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Released by: VCI Entertainment
Released on: September 11, 2012.
Director: Malcolm Leigh/John Moxey
Cast: Christopher Lee, Dennis Lotis, Betta St John, Patricia Jessel, Venetia Stevenson
Year: 1969/1960
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The Movies:
A completely EVIL double feature, VCI's forth volume in their Scream Theater basically just repackages two of their older single releases but hey, they're both from England and they both deal with witches so it sort of makes sense. Here's a look…
CITY OF THE DEAD:
Pretty much an undisputed classic of atmospheric British horror, City Of The Dead (better known in some circles as Horror Hotel) follows a pretty young college student named Nan Barlow (Venetia Stevenson) who, despite the protests from her brother and boyfriend, is researching the history of witchcraft for a paper she needs to write for a class being taught by Alan Driscoll (Christopher Lee).
To help with her research, Driscoll recommends that she travel to the small New England village of Whitewood where she's able to get the last remaining room in the town's only inn, run by a strange woman named Mrs. Newless (Patricia Jessel). As she sets out to explore the village, strange things start to happen around her and it doesn't take Nan long before she starts to wonder if maybe there's something going on here that she doesn't realize and that maybe she's been marked…
Tense, dark and moody City Of The Dead moves at the perfect pace and features atmosphere so thick you almost feel like you could cut it with a knife. Christopher Lee is perfect in this role, not the kindly professor he appears to be at first, while Venetia Stevenson makes for a perfectly likable female lead, the right mix of naí¯ve and innocent and believably smart. Patricia Jessel steals the show and delivers some excellent work here, with the various supporting players all turning in excellent performances as well. The cast all seem very committed here, and it makes a difference in the outcome to be sure.
It's all set to an effectively creepy soundtrack, that right kind of music to accentuate the more frightening aspects of the film in that it's creepy enough just listening to it on its own, never mind when it's accompanied by the visuals. Those looking for a fast paced or gory type of horror film may not appreciate this but anyone with any inkling of appreciation for mood, atmosphere and legitimate suspense will definitely appreciate this one, it holds up incredibly well.
Note that this is the longer cut of the movie that was restored by VCI and the BFI that includes two minutes of footage not originally found in the US version of the movie.
LEGEND OF WITCHES:
This eclectic documentary shot in black and white at various locations throughout England attempts to explain to us the history of witchcraft in the context of a creation story. A narrator clues us in to how and where it all began as we learn about different initiation rites and how many of those rites were in turn developed into Christian practices - proof of this is delivered in some interesting footage showing pagan symbols built into old church buildings and what not.
From there we travel to Cecil Williamson's Museum of Witchcraft in Cornwall for a look at various instruments and talismans used throughout the years in different ceremonies. Last but not least, we witness what we're told is an actual black mass, lead by Alexander Saunders, before learning about how witchcraft ties into extrasensory perception and fortunetelling.
A strange, and occasionally surprisingly dull, film that carefully treads the line between aged camp and legitimately creepy, Legend Of The Witches looks like it was shot fast and cheap with a prime focus on including as many naked bodies as possible. There are scenes here with loads of atmosphere and plenty of imagery that might make some folks uncomfortable, but the unnamed narrator tends to drone on and on and not always about the most interesting subjects.
The stopover at the museum would probably be something interesting to do in person but on film it drags but the footage of the 'black mass' and the coupling that goes with it is interesting to watch even if it's legitimacy is probably pretty debatable. It's all fairly heavy handed and strange, particularly once we get to the bizarre psychedelic finale. Not a particularly riveting documentary nor an effective horror film, Legend Of The Witches is at least an interesting curiosity item.
Video/Audio/Extras:
Legend Of The Witches is presented fullframe and City Of The Dead at 1.66.1 anamorphic widescreen. Both black and white films look good here, showing nice contrast and decent black levels with only very minor print damage evident anywhere. Some minor compression artifacts pop up here and there but otherwise, the transfers are both pretty good.
The English language Dolby Digital Mono tracks that are included in this set are fine. Range is limited but for older low budget mono mixes things sound alright. Dialogue is easy enough to understand and there's only minor hiss here and there to contend with.
There are no extras outside of static menus and chapter selection
The Final Word:
Two interesting films on one affordably price double feature, VCI's teaming of Legend Of The Witches and City Of The Dead is a good one. Both films are worth seeing and are presented here in very nice quality.
