Perhaps any movie with such a wretched central idea (woman sexually assaulted by an invisible demon), supposedly based on fact or not, deserved the feminist picket-line which attended its West End screening. But for reasons that may be fortuitous, The Entity doesn't emerge quite as one-dimensionally nasty as its synopsis suggests. The film's men are so uniformly creepy, and its heroine so strong and sympathetic, that apart from a couple of unpleasant moments the story often seems less like horror than feminist parable, especially when Hershey (giving a fine performance) is reduced to a laboratory object with her home recreated in the psychology department. None of this may be intended, of course, but it goes to show that commercial movies sometimes hit spots that more intentionally didactic efforts can't reach.

Excerpt from TimeOut Film Guide located HERE

Before Poltergeist or Ghostbusters came this based-on-a-true story horror pic about a single mother (Barbara Hershey) who is repeatedly raped and psychologically tormented by an unseen demon. A psychiatrist (Ron Silver) tries to persuade her that it's all in her head, but we in the audience know better. Though reviled upon its original release, The Entity is in hindsight quite interesting, especially for the way it doesn't wear it's based-on-a-true story claim on its sleeve.

Excerpt from Combustible Celluloid located HERE

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

The Entity has a surprisingly decent Blu-ray transfer from Anchor Bay. This is only single-layered but the bare-bones disc has a very high bitrate. The black levels are stable and detail is acceptable - if not stellar. The film's effects are generally poor and don't greatly benefit from the 1080P bump but the rape sequences are well-staged with deserved mention of Hershey's fine performance. Detail can be quite good in close-ups and depth surfaces here and there. The Blu-ray improved the presentation over SD and is clean and consistent. My suspicions are this is the best The Entity will look for your Home Theater presentations.

The Eureka transfer is more technically robust and a shade brighter. It's hard to know what is more theatrically correct but I appreciated the consistent UK 1080P. It is still thick but we get a bit more detail in the lighter visuals where flesh tone cool moderately.

Shout! Factory have produced a Special Edition Blu-ray of The Entity. It also has a strong transfer with a very high bitrate. It is housed on a dual-layered disc. The image is a bit darker - and after much deliberation, I think this may suit the film better. Skin tones also warm and the HD presentation is a strong one - looking consistent and clean.  

CLICK EACH BLU-RAY CAPTURE TO SEE ALL IMAGES IN FULL 1920X1080 RESOLUTION

 

1) Eureka - Region 'B' - Blu-ray TOP 2) Shout! Factory - Region 'A' - Blu-ray - BOTTOM

 

 

1) Anchor Bay - Region 'A' - Blu-ray - TOP 2) Eureka - Region 'B' - Blu-ray MIDDLE 3) Shout! Factory - Region 'A' - Blu-ray - BOTTOM

 

 

1) Anchor Bay - Region 'A' - Blu-ray - TOP 2) Eureka - Region 'B' - Blu-ray MIDDLE 3) Shout! Factory - Region 'A' - Blu-ray - BOTTOM

 

 

1) Anchor Bay - Region 'A' - Blu-ray - TOP 2) Eureka - Region 'B' - Blu-ray BOTTOM

 

1) Anchor Bay - Region 'A' - Blu-ray - TOP 2) Eureka - Region 'B' - Blu-ray BOTTOM

 

1) Anchor Bay - Region 'A' - Blu-ray - TOP 2) Eureka - Region 'B' - Blu-ray BOTTOM

 

1) Anchor Bay - Region 'A' - Blu-ray - TOP 2) Eureka - Region 'B' - Blu-ray BOTTOM

 

1) Anchor Bay - Region 'A' - Blu-ray - TOP 2) Eureka - Region 'B' - Blu-ray BOTTOM

 

1) Anchor Bay - Region 'A' - Blu-ray - TOP 2) Eureka - Region 'B' - Blu-ray BOTTOM

 

1) Anchor Bay - Region 'A' - Blu-ray - TOP 2) Eureka - Region 'B' - Blu-ray BOTTOM

 

1) Anchor Bay - Region 'A' - Blu-ray - TOP 2) Eureka - Region 'B' - Blu-ray BOTTOM

 

1) Anchor Bay - Region 'A' - Blu-ray - TOP 2) Eureka - Region 'B' - Blu-ray BOTTOM

 

1) Anchor Bay - Region 'A' - Blu-ray - TOP 2) Eureka - Region 'B' - Blu-ray BOTTOM

 

 

Ohh yeah - the Dolby TrueHD 5.1 surround at 3099 kbps has some deep aggression - especially notable in the rhythmic pounding pulsations during Hershey's 'violations'. There is some subtlety too - although the mix relies heavily on the jumps and punches of the score - not the range. I'd say it is a fairly one-dimensional track that still benefits from the lossless transfer. There are optional subtitles and my Momitsu has identified it as being region 'A'.

 Eureka's DTS-HD Master 5.1 surround with some effects separating to the rear speakers. It's only 16-bit to the Fox 24-bit. Both offer English subtitles.

For the audio Shout! Factory supply three lossless options (all 24-bit) - a 2.0 channel stereo (utilized with 35mm theatrical prints), a 5.1 surround (6 track used for 70mm blow-ups) and a separate 4.1 DTS-HD Master option. Despite the multiple options, the 24-bit status carries weight and the respective separations help the viewing experience. The, unforgettably, rhythmic pounding score by Charles Bernstein (Invasion of the Bee Girls, White Lightning, Stoney, Cujo, Deadly Friend, Mr. Majestyk) sounds very deep and scary. There are, also, optional English subtitles available on the Region 'A'-locked Blu-ray disc.    

Shout! Factory supply a new commentary with author/silmmaker Daniel Kremer (Sidney J. Furie: Life And Films) and he references the Toronto-born director's other films (The Ipcress File, Hit!, The Appaloosa etc.) and his distinguished career that has spanned more than five decades. It's excellent with plenty of great anecdotes, the director's radical style and more but not much on The Entity. There are also four new interviews; Inner Strength with Barbara Hershey for 20-minutes who considered the film a character piece, 13-minutes with actor David Labiosa (who played her son, Billy, in the film), over a 1/4 hour with composer Charles Bernstein and a dozen minutes with editor Frank J. Urioste. They all discuss the production and their respective contributions. There is a 2018 Trailers From Hell – The Entity episode with Luca Guadagnino, a vintage featurette; The Entity Files that runs 1/2 hour plus trailers, TV and Radio Spots as well as an extensive stills gallery.

 

Eureka - Region 'B' - Blu-ray

 

 

Shout! Factory - Region 'A' - Blu-ray

 

 

BOTTOM LINE:
I've always thought this is an extremely well done horror/thriller. Kudos to Hershey who has a strong presence and the film is well supported by the rest of the cast including Silver as the myopic science-leaning academic. The heinous rapes are cold - neither overly exploited nor eroticized. I think this Blu-ray has good value for the price offered. I was surprised at how much I enjoyed it after so many years.

 

Still a very good horror, with a strong premise, which you buy into because of Hershey and Silver. The filmmakers don't succumb to eroticizing the rapes - which remain creepy. I really enjoyed seeing it again (probably a 4th or 5th time). The Eureka is recommended to Region 'B'ers.  

 

The Entity is masterfully realized and remains impacting through years of multiple viewings. The Shout! Factory edition vault ahead in every category to make this the definitive Blu-ray version to own. I enjoyed the edifying commentary and new interviews. Really - a strong recommendation!    

Gary Tooze

July 31st, 2012

April 11th, 2017

June 13th, 2019

 

Also available in the UK, on Blu-ray from Eureka in a LE Steelbook: