Dear Dead Delilah Blu-ray - Agnes Moorehead

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

(aka "Cara dolce Delilah... morta")

Directed by John Farris

USA 1972

Back in 1943, Luddy viciously murdered her mother with an axe. 30 years later and freshly released from the state mental hospital, deemed 'cured' of her violent impulses, Luddy's luck seems to be turning around, thanks to a chance encounter with the family of Delilah (Agnes Moorehead), the miserly matriarch of a large plantation estate. She quickly finds herself hired as Delilah's housekeeper, but no sooner than her arrival at the cavernous and secluded mansion, grisly murders begin to take place. And worse, each time a new corpse is discovered, Luddy finds she is unable to recall her whereabouts at the time of the bloodshed. Could her old self be coming out, or is someone else trying to set her up for more sinister motives?

A cheerfully grim blending of Southern Gothic stylings, murder mystery structure, and proto-slasher gore, acclaimed horror novelist John Farris' (THE FURY) sole feature film directorial effort, DEAR DEAD DELILAH, was an ubiquitous drive-in crowd pleaser throughout the 70s. Produced by Nashville country legend "Cowboy" Jack Clement, co-starring a who's who of TV actors including Roger Gentry (ALL MY CHILDREN), Will Geer (THE WALTONS), and Dennis Patrick (DALLAS), plus featuring an unforgettably strange performance from one-timer Patricia Carmichael as Luddy, Vinegar Syndrome proudly brings this lurid helping of Southern Fried sleaze to Blu-ray, newly restored from recently discovered 35mm vault elements!.

***

This gory gothic horror film marks the final appearance of actress Agnes Moorhead (though one year later, she did provide a voice in the animated film Charlotte's Web) who plays the terminally ill, wheelchair bound Southern matriarch Delilah. She is an unpleasant woman surrounded by desperately avaricious, insane relatives who realize that she has hidden $600,000 somewhere on her property. The greedy family will stop at nothing to get that loot, even if it means chopping each other up with axes.

Excerpt from B+N located HERE

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Review:

Vinegar Syndrome - Region FREE - Blu-ray

Box Cover		CLICK to order from:
Distribution	Vinegar Syndrome Region FREE Blu-ray
Runtime	1:37:36.684
Video	Disc Size: 32,002,045,076 bytes Feature Size: 28,075,956,864 bytes Average Bitrate: 34.84 Mbps 1080P Dual-layered Blu-ray MPEG-4 AVC Video
Bitrate Blu-ray
Audio	DTS-HD Master Audio English 1660 kbps 1.0 / 96 kHz / 1660 kbps / 24-bit (DTS Core: 1.0 / 48 kHz / 768 kbps / 24-bit)
Subtitles	English (SDH), None
Features	Release Information: Studio: Vinegar Syndrome Disc Size: 32,002,045,076 bytes Feature Size: 28,075,956,864 bytes Average Bitrate: 34.84 Mbps 1080P Dual-layered Blu-ray MPEG-4 AVC Video Edition Details: • "Family Secrets: The Making of Dear Dead Delilah" - an interview with director John Farris (21:31) • Promotional still and article gallery • Reversible cover artwork DVD Blu-ray Release Date: August 28th, 2018 Transparent Blu-ray case Chapters: 5

Comments:

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

Vinegar Syndrome's Region FREE Blu-ray transfer is dual-layered in the 1.85:1 aspect ratio cited as "Newly scanned and restored in 2k from 35mm vault elements". The image is inconsistent looking like it was from a composite of alternate sources. The opening is surely, intentionally, shot in 16mm (as is another flashback sequence) - or they are the only elements Vinegar Syndrome could round up. There is damage - in the form of scratches and frame-specific marks (see sample at bottom). Despite the inconsistency it looks pleasing in-motion on a dual-layered disc with a max'ed out bitrate. I have no doubt Vinegar Syndrome transfer is not the culprit for the visual variance but the film's also-ran status.

Vinegar Syndrome use DTS-HD Master 1.0 channel mono track (24-bit) in the original English language. There are effects but the score is more impacting - it is by Bill Justis (Hooper, Smokey Bandit) and it is similarly backwoods countrified which doesn't suit in my opinion. Vinegar Syndrome add optional English subtitles - see sample below - on their Region FREE Blu-ray disc.

Supplements include "Family Secrets: The Making of Dear Dead Delilah" - a 22-minute interview with director John Farris about the production and the story he wrote in which it is based. There are also a promotional still and article gallery. The package has reversible cover artwork and a second disc DVD is included.

You gotta hand it to Vinegar Syndrome - dredging up Agnes Moorehead's last starring screen appearance (I do recall her briefly in Frankenstein: The True Story, made the following year) in a funky, down south, horror that is not unappealing. Her first film credit being Citizen Kane. Wow. I would never have seen this without VS's deep love of this genre from the other side of the tracks. I always loved Will Geer, to boot. The Blu-ray certainly has value for the film's clandestinely-seen qualities although it seems a sad end to Moorehead's career - I prefer to remember Endora (Bewitched) when I forget over 30-years of impressive roles like, my favorite, Dark Passage as evil Madge Rapf, starring Bogie and Bacall. Anyway, the imperfections of Dear Dead Delilah give it some grassroots charm and desirability. I was definitely entertained.