NOTE: The below Blu-ray captures were taken directly from the Blu-ray disc.

ADDITION: Imprint Blu-ray (June 2024): Imprint have transferred Gordon Hessler's Catacombs (The Woman Who Wouldn’t Die) to Blu-ray. It is cited as being from a "NEW 2023 4K restoration of the original nitrate negative". We reviewed the Network PAL DVD from 2014, HERE and compared some captures below. The 1080P is quite a big improvement showing more information on the side edges, tighter, superior contrast (deeper black levels) and minor depth. It has a middling bitrate but looks quite pleasing.

NOTE: We have added 48 more large resolution Blu-ray captures (in lossless PNG format) for DVDBeaver Patrons HERE

On their Blu-ray, Imprint use a linear PCM dual-mono track (24-bit) in the original English language. Catacombs (The Woman Who Wouldn’t Die) has mild aggression audio-wise with action mostly buoyed by the score by Carlo Martelli (Do You Know This Voice, The Lost Continent, Dr. Syn, Alias the Scarecrow, The Curse of the Mummy's Tomb) adding some mysterious atmosphere and anxious tension - excitedly scattered at times reminding me of Thelonious Monk. It is orchestral though with plenty of bass and a lone harp. It's very effective - perhaps ahead of its time. The film's audio has consistent dialogue in the uncompressed transfer. Imprint offer optional English (SDH) subtitles on their Region FREE Blu-ray.

The Imprint Blu-ray offers a new commentary by authors Jonathan Rigby (author English Gothic: A Century Of Horror Cinema) and Kevin Lyons (The Encyclopedia of Fantastic Film and Television.) They comment on the misleading title preferring "The Woman Who Wouldn’t Die" as being more accurate, the connections with Alfred Hitchcock Presents and The Alfred Hitchcock Hour TV series, and Henri-Georges Clouzot's Les Diabolioques, how the book, in many ways, is dissimilar to the film - and they point out the differences, an association between producer's Jack Parsons and Robert L. Lippert, Gary Merrill, Jane Merrow, Georgina Cookson as domineering, Neil McCallum and much more. There is plenty to reveal about Catacombs and they do an admirable job. “Merrow and Merrill” is a new 10-minute interview with 83-year old actress Jane Merrow who recalls the production and working with Gary Merrill - the former husband of Bette Davis. She was considered a replacement for a departing Diana Rigg on the TV series The Avengers. Also new is “The Glynne-Miller Story” – an 8-minute interview with “continuity girl” Renée Glynne and sound editor Colin Miller who both worked on the film. Included is another new interview with British composer Carlo Martelli, 89-years young, entitled "Martelli and Martell”, running 11-minutes and discussing his career, being paid £200 for Catacombs, his association with Philip Martell - the British composer, arranger, musical director, orchestra leader, and most notably head of music at Hammer Studios. Lastly is a 'Photo Gallery' with posters and still.      

Gordon Hessler's Catacombs (The Woman Who Wouldn’t Die) is based on the book by Jay Bennett with the Catacombs title. The screenplay was by Daniel Mainwaring notable for writing Build My Gallows High (as Geoffrey Holmes) and its adapted screenplay for, noir gold, Out of the Past. So there. Catacombs is a pot-boiler-ish crime, with hints of horror, evoking Henri-Georges Clouzot's Les Diabolioques. and distant echoes of Hammer's Maniac. Another keeper for me. The Imprint Blu-ray does its job with the a/v and has new extras from a commentary to interviews with cast and crew. Excellent. Very much endorsed.

Gary Tooze