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

BFI have given us an outstanding release here. The 1080p film is housed on a dual-layered Blu-ray with a maxed out bitrate. Though the various faux newsreel footage, and early shots of the film have a damaged, grainy vérité quality to them, this is intended. The later scenes, shot on different stock/cameras, show a huge level of detail and contrast. The large range of blacks in the image is quite noticeable and strongly welcomed. It should be reiterated that the film smartly uses a pastiche of media to recreate the times that this alternate universe would exist. Viewers will not immediately be blown away by the image as it is initially very rough and damaged, intentionally so. But when the transition hits, the high quality of the transfer is laid bare. Very impressive work from BFI.

The film is presented with a (24-bit) linear PCM 1.0 mono track. The various sounds of war and daily life come through clear, any rough sounds are assumed to be intended to maintain the newsreel/propaganda film's hiss-and-pops of the day. Though nobody is credited as composing music for the film, there are multiple examples of time-appropriate songs (from the "Egerlander March" to Elgar's "Pomp and Circumstance") being played, to properly emulate the propaganda/newsreel feel. There are optional English subtitles on this Region FREE Blu-ray.

BFI have absolutely stacked this Blu-ray with extras. Though there is no commentary, the extensive behind-the-scenes footage, coupled with hours of interviews and featurettes, more than suffice. The star of the show here is the 65-minute interview, "Kevin Brownlow Remembers It Happened Here". Brownlow shares a wealth of knowledge and insight over the hour-long talk. Brownlow appears elsewhere in the extras, starting with a 2-minute excerpt from another interview with Brownlow and co-director, Mollo. Next up is the 22-minute "It Happened Here: Behind the Scenes" which consists of previously unseen footage with a new commentary by Brownlow. "Mirror on the World" is a full version of the fake German newsreel, lasting just over 10-minutes. "The Conquest of London" is a 4-minute excerpt from Italian TV featuring the film. "On Set With Brownlow and Mollo" is an 11-minute interview with Production Assistant, Johanna Roeber. "It Happened Here Again" is a 7-minute excerpt from a 1976 documentary on the filming of Mollo/Brownlow's "Winstanley". Also included here are the film's original US and UK trailers, an image gallery, and and Illustrated booklet (with writing by Kevon Brownlow and new essays by Dr Josephine Botting, DoP Peter Suschitzky and military historian E W W Fowler). As a bonus there is also "Introduction to How It Happened Here: text of David Robinson's foreword to the book" (Downloadable PDF on the second disc DVD).

Why yes that is renowned cinematographer, Peter Suschitzky (Empire Strikes Back, Rocky Horror Picture Show, Dead Ringers, Naked Lunch, The Vanishing, Crash, and many more Cronenberg films) credited here for his first feature. His talent just about breaks through the screen. This is another great Blu-ray release from BFI, stacked to the brim with valuable extras, and a great transfer to boot. This title is highly recommend!

Colin Zavitz