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

ADDITION: Shout! Factory Blu-ray (August 2025): Shout! Factory have transferred Amando de Ossorio's Night of the Seagulls to Blu-ray. The 1080P image appears somewhat soft and waxy without supportive grain, still offering improved detail over older SD editions. I don't discount minor digitization. Color reproduction delivers decent saturation in hues like reds and greens. Some dark scenes have very poor lighting which is probably a function of the budget limitations but detail is, perhaps intentionally, obstructed. Black levels appear heightened. The contrast is generally satisfying; however, the transfer retains visible speckling contributing to a gritty, aged look that suits the film's 1970s Euro-horror aesthetic. The foggy beaches and crumbling ruins enhance the gothic aesthetic. Overall, Night of the Seagulls recaptures the ethereal quality of "Tombs of the Blind Dead," surpassing "Ghost Galleon" in visual poetry. The single-layered transfer seems to service the film's elements accurately if appearing video-ey throughout.

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On their Blu-ray, Shout! Factory offer DTS-HD Master dual-mono tracks (24-bit) in both English and Spanish (Castilian.) Neither track stands out as particularly refined, featuring comparable levels of hiss, occasional dropouts, and crackle throughout. Dialogue remains discernible across both languages, though sound effects and the score often carry a canned, low-fidelity feel lacking in dynamic range or depth, reflecting the limitations of the original mono mixes. The auditory landscape of "Night of the Seagulls" is minimalist and evocative, relying on a blend of diegetic natural sounds, sparse effects, and a recurring score to sustain its creeping horror. Composer Antón García Abril's (Dr. Jekyll and the Werewolf, Texas, Adios, The Werewolf Versus the Vampire Woman, The Loreley's Grasp etc.) music, reused from the first two Blind Dead films without new cues, features an eerie choral motif - often described as a haunting choir - that intensifies suspense and creepiness, particularly during the knights' attacks. This score is sometimes repetitive but effectively gothic, blending seamlessly with the film's mood; lines between diegetic (in-world) and non-diegetic (background) music blur, muddling reality and enhancing the dreamlike immersion. Dissonant tolling bells signal the ritual cycles every seven years, adding a rhythmic, ominous layer that echoes through the village, while crashing waves and wind contribute to the coastal isolation. This raw quality enhances the film's cult charm, where audio imperfections mirror the visual grit, contributing to an overall sense of stoic dread and hovering danger that makes the sound as integral to the terror as the sights. Shout! Factory offer optional English subtitles on their Region 'A' Blu-ray.

The Shout! Factory Blu-ray offers a audio commentary track featuring Rod Barnett and Troy Guinn of the NaschyCast (a dedicated Paul Naschy-focused podcast,) who deliver an informative and engaging discussion on the Blind Dead series, Amando de Ossorio's direction, and behind-the-scenes details about the film's production and cult appeal. Also included is the original English-language theatrical trailer.

Amando de Ossorio's Night of the Seagulls serves as the fourth and final entry in his renowned 'Blind Dead' series, which began with "Tombs of the Blind Dead," (1972) and continued through "Return of the Evil Dead" (1973) and "The Ghost Galleon" (1974). The series revolves around undead Templar knights - eyeless, skeletal zombies who rise from their graves to terrorize the living, often riding horses in slow-motion sequences that have become iconic in Euro-horror. Produced during the waning years of Francisco Franco's dictatorship in Spain, the film reflects the era's "fantaterror" (fantastic terror) genre, blending gothic horror, folklore, and social commentary. While not as commercially successful as its predecessors, it has gained cult status for its atmospheric dread and thematic depth, often praised for ending the series on a high note after the uneven "The Ghost Galleon." At its core, "Night of the Seagulls" explores the conflict between modernity and superstition, rationality and ancient evil. The Steins represent urban progress - educated, skeptical outsiders - who intrude upon a rural world governed by archaic rituals. This mirrors broader tensions in late Francoist Spain, where rapid modernization clashed with traditional rural life, leading to themes of rural exodus, depopulation, and cultural alienation. Rural horror is a dominant motif, portraying the countryside as a hostile, macabre space antithetical to urban norms. The villagers are depicted as ugly, shabby, and fanatical, embodying the "Black Legend" of Spain - a stereotype of poverty, religious extremism, and backwardness. Influences from "Straw Dogs" (1971) appear in the persecuted misfit trope, and "The Wicker Man" (1973) in pagan beach rituals. Many scenes evoke Carpenter's The Fog. Night of the Seagulls parallels Romero's zombie films in character dynamics and barricade sequences, while its Spanish roots align it with Franco-era horrors like Paul Naschy's werewolf sagas, emphasizing cultural isolation over Hollywood spectacle. Though underrated upon release, the film is celebrated in cult circles for its creepy visuals, gore, and thematic richness, often deemed a fitting series finale. For fans of Euro-horror, it remains an atmospheric gem - blending suspense, symbolism, and schlock. Shout! Factory's Blu-ray deserves praise for making the cult classic accessible in high definition, potentially paving the way for future restorations of the trilogy, and is recommended for Euro-horror collectors seeking an atmospheric finale to de Ossorio's undead Templar saga. The HD presentation preserves the film's eerie, gothic charm but appears to be an imperfect digital transfer. The commentary is appreciated. It's going OOP (out-of-print) in some markets so those who may be keen should indulge sooner rather than later.

Gary Tooze