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

ADDITION: Code Red Blu-ray (May 2019): Code Red release the 1978 thriller "The Fifth Floor" on a single-layered disc. The 1.78:1 1080p image looks a little rough, which only emphasizes the sleazy, low-budget griminess. Darker suspense scenes almost benefit from the terrible contrast levels, surrounding the terrified heroine with a daunting, uniform crushing black. When scenes aren't almost uniformly black, the asylum's white and teal colors abound. The video has only a supportive bitrate. The image is inordinately flat with no depth whatsoever. This is by no means a high transfer, looking very video-like - although I can only assume fans of this low-budget thriller wouldn't be expecting anything too dynamic.

The opening "Fly Away" disco number lets you know right away that this isn't going to be your typical thriller. Sadly, much like the questionable image quality, this 2.0 24-bit DTS-HD Master Audio track is in rough shape. This is possibly how the film originally sounded in theatres (before footage was cut and it aired on television). There are scenes where characters seem to be mumbling, and the underlying hissing doesn't help. To help distinguish the dialogue, there are English subtitles (yellow, thank god, for white ones would probably disappear in the white background) on this Region 'A' Blu-ray from Code Red. Also notable here is a score from a new-on-the-scene Alan Silvestri!

Aside from some TV spots for the film and some Code Red trailers (for Street Law, The Dark, Mutant, The Power, Beyond the Door) the sole extra here is an 8-minute interview with star Bo Hopkins in a noisy restaurant. Hopkins discusses the various troubles of the film's production (shooting all night and into the morning), and though it can be hard to hear him at times, it is nice to have this brief interview with the actor.

Featuring a brief appearance from a young Robert "Freddy Krueger" England, "The Fifth Floor" is a very, very dated and over-the-top thriller featuring some brilliant histrionics from its cast. Bo Hopkins, Mel Ferrer also appear in this low-rent wrongly-committed-to-the-asylum (or is she?) thriller. "The Snake Pit" and "One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest" this is not. Worth checking out, to fans of late 70s thrillers. 

Colin Zavitz