Picture Mommy Dead Blu-ray

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

Directed by Bert I. Gordon
USA UK 1966

From cult filmmaker Bert I. Gordon, the director of The Cyclops, The Amazing Colossal Man, Attack of the Puppet People, The Magic Sword, The Food of the Gods and Empire of the Ants. After Edward Shelley’s (Don Ameche, Midnight, Trading Places) wealthy wife (Zsa Zsa Gabor, Queen of Outer Space, Moulin Rouge) dies in a mysterious fire, he marries Francene (Martha Hyer, House of 1,000 Dolls, Paris Holiday), the governess of his daughter Susan (played by the director’s real-life daughter Susan Gordon, The Five Pennies, Tormented). Francene is only interested in Edward’s money and wastes no time spending his inheritance. She then turns her attention to Susan—if Susan and Edward were both to die, the rest of the inheritance would go to Anthony (Maxwell Reed, Daughter of Darkness, The Notorious Landlady), Edward’s cousin and Francene’s former lover. Francene and Anthony work out a plot to drive Susan, still haunted by her mother’s untimely death, mad. Beautifully shot in Pathécolor by Ellsworth Fredericks (Invasion of the Body Snatchers, Eye of the Cat) and co-starring Wendell Corey (Rear Window, The Astro-Zombies), Signe Hasso (The House on 92nd Street, The Seventh Cross) and Anna Lee (Bedlam, The Crimson Kimono).

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Susan Shelley is released from an asylum where she's been confined to after the shock suffered over the fiery death of her mother. Her father has a new wife, who has only married him for the money left to him by his dead wife. Susan is still haunted by her mother's memory, and her step-mother is conspiring with her lover to get the troubled girl to lead them to her mother's missing diamond necklace.

Posters

Theatrical Release: November 2nd, 1966

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Review: Kino - Region 'A' - Blu-ray

Box Cover		CLICK to order from: Bonus Captures:
Distribution	Kino - Region 'A' - Blu-ray
Runtime	1:23:09.859
Video	1.66:1 1080P Dual-layered Blu-ray Disc Size: 27,986,824,446 bytes Feature: 26,054,406,144 bytes Video Bitrate: 37.90 Mbps Codec: MPEG-4 AVC Video
	NOTE: The Vertical axis represents the bits transferred per second. The Horizontal is the time in minutes.
Bitrate Blu-ray:
Audio	DTS-HD Master Audio English 1555 kbps 2.0 / 48 kHz / 1555 kbps / 16-bit (DTS Core: 2.0 / 48 kHz / 1509 kbps / 16-bit) Commentary: Dolby Digital Audio English 192 kbps 2.0 / 48 kHz / 192 kbps
Subtitles	English, None
Features	Release Information: Studio: Kino 1.66:1 1080P Dual-layered Blu-ray Disc Size: 27,986,824,446 bytes Feature: 26,054,406,144 bytes Video Bitrate: 37.90 Mbps Codec: MPEG-4 AVC Video Edition Details: • NEW Audio Commentary by Film Historians Howard S. Berger and Nathaniel Thompson • Trailers Blu-ray Release Date: October 20th, 2020 Standard Blu-ray Case Chapters 9

Comments:

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

ADDITION: Kino Blu-ray (September 2020): Kino have transferred Bert I. Gordon's Picture Mommy Dead to Blu-ray. It is cited as being from a "Brand New 4K Master". The 1080P, on a dual-layered disc with a max'ed out bitrate, looks marvelous. Colors are vibrant and detail impressive in the film's many close-ups. There isn't a lot of texture but this appears to be an authentic 4K-restoration of Picture Mommy Dead.

NOTE: We have added 76 more large resolution Blu-ray captures (in lossless PNG format) for DVDBeaver Patrons HERE

On their Blu-ray, Kino use a DTS-HD Master dual-mono track (16-bit) in the original English language. There aren't many effects but a mystery-inducing score by Robert Drasnin (The Candy Snatchers, Ride In the Whirlwind) adding some dramatic flourishes that advance the viewing experience. Kino offer optional English subtitles on their Region 'A' Blu-ray.

The Kino Blu-ray offers a new commentary by Howard S. Berger and Nathaniel Thompson. It starts with Berger proclaiming it being one of his favorite films, there are reflections on William Castle's similarities to Bert Gordon, 'dummy deaths' (prosthetic demise), how it has never been on DVD before, the impressive HD image, how it evokes Hitchcock's Rebecca, the beautiful varied colors used in the film, bird imagery, how it is not a Giallo but a Gothic, seeing the work of Riccardo Freda (The Horrible Dr. Hichcock) in the film, how it reminds Berger of Mario Bava's Blood and Black Lace, with the atmosphere and under-lit qualities of the rooms of the house, those proposed for roles in the film (Gene Tierney, Hedy Lamarr etc.), the obtuse grappling hook, Curtis Harrington's Games, Alan Rafkin's The Ghost and Mr. Chicken, Martha Hyer (First Men in the Moon) - and much more. They read an incredible amount into the film - I loved the deep analysis - one of my favorite commentaries this year! There are also trailers - although none for the film.

Bert I. Gordon's Picture Mommy Dead is a far more complex film than has been given credit for with vaginal and menstrual metaphors and symbolism plus there are horror tropes like possession, trust fund inheritance murder motives, unhealthy daughter-father relationships, femme-fatale gold-diggers etc.. It had never been on DVD, so fans would have sufficed with VHS or TV until now. To see it in a 4K-restored Kino Blu-ray is a fabulous treat. The commentary is pure gold and like Howard Berger - I'm also throwing it on again right away. This is one of the huge advantages of physical media - and Bert I. Gordon's Picture Mommy Dead has a valued position in my digital library. Absolutely recommended!