Tormented Blu-ray - Richard Carlson

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S E A R C H D V D B e a v e r

Directed by Bert I. Gordon
USA 1960

Richard Carlson stars in this thrill-fest as a man haunted by a nagging conscience and a dead lover! Jazz pianist Tom Stewart (Carlson) is headed for Carnegie Hall - right after he marries his lovely fiancée Meg (Lugene Sanders). But when Vi Mason (Juli Reding), a lounge singer Tom rejected, shows up at the island lighthouse where Tom practices, she insists that no one will marry Tom but her. After she accidentally falls over a railing to her death, Vi returns as a ghost bent on revenge. Slowly, Tom loses his grip on reality, and it's a matter of time before tragedy strikes again in Tormented! Because of his initials (B.I.G.) and also because he frequently wrote giants into his science fiction screenplays, Bert I. (Ira) Gordon was nicknamed "Mr. Big" by actor friend Forrest J. Ackerman.

***

Jazz pianist Tom Stewart (Carlson), who lives in a Cape Cod island community, is preparing to marry his fiancée Meg Hubbard (Lugene Sanders). Shortly before the wedding, Tom's old girlfriend Vi Mason (Juli Reding) visits and informs him that she will end his relationship with Meg, using blackmail if necessary. While she is arguing with him atop a lighthouse, the railing she is leaning on gives way. She manages to hang on briefly, but Tom refuses to help and watches her fall to her death.

The next day, Tom sees Vi's body floating in the water. After he retrieves her, the body turns into seaweed. He tries to forget what he has seen, but over the next few days, Vi's watch washes up on the beach, strange footprints appear in the sand, Vi's ghost appears and tells Tom that she will haunt him for the rest of his life, and when Meg's little sister Sandy (Susan Gordon) asks to see the wedding ring Tom will give Meg, a disembodied hand makes off with it...

Posters

Theatrical Release: September 20th, 1960

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Comparison:

Warner Archive - Region FREE - NTSC vs. Anolis - Region 'B' - Blu-ray

Box Cover
	Bonus Captures:	Bonus Captures:
Distribution	Warner Archive - Region FREE - NTSC	Anolis - Region 'B' - Blu-ray
Runtime	1:15:03	1:14:46.875
Video	1.78:1 Aspect Ratio 16 X 9 enhanced Average Bitrate: 7.56 mb/s NTSC 720x480 29.97 f/s	1.62:1 1080P Single-layered Blu-ray Disc Size: 24,526,942,876 bytes Feature: 20,694,607,872 bytes Video Bitrate: 31.41 Mbps Codec: MPEG-4 AVC Video
	NOTE: The Vertical axis represents the bits transferred per second. The Horizontal is the time in minutes.
Bitrate DVD:
Bitrate Blu-ray:
Audio	Dolby Digital Audio English 192 kbps 2.0 / 48 kHz / 192 kbps	DTS-HD Master Audio English 1560 kbps 2.0 / 48 kHz / 1560 kbps / 16-bit (DTS Core: 2.0 / 48 kHz / 1509 kbps / 16-bit) DUB: DTS-HD Master Audio German 1569 kbps 2.0 / 48 kHz / 1569 kbps / 16-bit (DTS Core: 2.0 / 48 kHz / 1509 kbps / 16-bit) Commentary: Dolby Digital Audio German 192 kbps 2.0 / 48 kHz / 192 kbps / DN -27dBS
Subtitles	None	German, None
Features	Release Information: Studio: Warner Archive 1.78:1 Aspect Ratio Average Bitrate: 7.56 mb/s Widescreen anamorphic Edition Details: • None DVD Release Date: August 13th, 2013 Standard Keep Case Chapters 8	Release Information: Studio: Anolis 1.62:1 1080P Single-layered Blu-ray Disc Size: 24,526,942,876 bytes Feature: 20,694,607,872 bytes Video Bitrate: 31.41 Mbps Codec: MPEG-4 AVC Video Edition Details: • Commentary by Ingo Strecker and Mirko Rekittke • Susan Gordon Interview (6:34) • American trailer (1:56) • German trailer (1:57) • Trailers From Hell with Mick Garris (1:59) • German Media book (1:08) • Film Programme (0:55) • Gallery (3:24) Blu-ray Release Date: May 13th, 2022 Standard Blu-ray Case inside slipcase Chapters 8

Comments:

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

ADDITION: Anolis Blu-ray (January 2023): Anolis have transferred Bert I. Gordon's Tormented to Blu-ray. It is using a different print from the Warner Archive DVD, that came out in 2013, reviewed HERE. This is from an archival German print with an alternate title sequence - see above. The 1080P is significantly brighter, in the 1.62:1 aspect ratio (the Warner was 1.78:1). IMDb says it was shot in 1.37:1 but I would be surprised if it was not shown in widescreen theatrically. Either way both ratios are probably inaccurate and the Anolis Blu-ray shows more information in the bottom of the frame and a sliver more in the top. The HD presentation is filled with light vertical scratches and speckles with more of this than Warner's SD transfer. I do find the excessive brightness bothersome - the film seems to look better to me with the darker appearance, however it was refreshing to see the film in the higher resolution. I did notice brief sequences cut - just a few frames here and there. Example, a could not match THIS frame.

Mark Taylor tells us in email: "FYI, the restoration work was performed five years ago by Andreas Hartung. Here is a link to a video showing samples of his restoration on TORMENTED. These images convinced me that his restoration and the Anolis release are the same." Thanks Mark! I think I agree.

NOTE: We have added 36 more large resolution Blu-ray captures (in lossless PNG format) for DVDBeaver Patrons HERE

On their Blu-ray, Anolis offer DTS-HD Master dual-mono tracks (16-bit) in the original English language (slightly out-of-sync) and a German DUB (default.) The dramatic score is by Albert Glasser (The Cyclops, Attack of the Puppet People, Abilene Town, The Spider, I Shot Jesse James, Behind Locked Doors) and is fairly intense at times with a jazzy edge. The lounge-y Tormented theme is written by Glasser and is sung by Margie Rayburn (representing Vi Mason.). Anolis offer optional German subtitles on their Region 'B' Blu-ray.

The Anolis Blu-ray offers a commentary by Ingo Strecker and Mirko Rekittke in German. The 2013 DVD had nothing but this Blu-ray package includes a 6.5 minute interview with Susan Gordon - daughter to director / writer Bert I. Gordon and Flora M. Gordon who was credited with special visual effects on Tormented. Susan received second billing as the young sister, 'Sandy Hubbard', to Richard Carlson's fiancée, in Tormented. It was nice to hear from her. There are also American and German trailers, a 'Trailers From Hell' episode with Mick Garris as well as screens showing the German Media book, a Film Programme and lastly a gallery. The package includes a 28-page booklet with essays in German and plenty of photos and this has a handsome slipcase.

Tormented has Bert I. Gordon firmly implanted in his premium 'B' element - without an overabundance of schlock... but still 'some'. There is an interesting subtext here with powerful guilt forming delusions and the kid sister representing Vi Mason (a distractingly curvaceous Juli Reding) with her schoolgirl crush on Tom Stewart. It is definitely more in the range of nostalgia value with the hokier aspects (holding the decapitated head) being very cool. I loved it - a great way to start a double feature night. With the island milieu - how about paired with The Flesh Eaters... or maybe not. To each his own. I was very thankful that a company released this gem on Blu-ray, although this is not ideal a/v although it does have extras - a new English-language commentary would have worked. We appreciate Anolis as their content is right in DVDBeaver's wheelhouse.