Anchor Bay Entertainment

Region 2 - PAL

1.80:1 Aspect Ratio

16X9 enhanced
Average Bitrate: 7.93 mb/s
PAL 720x576 25.00 f/s

1.78:1 Original Aspect Ratio

16X9 enhanced
Average Bitrate: 5.25 mb/s
NTSC 720x480 29.97 f/s

1.78:1 Original Aspect Ratio

16X9 enhanced
Average Bitrate: 5.11 mb/s
NTSC 720x480 29.97 f/s

Dual-layered Blu-ray MPEG-4 AVC Video

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

Anchor Bay Entertainment (Norman J. Warren Collection)

BCI/EclipseEclipse (Crypt of Terror Double Feature)

Scorpion Releasing (Katerina's Nightmare Theater)

Blu-ray

English Dolby Digital 2.0 mono

English Dolby Digital 2.0 mono

DTS-HD Master Audio English 1656 kbps 1.0 / 96 kHz / 1656 kbps / 24-bit (DTS Core: 1.0 / 48 kHz / 768 kbps / 24-bit)
Interview:

Dolby Digital Audio English 128 kbps 1.0 / 48 kHz / 128 kbps / DN -4dB

Aspect Ratio:
Widescreen anamorphic - 1.80:1

Edition Details:
• Audio Commentary by director Norman J. Warren and writer David McGillivray
• French Theatrical Trailer (16:9; 1:37)
• U.S. Radio Spot (0:20)
• Deleted Scenes
• - Bathtime with Brenda (16:9; 1:15)
• - Night Club (16:9; 1:32)
• BONUS DISC (disc 5):
• BLOODY GOOD FUN documentary (16:9; 41:05)

DVD Release Date: 22 November 2004
Coffin Boxed Set

Chapters 12
 

Aspect Ratio:
Widescreen anamorphic - 1.78:1

Edition Details:
• Bonus Film: LAND OF THE MINOTAUR (see above)
 

Chapters 8

Aspect Ratio:
Widescreen anamorphic - 1.78:1

Edition Details:
• Playable with optional KATARINA'S NIGHTMARE THEATER segments
• BLOODY GOOD FUN featurette (16:9; 40:40)
• Deleted Scenes
• - Bathtime with Brenda (16:9; 1:14)
• - Night Club (16:9; 1:32)
• U.S. Theatrical Trailer (16:9; 1:41)
• French Theatrical Trailer (16:9; 1:37)
• Trailers for NOTHING BUT THE NIGHT, DOUBLE EXPOSURE, and THE DEVIL WITHIN HER
• Bonus Film: THE DEVIL'S MEN (see above)
 

Chapters 12

Chapters 5

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

Vinegar Syndrome's new Blu-ray is cited as being "newly scanned and restored in 2k from 35mm original camera negative". Their 1080P is a gigantic leap over the muddy, dark DVDs. The image is brighter an clearer with more visible color separation, better contrast and wonderful grain support on the dual-layered disc with a max'ed out bitrate. It's a wonderful example of the benefits of HD with the proper source material. It is in the 1.85:1 aspect ratio and shows more information in the frame. Night and day boost in video quality.

Vinegar Syndrome transfer the audio in a faithful DTS-HD Master mono track (24-bit) and it sounds, reasonably clean with the production limitations in tact. The score is credited to Ivor Slaney (Prey, Death Ship, Paid to Kill, Terror Street, Bad Blonde, Gambler and the Lady) and it sounds very strong in supporting the film. It's an interesting soundtrack - also available on CD HERE. There are optional English SDH subtitles are also provided (see sample below) on the Region FREE Blu-ray disc.

Vinegar Syndrome include an audio interview, playing to the film, with director Norman J. Warren talking to Kat Ellinger for a shade over an hour about his career. There are also brand new video interviews with director Warren for over 20-minutes, screenwriter David McGillivray for a dozen minutes, actresses Carolyn Courage, Tricia Walsh and Mary Maude separately for 20-minutes in total plus actor Peter Craze for ten and 5-minutes of deleted and extended scenes. The package has a reversible cover (see below.)

This film really surprised- I loved the opening sequence and kept enjoying it all the way to the conclusion. It's a definite 'B' effort but, like Warren's Prey, a great premise built upon well. There is both a style and intensity here that offers plenty of value if you aren't expecting large-budget production features. I liked it - especially in the new, vastly improved, HD presentation including the 2+ hours of extras. Vinegar Syndrome continue to impress - absolutely recommended!      

***

ON THE DVD: NOTE: The 'Katarina's Nightmare Theater' Double Feature also has DEVIL'S MEN compared HERE.

Anchor Bay's UK DVD of TERROR featured a progressive, anamorphic presentation of a somewhat compromised version. The image is brighter (perhaps too bright with highlights that threaten to clip) and exposes more image on the right side of the frame, but it features less image information on the top and bottom (although this is only a problem during the opening credits where credits near the top and bottom of the frame in a couple title cards are cropped off). Scorpion's DVD features a progressive transfer of the Crown International U.S. version (BCI's transfer utilized the same master but was given an interlaced encoding). The US transfer is darker but still suited to the film's style, and is also longer than the UK version.

The US version features approximately a minute and a half of additional dialogue roughly split between the two "Bathtime with Brenda" studio shooting scenes (additional deleted material from the first of these shoots in the supplements is the same on both the Anchor Bay and Scorpion discs). The stabbing murder of the Tricia Walsh's character features a single additional shot missing from the UK version of a knife all the way through her foot. The X certificate theatrical version ran 87 minutes and 9 seconds, which is almost three minutes longer than the US print. It is possible that the missing footage could be comprised of the supplemental deleted scenes.

As with some other Anchor Bay UK releases of this period, TERROR featured intermittently effective 5.1 Dolby Digital and DTS upmixes. The 40-minute documentary, deleted scenes, and French trailer on the Scorpion disc were all ported over from the Anchor Bay release; however, the commentary was either not licensed or could not be synchronized with the longer cut of the film. It's loss is regrettable, but the documentary features input from director Norman Warren, producer/cinematographer Les Young, associate producer Moira Young, writer David MacGillivray, actresses Carolyn Courage, Elaine Ives-Cameron, and Mary Maude, and actor James Aubrey. Exclusive to the Scorpion release is the American Crown International theatrical trailer, as well as the "Katarina's Nightmare Theater" intro and post-script.

 - Eric Cotenas