Firstly, a massive thank you to our Patreon supporters. These supporters have become the single biggest contributing factor to the survival of DVDBeaver. Your assistance is essential to our survival.

 

What do Patrons receive, that you don't?

 

1) Our weekly Newsletter and Calendar Updates sent to your Inbox!
2) Access to over 100,000 unpublished screen captures in lossless high-resolution format!

 

Please consider keeping us in existence with a couple of dollars or more each month (your pocket change! / a coffee!) so we can continue to do our best in giving you timely, thorough reviews, calendar updates and detailed comparisons. I am indebted to your generosity.


 

Search DVDBeaver

S E A R C H    D V D B e a v e r

Directed by Sidney Hayers
UK 1962

 

This hair-curling horror masterpiece is ablaze with vile voodoo and malicious magic! Smoldering with action, suspense and ghoulish fright, Burn, Witch, Burn—also known as Night of the Eagle—throws Janet Blair and Peter Wyngarde into a supernatural world of madness and dreams when ancient rites produce terrifying wrongs! A successful college professor (Wyngarde) raises hell when his pretty wife (Blair) turns out to be a powerful witch—who claims that all of his achievements are just a little something she cooked up! But when the skeptical teacher forces her to give up her spooky spells, a rival witch soon steps in to set a match to his happiness. Now, he can only watch in terror as his career, his home—and even his wife—threaten to go up in smoke as he barrels toward one of the most chilling final showdowns in horror history! Turn down the lights, curl up tight and watch this all-time fright classic from legendary Twilight Zone writers Charles Beaumont and Richard Matheson in stunning high-definition…if you dare! The special edition includes both the U.S and UK versions of the film.

***

A skeptical college professor discovers that his wife has been practicing magic for years. Like the learned, rational fellow he is, he forces her to destroy all her magical charms and protective devices, and stop that foolishness. He isn't put off by her insistence that his professional rivals are working magic against him, and her protections are necessary to his career and life.

***

Night of the Eagle was the second film version of Fritz Leiber Jr.'s Conjure Wife (the first was Weird Woman, perhaps the best of Universal's low-budget "Inner Sanctum" series of the 1940s.) The film's title was possibly meant to invoke memories of the earlier Night of the Demon (58); both films involve a rational scientist (in the case of Night of the Eagle, Peter Wyngarde) forced to accept the existence of the supernatural. All evidence points to the conclusion that the scientist's American wife Janet Blair is the reincarnation of a witch, and a practitioner of voodoo. The actual villain is supposed to be a mystery, though the identity was made clear in the Leiber original and in both other film versions of Conjure Wife (there was a 1980 parody version titled Witches Brew). The supernatural aspect of Night of the Eagle is convincingly handled, including a knockout sequence with a wild eagle rampaging through the scientist's tranquil study. Adapted by Twilight Zone stalwarts Richard Matheson and Charles Beaumont, the British-made Night of the Eagle was released in the US as Burn, Witch, Burn.

Posters

Theatrical Release: April 25th, 1962

Reviews                                    More Reviews                              DVD Reviews

 

Review: Kino - Region 'A' - Blu-ray

Box Cover

CLICK to order from:

  

Bonus Captures:

Distribution Kino - Region 'A' - Blu-ray
Runtime

Burn, Witch, Burn: 1:29:19.666 

Night of the Eagle: 1:26:55.625

Video

1.66:1 1080P Dual-layered Blu-ray

Disc Size: 35,278,954,850 bytes

Burn, Witch, Burn: 28,730,204,160 bytes

Night of the Eagle: 28,080,477,696 bytes

Video Bitrate: 38.73 Mbps

Codec: MPEG-4 AVC Video

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

Bitrate Burn, Witch, Burn Blu-ray:

Bitrate Night of the Eagle Blu-ray:

Audio

DTS-HD Master Audio English 1561 kbps 2.0 / 48 kHz / 1561 kbps / 24-bit (DTS Core: 2.0 / 48 kHz / 1509 kbps / 24-bit)
Commentaries:

Dolby Digital Audio English 192 kbps 2.0 / 48 kHz / 192 kbps / DN -31dB

Subtitles English (SDH), None
Features Release Information:
Studio:
Kino

 

1.66:1 1080P Dual-layered Blu-ray

Disc Size: 35,278,954,850 bytes

Burn, Witch, Burn: 28,730,204,160 bytes

Night of the Eagle: 28,080,477,696 bytes

Video Bitrate: 38.73 Mbps

Codec: MPEG-4 AVC Video

 

Edition Details:

• NEW Audio Commentary by Novelist and Critic Tim Lucas
• Audio Commentary by Screenwriter Richard Matheson
• Interview with Actor Peter Wyngarde (24:26)
• Includes theatrical trailers for U.S. (Burn, Witch, Burn - 2:30) and the Original UK (Night of the Eagle - 2:32) Versions


Blu-ray Release Date: October 1st, 2024

Standard Blu-ray Case inside slipcase

Chapters 8 / 8

 

 

Comments:

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

ADDITION: Kino Blu-ray (September 2024): Kino have transferred Sidney Hayers's Burn, Witch, Burn to Blu-ray. It is cited as being from a "Brand New HD Master by STUDIOCANAL – From a 4K Scan of the Original Camera Negative". The big difference from Kino 2015 Blu-ray release (reviewed HERE) is that this is in the accurate 1.66:1 where the older transfer was 1.85:1. We have seen many times that a 4K restoration to 1080P can appear softer or have dimmer contrast. It actually is a superior delineation as well as showing more information on the frame. The new transfer has less harsh contrast - the blacks and whites are not as intensely exported - it looks superior, imo. The two versions are seamlessly-branched and essentially have the same HD presentation quality.

NOTE: We have added 54 more large resolution Blu-ray captures (in lossless PNG format) for DVDBeaver Patrons HERE

On their Blu-ray, Kino use a DTS-HD Master dual-mono track (24-bit) in the original English language. Burn, Witch, Burn has aggression in a car chase and raging fire that come through with modest depth. The score was by William Alwyn (So Evil My Love, The Running Man, Green For Danger, So Evil My Love, Life For Ruth, Odd Man Out, On Approval, A Night to Remember and The Fallen Idol sounding clean with consistent dialogue in the uncompressed transfer. Kino offer optional English (SDH) subtitles on their Region 'A' Blu-ray.

The Kino Blu-ray offers a new commentary by novelist and critic Tim Lucas (Pause. Rewind. Obsess. One Man’s One Year Escape into Cinema.) Tim is on-form delivering another exceptional commentary. There are few areas he is not observant about; cast, crew, story, William Alwyn's score etc. Tim comments on differences between the two versions, talks about Richard Matheson and quotes from John Hamilton's book Witches, Bitches and Banshees: The British Films of American International Pictures. It's at the commentators stratospheric level. Also included is Richard Matheson commentary - which I enjoyed where he is very frank about his involvement (he got $10K for co-writing this with Charles Beaumont) in the film and details on what he remembered about the production, Fritz Leiber Jr.'s novel "Conjure Wife" etc.. I particularly liked it when he talked about himself - moving to California and how he got into screenwriting. The recording is imperfect but always audible but the film's audio is not hushed but totally silent. Kino repeat the 25-minute interview with actor Peter Wyngarde (RIP, 2018 at 90) and include the U.S. Burn, Witch, Burn trailer and the original UK Night of the Eagle trailer. There is a reversible sleeve (see below) and slipcase.

Sidney Hayers' Burn, Witch, Burn is wonderful. We have the discrepancy that magic is nothing more than superstition evoking Tourneur's Night of the Demon dealing with black magic and evil. I loved the story, the suspenseful build-up and Reginald H. Wyer's (Island of Terror, Night of the Big Heat) cinematography. Burn, Witch, Burn challenges belief systems while indulging in African diasporic religious, spell-casting... and fate. I loved Tansy Taylor (Janet Blair - My Sister Eileen) also excellent Kathleen Byron (Black Narcissus), Judith Stott (married to Irish comedian Dave Allen) and especially the pure evil of Margaret Johnston (The Psychopath) as Flora Carr. Delightful. An absolute keeper of a UK supernatural horror. The Kino Blu-ray advances upon its own package from almost a decade ago and has two commentaries - including one from 'King' Lucas, another from Richard Matheson - and more. A very strong recommendation.

Gary Tooze

 


Menus / Extras

 


CLICK EACH BLU-RAY CAPTURE TO SEE ALL IMAGES IN FULL 1920X1080 RESOLUTION

 

Subtitle Sample - Kino (2024 - 1.66) - Region 'A' - Blu-ray

 

 


1) Kino (2015 - 1.85) - Region 'A' - Blu-ray - TOP

2) Kino (2024 - 1.66) - Region 'A' - Blu-ray BOTTOM

 

 


1) Kino (2015 - 1.85) - Region 'A' - Blu-ray - TOP

2) Kino (2024 - 1.66) - Region 'A' - Blu-ray BOTTOM

 

 


1) Kino (2015 - 1.85) - Region 'A' - Blu-ray - TOP

2) Kino (2024 - 1.66) - Region 'A' - Blu-ray BOTTOM

 

 


1) Kino (2015 - 1.85) - Region 'A' - Blu-ray - TOP

2) Kino (2024 - 1.66) - Region 'A' - Blu-ray BOTTOM

 

 


1) Kino (2015 - 1.85) - Region 'A' - Blu-ray - TOP

2) Kino (2024 - 1.66) - Region 'A' - Blu-ray BOTTOM

 

 


1) Kino (2015 - 1.85) - Region 'A' - Blu-ray - TOP

2) Kino (2024 - 1.66) - Region 'A' - Blu-ray BOTTOM

 

 


1) Kino (2015 - 1.85) - Region 'A' - Blu-ray - TOP

2) Kino (2024 - 1.66) - Region 'A' - Blu-ray BOTTOM

 

 


1) Kino (2015 - 1.85) - Region 'A' - Blu-ray - TOP

2) Kino (2024 - 1.66) - Region 'A' - Blu-ray BOTTOM

 

  


 

More full resolution (1920 X 1080) Blu-ray Captures for DVDBeaver Patreon Supporters HERE

 

 

 
Box Cover

CLICK to order from:

  

Bonus Captures:

Distribution Kino - Region 'A' - Blu-ray


 


 

Search DVDBeaver

S E A R C H    D V D B e a v e r

 

Hit Counter

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

DONATIONS Keep DVDBeaver alive:

 CLICK PayPal logo to donate!

Gary Tooze

Thank You!