Among the latest additions to StudioCanal’s Vintage Classics Collection is Dead of Night, an Ealing horror film considered the first true horror anthology. This two-disc release packages a Blu-ray released in 2014 alongside a brand new, region free 4K transfer.
StudioCanal’s 4K treatment produces a capable image with both HDR10 and Dolby Vision grading, though it has some limitations. A film from 1945 is never going to be reference quality, but there is a softness here that wants for greater clarity. Again, the image is capable and it is authentic, too, but some enthusiasts may expect greater vibrancy from the old 35mm stock. This is far from a deal breaker, though, especially with the generous suite of extras, including Remembering ‘Dead of Night’ — an hour-long retrospective — and several commentaries and interviews with filmmakers and critics.
Those drawn to a review of Dead of Night likely know what this film is about. They’ll recognise its legacy through eight decades of the horror genre and in recent hits like Weapons, which devotes chapters to its central characters, bolstering its eerie mystery. The historical debt is clear, but this writer struggles to enjoy Dead of Night as more than an artefact.
All the performances are terribly posh, which is charming, but much of the acting feels stagey, particularly in scenes meant to convey fear or concern. Michael Redgrave’s work as Maxwell Frere, a tormented ventriloquist, is a notable exception. Redgrave, then under a decade into his career, is convincingly disturbed, turning Frere’s vignette into the film’s best. It so outweighs the other stories that one wonders what a standalone film would have looked like; its depiction of an extreme, split personality predates Psycho by 15 years.
Ultimately, those interested in this Dead of Night release don’t need to hear any of this about an old favourite. All they’ll care about is the quality of this release, which does not deviate from StudioCanal’s high standards.
