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

ADDITION: Arrow Blu-ray (September 2021): Arrow have transferred Edward L. Cahn's Creature with the Atom Brain to Blu-ray. This is only available from Arrow, at present, as part of their Cold War Creatures: Four Films from Sam Katzman which includes Creature with the Atom Brain, The Werewolf, Zombies of Mora Tau and The Giant Claw.

Obviously the higher resolution, and 7X the bitrate of the DVD, improves the image in terms of sharpness, richer black levels etc. but equally, for some, the proper widescreen aspect ratio is of paramount concern. The DVD has unnecessary head space out the wazoo and the 1.85:1 looks far better in terms of composition. The uptick in visual quality with consistent grain and lack of artifacts will also be appreciated by lovers of this genre.  

NOTE: We have added 50 more large resolution Blu-ray captures (in lossless PNG format) for DVDBeaver Patrons HERE

On their Blu-ray, Arrow use a linear PCM mono track (24-bit) in the original English language. Creature with the Atom Brain has some aggressive moments that come through authentically flat. The score is an amalgamation of stock music uncredited - by the likes of film composers Mischa Bakaleinikoff (The Lineup, New Orleans Uncensored, The Crooked Web, Cell 2455 Death Row, Comanche Station, It Came from Beneath the Sea, The Giant Claw, Earth vs. the Flying Saucers, The 27th Day, 20 Million Miles to Earth, Lady for a Day,) Daniele Amfitheatrof's (Major Dundee, The Last Hunt, I'll Be Seeing You, Edge of Eternity, The Lost Moment, The Desperate Hours, Human Desire, Letter From An Unknown Woman, An Act of Murder), George Duning (Two Rode Together, The Eddy Duchin Story, 3:10 to Yuma, Jeanne Eagels, The Shadow on the Window, My Sister Eileen, The Mob, Affair in Trinidad, Tight Spot, Johnny O'Clock, The Dark Past, Convicted, and Between Midnight and Dawn etc.) and Hans J. Salter (The Web, The Female Animal, Naked Alibi, Pittsburgh, Man Without a Star, The Killer that Stalked New York, The Strange Door, Cover Up, Man Without a Star, Scarlet Street, The Land Unknown, The War Lord, The Mole People, Bengal Brigade, The Strange Case of Doctor Rx) among others. The 1.0 channel mono adds another layer of nostalgic attraction to the viewing experience. Arrow offer optional English subtitles (see sample below) on their Region FREE Blu-ray.

The Arrow Blu-ray offers a new commentary by critic Russell Dyball. He mentions how it can be frustrating to hear criticism of the past through a more modern perspective - this includes the homemaker role and other typical past social norms that appear less progressive than today. The woke-ism can sound smugly superior... but he still continues it in this commentary - occasionally making jokes. Personally, I'm not looking for that in a 50's sci-fi/horror film commentary. I prefer to celebrate how happy people were back then, by comparison to today's socially enlightened. There is also a new 8-minute introduction by critic Kim Newman who is always a pleasure to listen to. The big supplement though would be a new 1 1/4 hour feature-length illustrated presentation on the life, career and films of Sam Katzman by historian and critic Stephen R. Bissette. It covers so much and is highly interesting (running longer than Creature with the Atom Brain.) It discusses Katzman's time at Showmen's Pictures in the early 1930s, as well as his his work at Monogram Pictures including serials, musicals, action films eventually appealing to the teen market, from 'rock and roll' musicals to horror, after work with Ray Harryhausen and Charles H. Schneer in It Came from Beneath the Sea. Arrow add even more - a 20-minute condensed Super 8mm version of Creature with the Atom Brain, produced for home cinema viewing, a theatrical trailer, and image gallery. As part of the Cold War Creatures: Four Films from Sam Katzman is a fully illustrated 60-page collector’s book featuring extensive new writing by Laura Drazin Boyes, Neil Mitchell, Barry Forshaw, Jon Towlson and Jackson Cooper as well as an 80-page collector’s art book featuring reproduction stills and artwork from each film and new writing by historian and critic Stephen R. Bissette, 2 double-sided posters featuring newly commissioned artwork by Matt Griffin and reversible sleeves featuring original and newly commissioned artwork for each film by Matt Griffin.

Sam Katzman's Creature with the Atom Brain is  exactly what I want from this low-budget genre; a compact, economical 'B' effort that encompasses the hokey to the nostalgic; a Nazi scientist creates the walking dead as radio-controlled, atomic-powered, revenge-seeking, zombies? Sold. Granted it's not Val Lewton but there is ample room for this on the 'Rainy Sunday Afternoon Matinee' digital-library shelf. I am excited about the whole Cold War Creatures: Four Films from Sam Katzman Blu-ray set from Arrow. It will either strongly appeal or be dismissed as dreck. I'm in the former camp - give me more.

Gary Tooze