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

ADDITION: Kino Blu-ray (August 2025): Kino transferred Reginald LeBorg's The Black Sleep to Blu-ray in 2016. It featured a newly remastered high-definition transfer sourced from a 35mm composite fine grain print. Black levels are deep and consistent in the single-layered 1080P rendering, with strong contrast that enhances the film's gothic shadows and atmospheric lighting, while grayscale supports a wide range of tones from bright whites to inky blacks, preserving the moody cinematography without excessive boosting. Minor print damage like scratches and debris is present but unobtrusive, and the overall clarity reveals respectable details in costumes, sets, and makeup effects, making this the best the film has looked on home media despite the limitations of the source material. The film is largely studio-bound, confining much of the action to cramped, dark rooms with limited wide shots, which contributes to a sense of claustrophobia and tension but can feel static and talky in the early sections. Overall, a 'pleasing' HD presentation considering the film's age.

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On their Blu-ray, Kino use a DTS-HD Master dual-mono track (16-bit) in the original English language. The music, composed by Les Baxter (Panic in Year Zero, The Dunwich Horror, How to Stuff a Wild Bikini, Switchblade Sisters, The Man With the X-Ray Eyes, A Life at Stake, The Comedy of Terrors, Dagmar's Hot Pants Inc., The Beast Within, the US version of Baron Blood, etc.,) is a standout, mentioned as one of the best soundtracks in classic horror, with eerie, sinister cues featuring bass clarinets, vibraphone, and gongs that add emphasis to scenes and enhance the overall mood, compensating for directorial shortcomings. The audio design incorporates suggestive effects like rumbling thunder, burning candles, clanking chains, and eerie rumblings to heighten the gothic tension, and it remains functional rather than innovative for the era. It's exported effectively by the lossless. Kino offer no subtitle options on their Region 'A'-locked Blu-ray.

The extras on this Kino Blu-ray are headlined by an audio commentary from film historian Tom Weaver (They Fought in the Creature Features: Interviews with 23 Classic Horror, Science Fiction and Serial Stars,) who is briefly joined by music expert David Schecter (Universal Terrors, 1951-1955: Eight Classic Horror and Science Fiction Films) to discuss Les Baxter's score, providing insightful details on production history, cast anecdotes (including Bela Lugosi's final role), and genre context in a well-researched, engaging track. Additional supplements include a short "Trailers From Hell" segment with director Joe Dante offering enthusiastic commentary on the film's cult appeal and horror icons; an animated image gallery featuring glossies and posters set to music; and the original theatrical trailer, presented in standard definition.

Reginald LeBorg's The Black Sleep was filmed in black-and-white over a rushed schedule at Ziv Studios in Hollywood from February 9th-23rd, 1956, and released as a double feature with The Creeping Unknown (the U.S. title for Hammer's The Quatermass Xperiment,) earning a respectable $1.2 million in profit. Scripted by John C. Higgins (The Diamond Wizard, Border Incident, He Walked by Night, Raw Deal, Railroaded!) from a story by Gerald Drayson Adams (His Kind of Woman, Armored Car Robbery, The Big Steal, Dead Reckoning,) the film draws heavily from classic Universal monster movies of the 1930s and 1940s, blending mad scientist tropes with gothic horror elements, and serves as a transitional piece between the declining B-movie horrors of the era and the impending revival via TV syndication like Shock Theater. Notably, it features an all-star cast of horror icons - Basil Rathbone (Sherlock Holmes,) Bela Lugosi (in his final completed role before his death in August 1956), Lon Chaney Jr. (The Wolf Man, Inner Sanctum Mysteries,) John Carradine (Bluebeard, Revenge of the Zombies, Billy the Kid Versus Dracula,) and Tor Johnson (Plan 9 From Outer Space, Behind Locked Doors) - evoking Universal's "monster rally" films like House of Frankenstein (1944), though it predates Hammer's colorful gothic revival by a year. Akim Tamiroff's (For Whom the Bell Tolls, Touch of Evil, Alphaville) Odo, the sleazy gypsy procurer (originally intended for Peter Lorre), - a loyal yet morally bankrupt assistant for Cadman's unethical brain experiments. Patricia Blair's (City of Fear) Laurie offers romantic intrigue and agency as the undercover daughter, while supporting roles like Phyllis Stanley's (Sirk's Thunder on the Hill) Daphne reinforce the gothic ensemble's eerie loyalty.  The Black Sleep explores the ethical boundaries of scientific ambition, portraying Cadman (Rathbone) as a transitional mad scientist: not purely villainous like 1930s archetypes but motivated by personal desperation to save his wife, echoing themes of hubris and moral compromise in Frankenstein lore. Motifs of resurrection and false death pervade via the titular drug, symbolizing the blurred line between life and demise, while the dungeon mutants represent the dehumanizing consequences of unchecked experimentation, blending body horror with gothic isolation in a stormy abbey setting. Overall, it's a transitional B-movie gem, undervalued for its historical cast assembly and gothic flair amid 1950s sci-fi dominance. It marks a poignant end for Lugosi, anticipates Hammer's revival, and endures as a "monster mash" curiosity. Kino's, now out-of-print, Blu-ray release of The Black Sleep is a commendable presentation of this tale of mad science and mutant revolt, making it essential for fans of 1950s B-movies. Packed with cult charm, it's highly recommended for horror enthusiasts seeking a polished upgrade over prior VHS and DVD editions. Get it if you can.

Gary Tooze