at the boarding school for wayward girls run under the stern, authoritarian eye of Mme Fourneau (Lilli Palmer). As the newcomer becomes accustomed to the strict routines, the whip-hand hierarchies among the girls and their furtive extra-curricular methods of release from within the forbidding walls of institutional life, she learns that several of her fellow students have recently vanished mysteriously. Meanwhile, tensions grow within this isolated hothouse environment as Mme Fourneau's callow but curious 15-year-old son Louis (John Moulder-Brown) ignores his mother's strict orders not to get close to the "tainted" ladies under her ward." - synopsis provided by the distributor

Video: 4.25/5 (The House That Screamed, The Finishing School)

Here’s the information provided about this release's transfer, "The House that Screamed has been exclusively restored by Arrow Films and is presented in its original 2.35:1 aspect ratio with mono sound. Two versions are presented: the 105 minute uncut version, titled The Finishing School (La Residencia), with both original English and Spanish audio; and the 94 minute US theatrical version, re-titled The House that Screamed by distributor American International Pictures.

The original 35mm camera negative and optical sound negative, both conformed to the longer version of the film, were scanned in 4K resoultion at Codicine Contenidos Digitales Cine and Keyframe Servicios Audiovisuales S.L. , Madrid. Additional HD master materials were sourced from MGM and Park Circus. The film was graded and restored in 2K resolution at R3Store Studios, London."

The House That Screamed comes on a 50 GB dual layer Blu-ray.

Disc Size: 46.2 GB

Feature Arrow: 31.2 GB

Though the source still has some imperfections, these are minor and never intrusive. Color saturation, image clarity, and black levels are strong; compression is solid; and the image retains an organic look. Also, quality-wise, the two versions are comparable. That said, this new transfer is a marked improvement over the one Scream Factory used for their Blu-ray release.

Audio: 4.25/5 (LPCM Mono English), 4/5 (LPCM Mono Spanish)

The House That Screamed cut comes with one audio option, a LPCM mono mix in English, and removable English SDH subtitles.

The Finishing School cut comes with two audio options, a LPCM mono mix in English and a LPCM mono mix in Spanish. This cut of the film comes with removable English subtitles for the Spanish language track and removable English SDH subtitles for the English language track.

All audio mixes sound clean, clear, and balanced. Range-wise, ambient sounds are well-represented, and the score sounds appropriately robust. That said, the English language tracks sound more robust than the Spanish language track.

Extras:

Extras for this release include an image gallery (34 images - stills/posters), U.S. theatrical trailer (2 minutes 4 seconds, Dolby Digital mono English, no subtitles), U.S. TV spot 1 (58 seconds, Dolby Digital mono English, no subtitles), U.S. TV spot 2 (27 seconds, Dolby Digital mono English, no subtitles), U.S. radio spot 1 (1 minute, Dolby Digital mono English, no subtitles), U.S. radio spot 2 (30 seconds, Dolby Digital mono English, no subtitles), alternative footage from the original Spanish theatrical version (6 minutes 9 seconds, Dolby Digital mono Spanish with removable English subtitles), an interview with actor John Moulder-Brown titled This Boy’s Innocence (24 minutes 20 seconds, Dolby Digital stereo English, no subtitles), an archival interview with actress Mary Maude (11 minutes 51 seconds, Dolby Digital stereo English, no subtitles), an interview with Juan Tébar, author of the original story titled All About My “Mama” (9 minutes 25 seconds, Dolby Digital stereo Spanish with removable English subtitles), an interview with the director's son, Alejandro Ibáñez titled The Legacy of Terror (13 minutes 55 seconds, Dolby Digital stereo Spanish with removable English subtitles), an interview with Spanish horror expert Dr Antonio Lázaro-Reboll titled Screaming the House Down (20 minutes 23 seconds, Dolby Digital stereo English, no subtitles), an audio commentary with film critic Anna Bogutskaya for the version titled The Finishing School, reversible cover art, a double-sided fold-out poster (limited to first pressing), a slipcover (limited to first pressing), and twenty-four page booklet (limited to first pressing) with cast & crew information, an essay titled The Horror That Screamed: Narciso Ibáñez Serrador’s Cult Film La Residencia written by Shelagh Rowan-Legg, and information about the restoration.

Summary:

The House That Screamed was co-written and directed by Narciso Ibáñez Serrador, who mostly worked in television. Who Can Kill a Child? being his only other theatrical film, Key collaborators on The House That Screamed include cinematographer Manuel Berenguer (Night of the Devils) and composer Waldo de los Ros (The Corruption of Chris Miller). The screenplay for The House That Screamed was adapted from a story written by author Juan Tébar. Besides The House That Screamed, other titles this film has been released under include The Finishing School and La residencia (The Residence).

Children play a large role in The House That Screamed, like they would in Narciso Ibáñez Serrador’s other theatrical film, Who Can Kill a Child? Children are the victims of all of the violence and killings in The House That Screamed.

The narrative revolves around the headmistress of a school for wayward girls who uses fear to keep the girls in line. Though girls come and go from the school, shortly after the arrival of a new girl named Teresa, girls began to disappear under mysterious circumstances.

It is easy to see how a filmmaker like Narciso Ibáñez Serrador is referred to as the Spanish Alfred Hitchcock. Both of his theatrical films fit firmly into the thriller/suspense genre. Also, the way that Narciso Ibáñez Serrador uses visuals to tell the story is reminiscent of Alfred Hitchcock. Then there is the House That Screamed premise, which bears a strong resemblance to one of Alfred Hitchcock’s most celebrated films.

The House That Screamed features an impressive cast, led by Lilli Palmer's (Cloak and Dagger) outstanding performance as the domineering headmistress, Mme Fourneau. Mary Maude (Crucible of Terror) in the role of Irene, one of the girls at the school who has gained the headmistress' trust by helping keep the girls in check, and John Moulder-Brown (Ludwig) in the role of Luis, the headmistress' socially awkward son who lives in seclusion at the school, are other notable performances.

From its opening moments, The House That Screamed establishes a forbidding tone. The narrative does a great job building tension once the girls start to disappear, and it has a sensational ending that perfectly brings everything together. There are many striking moments visually, notably the kill scenes, and the score does an excellent job reinforcing the mood. Ultimately, The House That Screamed is an extraordinary thriller that is overflowing with atmosphere.

The House That Screamed gets a solid release from Arrow Video that comes with a strong audio/video presentation, two versions of the film, and a wealth of informative extras, highly recommended.

Written by Michael Den Boer

Who Can Kill a Child? – Mondo Macabro (Blu-ray)

Theatrical Release Date: Spain, 1976
Director: Narciso Ibáñez Serrador
Writers: Narciso Ibáñez Serrador, Juan José Plans
Cast: Lewis Fiander, Prunella Ransome, Antonio Iranzo, Miguel Narros, María Luisa Arias, Marisa Porcel, Juan Cazalilla, Luis Ciges

Release Date: July 10th, 2018
Approximate running times: 111 Minutes 12 Seconds (Spanish Version), 101 Minutes 51 Seconds (Island of Death Version)
Aspect Ratio: 1.85:1 Widescreen / 1080 Progressive / MPEG-4 AVC (Both Versions)
Rating: NR
Sound: DTS-HD Mono English/Spanish, DTS-HD Mono Spanish, DTS-HD Mono English
Subtitles: English
Region Coding: Region Free
Retail Price: $29.95

“An English tourist couple rent a boat to visit the island of Almanzora, just off the southern Spanish coast. When they arrive, they find the island apparently empty of adults. There are only children, who don’t speak but only stare at the strangers with eerie smiles on their faces. The couple soon discover that all the island’s children have been possessed by a mysterious force, a kind of madness that they pass from one to another, and which makes them attack and murder their elders, who can’t defend themselves because, of course, nobody can kill a child …” – Synopsis provided by the Distributor

Video: 5/5

Here’s the information provided about this release's transfer, "Brand new 4K restoration of the film from the original camera negative."

Who Can Kill a Child? comes on a 50 GB dual layer Blu-ray.

Disc Size: 40.9 GB

Feature: 28.5 GB

The source used for this transfer is in excellent shape; details look sharp, colors are nicely saturated, black levels remain strong throughout, grain remains intact, and there are no issues with compression. When compared to previous home video releases for this film, this transfer is by far and away the best this film has looked to date on home video.

Audio: 4.5/5

The Spanish version of the film comes with three audio options, a DTS-HD mono mix in English/Spanish hybrid, a DTS-HD mono mix in Spanish, and a DTS-HD mono mix in English (an alternate English language track from this film’s U.S. theatrical release). All of the audio mixes sound clean, clear, and balanced throughout. All Spanish language dialog comes with removable English subtitles. It should be that the alternate English language track features some dialog in Spanish, and these moments come with English subtitles.

The version titled Island of Death comes with one audio option, a DTS-HD mono mix in English. And quality-wise, this track is on par with the other three audio mixes.

Extras:

Extras for this release include a Mondo Macabro preview reel, an image gallery, three radio spots under the alternate title The Hex Massacre (2 minutes 59 seconds, LPCM mono English, no subtitles), a theatrical trailer under the alternate title The Hex Massacre (55 seconds, LPCM mono English, no subtitles), an interview with film critic and author Kim Newman (14 minutes 43 seconds, Dolby Digital stereo English, no subtitles), an interview with cinematographer José Luis Alcaine (16 minutes 7 seconds, Dolby Digital stereo Spanish with non-removable English subtitles), an director Narciso Ibáñez Serrador (9 minutes 13 seconds, , Dolby Digital stereo Spanish with non-removable English subtitles), documentary about Who Can Kill a Child? titled Version Española (46 minutes 17 seconds, Dolby Digital stereo Spanish with removable English subtitles) and an audio commentary with Samm Deighan and Kat Ellinger (Daughters of Darkness podcast).

Summary:

Who Can Kill a Child? was co-written and directed by Narciso Ibáñez Serrador (The House That Screamed). Key collaborators on Who Can Kill a Child? include cinematographer José Luis Alcaine (Tie Me Up! Tie Me Down!) and composer Waldo de los Ros (The Corruption of Chris Miller). The screenplay for Who Can Kill a Child? was adapted from author Juan José Plan's novel El juego de los nios (The Children’s Game). Besides Who Can Kill a Child? other titles this film has been released under include Island of Death and The Hex Massacre.

Though there have been many horror films where children are at the forefront, there has always been a gray area when it comes to acts of violence towards children in horror cinema. The majority of the violence is directed at adults. That said, more than any other element, fear defines the horror genre. And, while there are many fears to choose from, there is no greater sorrow than the loss of a loved one, particularly a child.

This brings us to Who Can Kill a Child?, a truly unique cinematic experience that has some of cinema's most unsettling images. And nowhere is this more clear than in how this film opens with archival footage of atrocities against children during World War II. The premise is superbly realized. The well-constructed narrative is perfectly paced, and key moments are given an ample amount of time to resonate. Another strength of the narrative is how it lulls you into a world that is in direct contrast with the events that unfold after the couple arrives on the island.

Performance wise, the two leads, Prunella Ransome (Far from the Madding Crowd) and Lewis Fiander (Dr. Phibes Rises Again), are very good in their respective roles. Ultimately, this film's greatest asset is the children’s performances. There is a naiveté to their performances that makes their actions all the more convincing.

Not to be overlooked are the visuals and how they take full advantage of the scenic locations. The scene where the couple arrives on the island and the children they meet are uninterested in them, the scene where the pregnant wife realizes her baby has become infected like the other children, and the finale provide an extremely satisfying coda to the events that have just unfolded are the standout moments.

Who Can Kill a Child? gets a definitive release from Mondo Macabro, highly recommended.

Written by Michael Den Boer