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

ADDITION: Indicator Blu-ray (January 2023): Indicator have transferred the surviving 26 films of Michael J Murphy to 10 dual-layered Blu-rays in a set entitled Magic, Myth & Mutilation: The Micro-Budget Cinema of Michael J Murphy, 1967–2015. Some of the films have different versions included - "bootlegs", "re-edited", "revised", "alternate cuts" or simply "second versions" as well as the "original". About twenty of these are from 'All-new 2K restorations by Powerhouse Films, using film elements from the Murphy archives', with about ten 'Standard Definition presentations, newly digitized from Murphy’s tape masters'. So there is somewhere in the neighborhood of over 34 hours’ worth of film content. We couldn't do our usual deconstruction of each disc because of this large size. Generally the image quality is often as imperfect as the source and production limitations. Indicator overcame many hurdles regarding the transfers, including examples of statements before some of the presentation like:

"The existence of camcorder recordings, captured by Murphy whilst projecting the film in his home in the 1980s, has made it possible to supplement the existing 16mm footage by inserting some standard-definition material.

As a result, there are a number of evident shifts in image quality in the following presentation, as well as some sections of audio during the first few minutes that are missing portions of dialogue.
Despite these issues, this restoration represents the most complete version of the film that it's possible to see.

While this reconstruction represents the most complete version that it's possible to see, it should be noted that the viewing experience is somewhat compromised. It is recommended that anyone wishing to view the film should first familiarise themselves with Murphy's later adaptations of the same material - Tristan (1986, aka Legend of a Hero) and Tristan (1999)."

So, yes, the image quality belies the surviving, best quality, and restoration attempts to bring this thoroughly complete compilation of Murphy's works to 1080P - even that bumped from SD. Typically the 8mm / 16mm can look grainy, the video sources stuff a shade waxy but it was all watchable and we accept the inherent weaknesses and respect Indicator's attempts to alleviate deficiencies and improve the video presentations. Bravo! 

NOTE: We have added 184 more large resolution Blu-ray captures (in lossless PNG format) for DVDBeaver Patrons HERE

On their Blu-ray, Indicator use a DTS-HD and linear PCM mono transfers of the audio that, like the video has its imperfections. One outlier example; "However, the resulting presentation, in addition to containing many evident shifts in image quality, is also far from complete, as there has been no way to effectively compensate for the many missing sequences or the long sections of lost soundtrack. In order to help bridge some of the gaps in the narrative, some short explanatory intertitles have been added." Kudos to Indicator who really went to extremes to facilitate correction of the audio - as well as the video. Many of the films are not officially scored - presumably using stock music, although other are. One example is Death Run's music is credited to "Graham Hunt, Philip Love and Urbreaker & Cature" and the score is by "Truffle". Some names are credited in other productions like Bloodstream or there are a few as their only film credits. Indicator offer optional English (SDH) subtitles on their Region FREE Blu-rays.

The Indicator Blu-rays offer five audio commentaries with Murphy, and actors Sally Duncan and Phil Lyndon on Invitation to Hell from 2008, a new one with arts professor Johnny Walker (author of Contemporary British Horror Cinema: Industry, Genre and Society) on Invitation to Hell - with Murphy, Duncan and Lyndon on The Last Night from 2008 - with Murphy, actors June Bunday, Judith Holding and Lyndon on Atlantis from 2010 and with Murphy and Holding on Skare from 2009. Murphy’s Lore is a new three-part hour-plus documentary assessing Murphy’s five-decade career, featuring interviews with Murphy, Bunday, Holding, Chris Jupp, Stephen Longhurst, Patrick Olliver, filmmakers Jackson Batchelor, Sam Mason Bell and Tom Lee Rutter, film historians Darrell Buxton and Walker, and film programmer Paul Cotgrove . It is spread over three parts on three separate Blu-ray discs in the package. Also included is a "The Horror-on-Sea" hour-long interview with Michael J Murphy from 2013 where the prolific filmmaker is in conversation with June Bunday and Phil Lyndon, recorded for the British horror festival. There is a 1/4 hour Making of ‘Invitation to Hell’ and ‘The Last Night’ from 2008 - it is a retrospective documentary featuring interviews with Murphy, Lyndon and Duncan. Also available is a The Making of ‘Atlantis’, The Making of ‘Skare’, The Making of ‘Roxi’ and The Making of ‘ZK3’. Plus from Moonchild, Torment, Atlantis, Second Sight, Skare and Stay are Outtakes with the latter's theme music, a 'Custom Video Logo Reel', 'Behind the Scenes' of ‘The Rite of Spring’ and ‘Nekros’ and a ‘Skare’ script read through plus a Michael J Murphy Tribute Video, Video Tour of his Home as well as surviving fragments from six lost Murphy films: Atlantis: City of Sin (1967 - 6:02), Boadicea (1968 - 5:28), Gods and Heroes (1971 - 2:31), two versions of Seventh Day (1976/77 - 7:07, 5:07, 2:11), and Insight (1978 - 3:13). There are trailers for Invitation to Hell, The Last Night, Bloodstream, Legend of a Hero, Death Run, Avalon, Moonchild, Torment, Atlantis, Road to Nowhere, The Rite of Spring, Tristan, Roxi, Skare, ZK3, Nekros: Isle of Death, and The Return of Alan Strange, plus Image galleries and included is a limited edition exclusive 120-page book with new essays by Murphy experts Wayne Maginn, Paul Higson, Darrell Buxton and Johnny Walker, a comprehensive filmography, and film credits.

I am pretty sure I had never seen a Michael J. Murphy film before indulging in this extensive boxset. I watched them in order and saw a filmmaker evolve from sophomoric DIY pragmatic-ness with occasional appeal to gore-hounds to significantly more sophisticated plots, construction, pacing and overall adept, larger budget, filmmaking. He had some common signatures with frequent muscular men in conflict from wrestling to sword battles. There is also plenty of bondage - mostly damsels in distress tied and gagged. And a lot of his films were shot in Greece and the coastal islands. While there are exploitive elements (early films might have graphic murders, while the later films had seemed to replace that with infrequent, but usually tasteful, nudity) Murphy never seems to solely rely on it. I enjoyed when he was fearlessly ambitious expanding his genres and while I wouldn't say Murphy's name in the context of Edward D. Wood Jr. - there may be some corner-cutting synergy for viewers to appreciate. We see many of the same actors including Catherine Rowlands, Debbi Stevens, Kate Steavenson-Payne, June Bunday, Judith Holding and, of course, Patrick Olliver. I thought Stay showed quite a bit of promise. I enjoyed the horror-thriller The Hereafter, the disturbing plot of Torment, the Arthurian setting of Avalon, as well as Road to Nowhere, Second Sight, Skare with a female domination angle, and Nekros. There is so much here in Indicator's Magic, Myth & Mutilation: The Micro-Budget Cinema of Michael J Murphy, 1967–2015 Blu-ray boxset. It is definitely geared towards those who can appreciate this sincere if budget-constrained, brand of unapologetic guerrilla-filmmaking-ish styled cinema. It is easily Indicator's most ambitious and challenging project to date and it will be the definitive for the entirety of this auteur's work - that spanned 50-years! A must own that will last the rest of your viewing days to revisit as the mood strikes. Absolutely recommended!   

Gary Tooze