Prism Leisure

Region 0 - PAL

Region FREE - Blu-ray

1.77:1 Original Aspect Ratio

16X9 enhanced
Average Bitrate: 4.7 mb/s
PAL 720x576 25.00 f/s

NOTE: The Vertical axis represents the bits transferred per second. The Horizontal is the time in minutes.

Aspect Ratio:
Widescreen anamorphic - 1.77:1

Edition Details:
• Disc Format: DVD 9
• British and export versions
• Restored footage previously cut by British censors
• Animated and Scored Interactive Menus
• Scene Access
• Trailer
• Cathedral Music Video
• The Sorcerers Trailer
• Blood Beast: The Films of Michael Reeves (documentary)
• Production Notes
• Image Gallery
• Filmographies

DVD Release Date: September 1, 2003
Transparent Keep Case

Chapters 25

Chapters 24

ADDITION: Odeon Entertainment - Region FREE - Blu-ray (December 11'): Surprising and impressive release from Odeon Entertainment. Visually - we have what looks like a different, and cleaner, print. The transferred image is brighter with far more detail. It has added more information at the top of the frame and trimmed an equal amount at the bottom. Still some noise but it's not overwhelming. Colors perk-up and there is some depth. This looks quite good in-motion and has more than 5X the bitrate of the DVD.

Audio goes lossless with a DTS-HD 2.0 channel at 1568 kbps. It is not the most active film effects score but there are some potent screams. No separation but there is some bass response via the original music by Paul Ferris. Nothing particularly notable but appears to be authentic and without major dropout of hiss. There are no subtitles but the Blu-ray disc is region FREE.

Extras run the gamut starting with an audio commentary by the informative duo of Benjamin Halligan and Michael Armstrong who cover many topics in their discussion of the film and the production participants. We get the Alternate Opening and Closing Credits in 1080P but all other video supplements are in SD PAL. We get a 5-minute alternate scene from 'Export Version' and 10-minutes of Vincent Price on the TV Talk show Aspel and Company. Most interesting is the documentary found on the UK DVD - The Blood Beast: The Films of Michael Reeves. It runs almost 24 minutes. There is also Michael Reeves 10-minute effort Intrusion - both as a silent short film or with a commentary from Halligan and Armstrong. Blood Crimes - Witchcraft is a featurette discussing the cultural activities found in the Olde England time frame of the Witchfinder General. It runs just shy of 24-minutes. Lastly are a trailer and Stills Gallery. Great stuff!

There is a strong sense of realism built into Witchfinder General. It does a decent job as a period piece and makes for a strong horror.  Odeon have created a great region FREE package here with the 1080P image, uncompressed audio and extensive extras including an educational commentary. For fans of the genre this is an easy recommendation!

Gary Tooze

***

ON THE DVD: A satisfying package replete with numerous supplemental features, the most valuable of which is a 23-minute documentary about Michael Reeves, the young director of Witchfinder General whose early death from a drug overdose was likely an indirect consequence of postproduction meddling with Witchfinder Generation and his difficulty in finding financing for subsequent projects. Interviews with friends, acquaintances, and colleagues (including Ian Ogilvy, who stars in Witchfinder General and worked with Reeves on his two previous films) attest to the passion and intelligence of Reeves both as a filmmaker and as a citizen. Also included are trailers for this film and Reeves' previous work, The Sorcerers, and a music video for the heavy metal band Cathedral, which incorporates footage from Witchfinder. Production notes by British film critic and author Kim Newman, an image gallery of posters and advertising materials, filmographies, and nifty animated menus round out a rather complete edition that should more than appease fans of this overlooked film.

While the transfer is fine, some problems arise where the source materials are concerned. Two versions of the film are included, one of which is the director's cut, which restores some footage of gore and violence that the British censors originally deemed unacceptable, and the export version, which contains some alternate takes incorporating nudity of characters that are fully clothed in the European edition. Given that the transfers are identical for both versions (the programs have the same running time, the same bitrate, and the same file size), the determining factor for which version is more palatable hinges entirely on the toplessness. The 35mm print used looks decent, with good color and contrast, though it's a bit dark and grainy at times (likely the way the film originally looked) and features moderate print damage all throughout, such as speckles and vertical lines (see capture #1). The print damage, however, was not a distraction for me. The monaural audio is acceptable, although there's at least one instance (at 56:53) where a noticeable hiss appears and lasts for ten seconds. The biggest issue is that the restored footage that had previously been censored has been lifted from what appears to be a VHS source. Disclaimers precede each version, warning of variations in picture and sound quality. While it's good to have this footage restored, the DVD's producers would have been wise to include it only on the British version, and omit it from the Export Version, as it does yield a marked difference in image quality. Otherwise, this is a fine release of a fine film. out of

 - Paul Haynes