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MANIACAL MAYHEM (Three films starring Boris KARLOFF) [2 X Blu-ray]
 

The Invisible Ray (1936)          Black Friday (1940)

The Strange Door (1951)

 

 

Three more tales of terror from the vaults of Universal Pictures, all starring the iconic Boris Karloff.

Boris Karloff and Béla Lugosi both star In The Invisible Ray (dir. Lambert Hillyer, 1936), which sees Dr Janos Rukh (Karloff) exposed to a mysterious element that turns him into a deadly luminescent maniac who devises a plot to bump off his personal and professional rivals.

Then, in Black Friday (dir. Arthur Lubin, 1940), Karloff is the amoral brain surgeon, Dr Sovac, who transplants part of a gangster’s brain into the body of his dying friend, creating a terrifying Jekyll-and-Hyde figure who starts murdering his former criminal associates (including, again, the wonderful Béla Lugosi).

Finally, the incomparable Charles Laughton plays the sadistic Sire Alain de Maletroit in The Strange Door (dir. Joseph Pevney, 1951). Maletroit has kept his own brother locked in a dungeon for twenty years, and now wants to ruin the life of his niece by forcing her to marry a violent rogue. His plan is upset when the “rogue” is unexpectedly noble-hearted and attempts to rescue the girl, aided by an abused servant (Karloff).

 

Posters

Theatrical Release: February 29th, 1940 - December 18th, 1951

Reviews                                                                                                       More Reviews                                                                                       DVD Reviews

Review: Eureka - Region 'B' - Blu-ray

Box Cover

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Bonus Captures:

Distribution Eureka - Region 'B' - Blu-ray
Runtime The Invisible Ray (1936): 1:19:15.750
Black Friday (1940): 1:10:05.034
The Strange Door (1951): 1:20:56.685         
Video

The Invisible Ray:

1.33:1 1080P Dual-layered Blu-ray

Disc Size: 46,774,734,263 bytes

Feature: 24,012,401,472 bytes

Video Bitrate: 35.87 Mbps

Codec: MPEG-4 AVC Video

Black Friday:

1.33:1 1080P Dual-layered Blu-ray

Disc Size: 46,774,734,263 bytes

Feature: 21,301,587,072 bytes

Video Bitrate: 35.99 Mbps

Codec: MPEG-4 AVC Video

Video

The Strange Door :

1.33:1 1080P Dual-layered Blu-ray

Disc Size: 39,451,993,201 bytes

Feature: 23,308,836,288 bytes

Video Bitrate: 33.95 Mbps

Codec: MPEG-4 AVC Video

 

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

Bitrate The Invisible Ray Blu-ray:

Bitrate Black Friday Blu-ray:

Bitrate The Strange Door  Blu-ray:

Audio

LPCM Audio English 2304 kbps 2.0 / 48 kHz / 2304 kbps / 24-bit
Commentary:

Dolby Digital Audio English 320 kbps 2.0 / 48 kHz / 320 kbps / DN -31dB

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

 

Edition Details:

• Brand new audio commentary tracks on The Invisible Ray and The Strange Door with author Stephen Jones and author / critic Kim Newman
• Brand new audio commentary track on Black Friday with Kevin Lyons and Jonathan Rigby
• Three “The Sire de Maletroit’s Door” radio adaptations of The Strange Door (1947 - 29:27 / 1952 - 29:18 / 1975 - 43:22)
• Stills Galleries (Production / Artwork for each film)
• Trailers (Invisible Ray - 1:43 / Black Friday - 1:55 )
PLUS: A Limited Edition Collector’s Booklet featuring new writing on all three films by film writers Andrew Graves, Rich Johnson, and Craig Ian Mann
Limited Edition O-Card Slipcase


Blu-ray Release Date:
 October 17th2022
Transparent Blu-ray Case inside slipcase

Chapters 8 / 7 / 8

 

 

 

Comments:

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

ADDITION: Eureka Blu-ray (October 2022): Eureka have transferred a new package; Maniacal Mayhem (Three films starring Boris KARLOFF) to Blu-ray. The films are The Invisible Ray (1936), Black Friday (1940), The Strange Door (1951) and follows their six-film Karloff At Columbia Blu-ray set from 2021, with The Black Room (1935), The Man They Could Not Hang (1939), The Man With Nine Lives (1940), Before I Hang (1940), The Devil Commands (1941) and The Boogie Man Will Get You (1942) reviewed HERE and their Universal Terror (Three films starring Boris Karloff) Blu-ray package, from earlier this year, with Night Key (1937), The Climax (1944) and The Black Castle (1952), reviewed HERE. The three films in this set and cited as being "presented from 2K scans of the original film elements". The Invisible Ray (1936) Black Friday (1940) were released on Blu-ray in the US (Region 'A') in Shout! Factory's 4 Blu-ray package, from 2019, Universal Horror Collection: Vol.1, reviewed HERE. The Invisible Ray and Black Friday. were in the 2005 Universal Bela Lugosi DVD set (reviewed HERE.) The Strange Door (1951)was released on Kino Blu-ray, in 2019, reviewed HERE. We've compared captures below and the results appear to duplicate the previous strong 1080P transfers but I might give and edge to the UK rendered HD presentation. Most will not be able to differentiate and all will be very pleased with the black levels and thick grain. There are the same light damages marks but these look gorgeous in 1080P, dripping with vintage film textures and foreboding dark atmosphere.  

NOTE: We have added 96 more large resolution Blu-ray captures (in lossless PNG format) for DVDBeaver Patrons HERE

On their Blu-rays, Eureka use a linear PCM dual-mono track (24-bit) in the original English language for all three films. The scores are typically dramatic in spots heightening the dram and horror aspects. On The Invisible Ray by Franz Waxman (Untamed, Rebecca, Dark Passage, Bride of Frankenstein, Rear Window, Sunset Boulevard) on Black Friday by Hans J. Salter (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) and Frank Skinner (The Appaloosa, Madame X, Magnificent Obsession, Abbott and Costello Meet Frankenstein, All That Heaven Allows, and The Naked City) and on The Strange Door the music sounds very familiar as it was a lot of stock pieces by the likes of William Lava, Charles Previn, Miklós Rózsa, Hans J. Salter, Frank Skinner, Herman Stein etc. and others may recognize Luigi Boccherini's Minuet (3rd movement from String Quintette E major, G.275). These pieces add to the film experience and sound competent, with minor depth, via the lossless rendering. Dialogue is clear and audible. Eureka offer optional English (SDH) subtitles on their Region 'B' Blu-ray.

The Eureka Blu-ray offers a new commentaries on The Invisible Ray and The Strange Door with author Stephen Jones and author / critic Kim Newman and on Black Friday with Kevin Lyons and Jonathan Rigby. I'm a bit pushed for time but look forward to indulging later. I enjoy all these commentarists. On The Strange Door Blu-ray there are three “The Sire de Maletroit’s Door” radio adaptations from 1947, 1952 and 1975, respectively taking up about 1 3/4 hour's time. There are also stills galleries, trailers and the package has a limited edition Collector’s Booklet featuring new writing on all three films by film writers Andrew Graves, Rich Johnson, and Craig Ian Mann and is housed in an LE O-Card Slipcase.

Wonderful pulpy, horror, sci-fi vintage entries; Legosi, Karloff. The Strange Door has wonderful atmosphere... Gothic-era pubs, townsfolk chasing ne'er-do-wells with torches, a creepy mansion with a dank, shadowy basement... and, of course, it has Laughton and a crouching, wild-eyed, Karloff. The Blu-rays provide the opportunity to see these for Region 'B' vintage film fans and those keen on this genre of spooky, mysterious, horror thrillers made a lifetime ago. New commentaries add essential value. Keep them coming Eureka!

Gary Tooze

 


Menus / Extras

 

Blu-ray 2


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

 

Directed by Lambert Hillyer, 1936
 

Dr. Janos Rukh discovers a certain type of radium that has almost magical healing properties. But the element has a dangerous side, too, and it has already started affecting Rukh. Consumed by paranoia, he begins to suspect that his wife is having an affair. Wild for revenge, Rukh hatches a deadly plot...using his own poisoned body as a weapon to kill.

 

1) Shout Factory - Region 'A'- Blu-ray TOP

2) Masters of Cinema - Region 'B'- Blu-ray BOTTOM

 

 

 

 


1) Shout Factory - Region 'A'- Blu-ray TOP

2) Masters of Cinema - Region 'B'- Blu-ray BOTTOM

 

 

 


 

 


 

 

 

 


 

Directed by Arthur Lubin, 1940
 

University professor George Kingsley is struck by gangsters while crossing the street, leaving him with brain damage and one of the gangsters, Cannon, paralyzed. Kingsley's friend Dr. Sovac attends to both men, and when Cannon offers him a reward for aiding his recovery, Kovac transplants part of Cannon's brain into the dying Kingsley's skull, creating a dual personality.

 

1) Shout Factory - Region 'A'- Blu-ray TOP

2) Masters of Cinema - Region 'B'- Blu-ray BOTTOM

 

 

 


1) Shout Factory - Region 'A'- Blu-ray TOP

2) Masters of Cinema - Region 'B'- Blu-ray BOTTOM

 

 

 


 

 


 

 


 

(aka "Robert Louis Stevenson's The Strange Door")

 

Directed by Joseph Pevney
USA 1951

 

Screen legends Charles Laughton (Witness for the Prosecution) and Boris Karloff (Black Sabbath) haunt the dungeons of a medieval château in this horrific adaptation of the classic Robert Louis Stevenson (The Body Snatcher) story. Laughton, the Sire de Maletroit, is an evil French nobleman, so obsessed with hatred of his own brother (Paul Cavanagh, A Bill of Divorcement) that he imprisons him in the castle dungeon. The Sire also tries to destroy the life of his brother’s daughter (Sally Forrest, Not Wanted) by forcing her to marry a rogue (Richard Stapley, The Girl from Rio), but his plans are upset when they fall in love. Aided by Voltan (Karloff), an abused servant, the lovers attempt to escape, but the Sire imprisons them in a cell with closing walls that may spell violent deaths for the young lovers. Directed by Joseph Pevney (Female on the Beach).

 

1) Kino - Region 'A'- Blu-ray TOP

2) Masters of Cinema - Region 'B'- Blu-ray BOTTOM

 

 

 


1) Kino - Region 'A'- Blu-ray TOP

2) Masters of Cinema - Region 'B'- Blu-ray BOTTOM

 

 

 


 

 


 

 


 

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

 

The Invisible Ray (1936)

 

Black Friday (1940)

 

The Strange Door (1951)

 

 

 

 

Box Cover

CLICK to order from:

Bonus Captures:

Distribution Eureka - Region 'B' - Blu-ray
 


 


 

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