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Released by: Synapse Films
Released on: 10/27/2009
Director: Raphael Delpard
Cast: Isabelle Goguey, Charlotte De Turckheim, Betty Beckers, Michel Debrane, Ernest Menzer, Georges Lucas
Year: 1980
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The Movie:
While La Nuit De La Mort has been released on DVD in its native France courtesy of KVP a few years ago (sans English subs), so far as I can tell, it's never had a home video release in North America at all. Synapse fixes that problem for us, and that's something that fans of French horror should be very happy with as Raphael Delpard's tale of weird old cannibals is a film ripe for rediscovery.
The movie follows a beautiful young redhead named Martine (Isabelle Goguey) who leaves the city where she lives with her boyfriend, Serge (Michel Duchezeau) to take a job as a nurse at a senior's home called Deadlock House. Ominous in name and architecture, this imposing old manor is home to an eclectic bunch of old coots, most of whom seem to be, initially at least, pretty harmless - vegetarians, even. Martine hits it off with the only other nurse on the staff, Nicole (Charlotte de Turckheim), though this friendship is short lived when she goes out on night and doesn't return.
As Martine tries to figure out what happened to her friend, she begins to notice that the residents of Deadlock House may be a little more unusual than she originally thought. The director plays the same tune on the piano, day in day out, and the disabled handyman seems to be obsessed with finding a woman to love. Some of them claim to be much older than they could possibly be, Nicole's luggage has been disposed of, and their behavior is becoming rampantly bizarre…
It's not much of a spoiler to reveal that the old folks in Night Of Death are cannibals. It's mentioned on the back of the packaging for the DVD and the cover art pretty much let's you know what's going on right off the bat. The 'twist' isn't really much of a surprise at all and the storyline is fairly predictable, particularly if you're well versed in European horror. It just has that air of familiarity to it and you'll probably see it all coming about ten minutes in. That said, Night Of Death has got atmosphere in spades and this, alongside a moderate amount of gore and some welcome nudity courtesy of Ms. Turckheim (who appears here in a very early role and who would go on to be fairly famous in France), is what makes the picture work.
Almost a French take on S.F. Brownrigg's Don't Look In The Basement, the eerie location, shadowy interiors, bizarre looking cast of bit players and unearthly score all come together to create a thick, palpable tension that really raises this picture up. Yes, it's goofy and not especially original but the film's thick veneer of 'weird' makes it entirely watchable and wholly entertaining. The performances are a bit uneven but Isabelle Goguey is as cute as a button and makes for a fine heroine in that she does a pretty good job of looking freaked out from time to time. Michel Flavius as Flavian, the handicapped handyman, steals every scene he's in, lumbering about and adding some great personality to the film.
It may not be a particularly terrifying picture and it's certainly not without its shortcomings but, with expectations held in check, Night Of Death makes for a pretty great way to kill an hour and a half. It's very nicely shot, and just weird enough to work.
Video/Audio/Extras:
Synapse's 1.66.1 anamorphic widescreen progressive scan transfer is pretty hot stuff. Colors are nice and lifelike, skin tones too, and while there's a little bit of print damage and some minor grain noticeable throughout, generally the picture is very, very clean. Black levels are nice and stable and detail is excellent throughout. There aren't any problems with mpeg compression artifacts nor is there any edge enhancement visible.
The mono French soundtrack is very good given the film's age and obscurity. Music and sound effects are nice clear, and the dialogue is perfectly audible. There's a key scene where the residents are moving ever so slowly and languidly down the hall, death on their minds, and the score swells up beautifully behind them really adding to the atmosphere. Removable English subtitles are included which are clean, clear and easy to read.
Aside from a standard menu and a chapter selection sub-menu, there are no extra features on this disc at all.
The Final Word:
Barebones releases are always a drag but at least the Synapse crew has delivered an excellent transfer for this obscure French gem of a horror film. It's goofy, gory, atmospheric and plenty entertaining and absolutely worth seeking out.