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A view on Blu-ray by Gary W. Tooze

One Dark Night [Blu-ray]

 

(Tom McLoughlin, 1982)

 

 

Review by Gary Tooze

 

Production:

Theatrical: The Picture Company

Video: Code Red / distributed by Kino Lorber / 88 Films (UK)

 

Disc:

Region: FREE / 'B' (as verified by the Oppo Blu-ray player)

Runtime: 1:28:32.348 / 1:28:35.310

Disc Size: 48,920,062,332 bytes / 34,941,507,243 bytes

Feature Size: 21,488,184,192 bytes / 25,569,595,392 bytes

Video Bitrate: 28.24 Mbps / 34.99 Mbps

Chapters: 16 / 12

Case: Standard Blu-ray case / Slipcase with Directors Preferred artwork

Release date: August 15th, 2017 / December 26th, 2017

 

Video (both):

Aspect ratio: 1.78:1

Resolution: 1080p / 23.976 fps

Video codec: MPEG-4 AVC Video

 

Audio:

DTS-HD Master Audio English 2026 kbps 2.0 / 48 kHz / 2026 kbps / 24-bit (DTS Core: 2.0 / 48 kHz / 1509 kbps / 24-bit)
Commentaries:

Dolby Digital Audio English 192 kbps 2.0 / 48 kHz / 192 kbps / DN -4dB
Dolby Digital Audio English 192 kbps 2.0 / 48 kHz / 192 kbps / DN -4dB

 

LPCM Audio English 1536 kbps 2.0 / 48 kHz / 1536 kbps / 16-bit

 

Subtitles (both):

English, None

 

Extras:

• 'Workprint' (1:29:55, 480i) aka "Night in the Crypt"
Commentary with co-writer/director Tom McLoughlin and co-writer Michael Hawes
Commentary with McLoughlin and producer Michael Schroeder.
Behind the Scenes (38:53)
Interview with Tommy McLoughlin (16:15)
Interview with E.G. Daily "Leslie" (32:03)
Interview with Producer Michael Schroeder (14:42)
Interview with DP Hal Trussel (18:15)
Interview with actress Nancy McLoughlin "Lucy" (10:53)
Interview with Production Designer Craig Stearns (10:40)
Interview with make-up effects artist Paul Clemens (17:07)
• The Paul Clemens Scrapbook (3:28)
Theatrical Trailer (2:16)

 

Interview with Director Tom McLoughlin (45:50)
Theatrical Trailer (2:14)
Reversible Inlay with old poster artwork
Booklet Notes by Uber Film Journalists Dave Wain and Matty Budrewicz

 

Bitrate:

 

1) Code Red - Region FREE -Blu-ray  TOP  

2) 88 Films - Region 'B' -Blu-ray  BOTTOM

 

 

Description: A World famous psychic is found dead along with several victims of his bizarre experiments. One the same day his body is interred in a mausoleum, high-schooler Julie Wells (Meg Tilly, Psycho 2, The Big Chill, Body Snatchers) agrees to spend the night there all alone - as part of a hazing to join the clique, The Sisters (Robin Evans, E.G. Daily, Leslie Speights). Later that night, the sisters secretly return to torment Julie in an attempt to scare her out of her mind. But the girls are not alone. The psychic s experiments continue even after death - on his own body and on the dozen resident corpses in various stages of decay. Soon they're exhumed and looking for fresh bodies. One Dark Night haunts audiences' psyches with its claustrophobic setting, moody cinematography, foreboding score and ultra-realistic makeup effects. Tom McLoughlin (Date with an Angel, Jason Lives: Friday the 13th Part VI) directed this terrifying chiller which co-stars the great Adam West (Batman, Family Guy).

***

American horror starring Adam West in which high school student Julie Wells (Meg Tilly) agrees to stay in a mausoleum overnight as part of an initiation process, in the hopes of getting accepted into an elitist group of friends called The Sisters. Julie is unaware that she is joined by two girls from the group, Carol (Robin Evans) and Kitty (Leslie Spights), who sneak back into the mausoleum after dropping Julie off in an attempt to frighten her by donning costumes and playing pranks on their hopeful member. The playful pranks soon come to an end, however, when an occultist is resurrected from the dead and begins to terrorise them, causing them to fight for their own survival.

 

 

The Film:

In this spooky horror outing aimed at teen audiences, the innocent new girl in town tries to become friends with a rough but cool crowd. They are all pretty mean, especially the young woman who is mad that the girl stole her boyfriend, and they decide that the girl must survive an ordeal before they let her join their gang. They send her to a funeral home to spend the night by herself. Unfortunately, none of them realize that it is inhabited by a murderous ghost just waiting to suck the life out of all of them.

Excerpt from B+N located HERE

 

The story begins intriguingly enough. An elderly former magician named Raymar, is found dead in his apartment from an apparent heart-attack. The bodies of several girls are also found, although they seem to show no cause of death, and eating utensils and plates are found embedded in the walls. His daughter Olivia has his body interred in the local mausoleum.

Now, one would think this nifty beginning would signal us that an interesting and terrifying film would follow. Oh, but no. What the real bulk of the film deals with is the initiation of a young pledge who wants to be a member of the most powerful clique in school, "The Sisters".

Excerpt from BadMovieNight located HERE

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

The dual-layered Blu-ray of One Dark Night looks decent in 1080P. The image quality shows the early 80's less-effectual film stock weaknesses. Contrast is modest and detail a little wanting. In-motion it maintains a consistency and colors export some depth. It's flat but texture is present. The softness may be inherent and it probably can't look exceptionally better. The source has some frame-specific damage (see last capture) that is mostly limited to a couple of scenes. This Blu-ray gave me a watchable, and pleasurable, viewing in regards to the picture quality.

 

88 Films transfer takes a color shift and skin tones warm and lose the orange-yellow hue of the Code Red. The UK transfer has a max'ed out bitrate, but is slightly cropped beside the Code Red/Kino. The colors tend to look more accurate to me (see Adam West capture below) and the US HD boosted and overly vibrant. I think the 88 Films also has slightly more depth. To each his own. Both may be culled from a variety of source - some the same - and the damage (see last capture) appears to be the exact.    

 

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

 

 

1) Code Red - Region FREE -Blu-ray  TOP  

2) 88 Films - Region 'B' -Blu-ray  BOTTOM

 

 

1) Code Red - Region FREE -Blu-ray  TOP  

2) 88 Films - Region 'B' -Blu-ray  BOTTOM

 

 

1)  Code Red - Region FREE -Blu-ray  TOP  

2) Code Red (480i Workprint)  MIDDLE

3) 88 Films - Region 'B' -Blu-ray  BOTTOM

 

 

1) Code Red - Region FREE -Blu-ray  TOP  

2) 88 Films - Region 'B' -Blu-ray  BOTTOM

 

 

1) Code Red - Region FREE -Blu-ray  TOP  

2) 88 Films - Region 'B' -Blu-ray  BOTTOM

 

 

1) Code Red - Region FREE -Blu-ray  TOP  

2) 88 Films - Region 'B' -Blu-ray  BOTTOM

 

 

1) Code Red - Region FREE -Blu-ray  TOP  

2) 88 Films - Region 'B' -Blu-ray  BOTTOM

 

 

1) Code Red - Region FREE -Blu-ray  TOP  

2) 88 Films - Region 'B' -Blu-ray  BOTTOM

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Frame Specific Damage sample

 

1) Code Red - Region FREE -Blu-ray  TOP  

2) 88 Films - Region 'B' -Blu-ray  BOTTOM

 

 

Audio :

Code Red use a DTS-HD Master 2.0 channel track (24-bit) in the original English language. There are plenty of, fairly, modest, effects in the film - obviously shock value. They sound reasonably deep. The score is by Bob Summers (Hanger 18) with a few violent chords and a notable high end that sounds moderately penetrating via the lossless. The dialogue was sometimes less penetrating and hard to distinguish - which would probably on-par with the production. There are optional English subtitles offered and my Oppo has identified it as being a region FREE-playable worldwide.

 

88 Films use a linear PCM (16-bit) and it's a notch below the Code Red audio transfer without the resonance and depth, in effects, of a 24-bit rendering. The UK disc also offers optional English subtitles and it is Region 'B'-locked.

 

Extras :

The dual-layered disc is stacked with supplements starting with the 1.5 hour 'Workprint' of the film - titled aka "Night in the Crypt". It's in SD and 4:3 - see sample above - and looks weak but is a viable inclusion as a curiosity for the fans. The feature has two commentaries; a first with co-writer/director Tom McLoughlin and co-writer Michael Hawes - sharing details and a second has McLoughlin, again, and producer Michael Schroeder with a bit more of the preparation edge of the production. Both have value. There is a 40-minute Behind the Scenes piece with a few interesting split screen sequences plus there are 7 interviews running almost 2-hours in total with director McLoughlin, E.G. Daily - who played "Leslie", Producer Michael Schroeder, DP Hal Trussel, actress Nancy McLoughlin "Lucy", Production Designer Craig Stearns, and make-up effects artist Paul Clemens. Much of the personal anecdotes and reflections are covered and there is educational value here too. Lastly we have the brief 'The Paul Clemens Scrapbook' and a theatrical trailer.

 

88 Films include a 3/4 hour interview with director Tom McLoughlin and it's nice to hear from him again about One Dark Night and his career. There is also a theatrical trailer and the package has a reversible Inlay with old poster artwork (see below) and a liner notes booklet with notes by Uber Film Journalists Dave Wain and Matty Budrewicz.

 

Code Red - Region FREE -Blu-ray

 

 

88 Films - Region 'B' -Blu-ray

 

 

BOTTOM LINE:
I remember seeing One Dark Night and it carries some heavy, early 80s, nostalgia including the, late, great Adam West (if only briefly). It's not a 'dynamic' horror but it has some bone-fide appeal with scary moments and over-the-top visuals. The Code Red
Blu-ray has a ton of value with the commentaries, workprint and many interviews. Fans of the film couldn't ask for much more.  Recommended!  NOTE: At the writing of this review it is 40% OFF at Amazon.

 

The 88 Films is another good release from them, if losing some value to the Code Red and its extensive extras. I really enjoyed seeing it again and, overall, it did look superior to me. Region B'ers, fans of the 80's genre and/or nostalgia for the title should indulge.   

Gary Tooze

August 14th, 2017

December 21st, 2017

 




 

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