Blu-ray Review A Few Words About A few words about…™ Night Creatures – in Blu-ray (1 Viewer)

[Robert Harris]

One of Hammer films that everyone loves, Scream Factory is releasing the 1962 Night Creatures, aka Captain Clegg, a re-make of the 1937 George Arliss film, Doctor Syn.

For those seeking Hammer horror, this ain't it, but it's a fun tale of smugglers hiding behind the legend of ghosts roaming the local marshes at night.

Derived from a new 2k scan of an IP, the Blu-ray looks fine, with some rather out of focus establishing shots and less then stellar dupes, but this is the film. Nice Organic grain (I've been seeing that term in reviews lately, even when there's no grain, and it isn't organic), and generally nice color attributes. All's well.

One attribute caught my eye near the end during a brawl at the local pub (or was it the church?), and I wondered it I was seeing a 1080i telecine, but I came around to thinking that it was a camera problem in the original, creating a secondary image.

This is one for Hammer fans and Peter Cushing completists.

Image – 3.75

Audio – 4.5

Pass / Fail – Pass

Upgrade from DVD - Yes

Up-rez to 4k - Okay

RAH

 

[Robin9]

This is one for Hammer fans and Peter Cushing completists.

. . . and for Yvonne Romain completists too!

 

[Kent K H]

It’s definitely more “adventure” than “horror,” but I certainly enjoy it.

 

[Dick]

Lots of new features and a better scan. Sounds like it easily replaces the transfer from Hammer set that Universal put out years ago.

 

[aPhil]

I hope the day-for-night is timed better than the older Blu-ray in Universal’s 8-Hammer Films Set.

I love this film. Saw it on the original release.

Dare I ask about the aspect ratio?

 

[Robert Harris]

I hope the day-for-night is timed better than the older Blu-ray in Universal’s 8-Hammer Films Set.

I love this film. Saw it on the original release.

Dare I ask about the aspect ratio?

From what I noted, some of the day/night was shot with gradient filters darkening skies.

 

[aPhil]

My copy of the Collectors Edition arrived yesterday (Monday April 18), and I watched a few minutes to check the disc. While most of the film looked rather good, and the 1.85 framing really improved the composition over the old 2.00 aspect ratio of earlier releases, I did find a problem.

Near the end (before the final exterior burial scene), the image has a lot of horizontal hum bars (sort of a horizontal banding) over the final interior church confrontation. It continues into the sequence with Peter Cushing & Michael Ripper confronting Milton Reid's mute character.

I checked this on 3 Blu-ray players and 2 different televisions. Rather disappointing. Poor enough that Shout Factory should correct.

I also checked the old Universal Blu-ray and did not find such an issue. I do not know why reviewers have not seen or commented on this.