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

ADDITION: 88 Films Blu-ray (July 2024): 88 Films have transferred Terence Fisher's Night of the Big Heat to Blu-ray. It is cited as being "Restored and Re-Graded High Definition". In 2017 we compared the, out-of-print, Odeon Entertainment (UK) and 1080i Movin (FR) Blu-rays HERE. This is quite a boost in color depth with strong blues. Black levels and contrast overall are improved. It's quite intense beside the paler 2014 transfer. I don't know the theatrical accuracy but I appreciate the improvement.

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

On their Blu-ray, 88 Films use a linear PCM dual-mono track (24-bit) in the original English language. In Night of the Big Heat there are loud sounds of the throbbing alien which are quite penetrating. There is a supportive, sneakily dramatic, score by Malcolm Lockyer (Deadlier Than the Male, Doctor Who and the Daleks, Island of Terror, The Brides of Fu Manchu, The Vengeance of Fu Manchu, Bang Bang, You're Dead, Ten Little Indians.)  assisting the mood of mystery and danger. It sounds clean and reasonably buoyant in the uncompressed. 88 Films offer optional English (SDH) subtitles on their Region 'B' Blu-ray.

The 88 Films Blu-ray offers a new commentary by film journalist David Flint (co-author of Horror Out Of Control.) He tells us that this was the third an final film made by Planet Productions. He talks about the history of the film, its science-fiction genre, the alternative TV and US titles, the 1959 novel by John Lymington which it is based, the performers; Christopher Lee, Patrick Allen, Peter Cushing, Sarah Lawson, Jane Merrow, director Terence Fisher and others. It's quite informative. I look forward to his commentary on the upcoming 88 Films Blu-ray of Island of Terror. Also included is a dozen minute interview with 80+ years-young Jane Merrow ('Angela' in the film) as she recalls the production of Night of the Big Heat. I remember her in TV series such as Danger Man, The Saint, The Prisoner etc. We also get six minutes with Second Assistant Director Mike Higgins talking about the film. He worked over 35 years in the industry. Lastly is a stills gallery and the package has a reversible sleeve featuring new artwork by Sean Longmore and an original poster plus liner notes by Barry Forshaw (Rising Temperatures on the The Night of the Big Heat) author of British Gothic Cinema.

Terence Fisher's Night of the Big Heat isn't Hammer but, despite the middling critical reaction, I enjoyed it enough. The 'heat wave' atmosphere of the Island ('Fara', somewhere off the English coast) and Pub - The Swan Inn - support from Cushing and Lee, with Fischer pulling the story together. As a 'creature-feature', admittedly, it is fairly weak and the attempted-rape scene seemed totally unnecessary. Island of Terror, made the year before, with Cushing, was also from Planet Productions and is the superior genre film. Completists of reliable Cushing, Lee, Fisher or Brit-infused 60's sci-fi genre should consider the 88 Films Blu-ray which is easily the best digital package of the film to-date. It's in my wheelhouse and I have re-watched quite a few times over the years. But that's me.

Gary Tooze