‘Back From The Dead’ Blu-Ray Review – Paranormal Mystery Keeps You On The Edge Of Your Seat

Mandy (Peggie Castle, 99 River Street) has not been feeling well since arriving at her husband Dick’s house on the craggy California coastline. Things get worse—and weirder—when she is suddenly possessed by the spirit of Dick’s dead ex-wife, Felicia! Mandy’s sister (Marsha Hunt, Take One False Step) and Dick (Arthur Franz, Invaders from Mars) desperately want Mandy back, but there are many people who have been waiting a long time for Felicia’s return. Sinister people who practice the Black Arts…who will stop at nothing to make sure Felicia is Back from the Dead. Get hypnotized by this strange and eerie tale directed by Charles Marquis Warren (The Unknown Terror), adapted by Catherine Turney (No Man of Her Own) from her novel, The Other One, and shot by Ernest Haller (Gone with the Wind) in gorgeous, black-and-white “Regalscope.”

For thoughts on Back from the Dead, please check out my thoughts on No Streaming Required:

Video Quality

Back from the Dead makes its Blu-Ray debut thanks to Kino Classics with a brand new 1080p transfer from a 4K scan courtesy of Paramount. The deal with Paramount has yielded mostly strong results with some anomalies that succumbed to the dreaded DNR implemented in the studio-supervised masters. This latest title is one of the lucky ones as the transfer looks both natural and very clear. There are still fleeting specks that have been left after the restoration, but this has been cleaned up quite thoroughly while leaving the film grain intact. 

The contrast is admirably defined with little in the way of flicker or density fluctuation. The new transfer conveys the depth within the film’s composition. Black levels are in good shape with no egregious occurrence of black crush or compression artifacts. The moody black-and-white photography retains fine texture within the production design and costumes. Kino Classics has done a lovely job with this one that sets it up for a notable second life. 

Audio Quality

The Blu-Ray comes with a hearty DTS-HD 2.0 Master Audio track that holds up fairly well. Dialogue and environmental elements work in harmony with all competing elements. The score complements the narrative with only fleeting signs of strain, which is not uncommon given the age of the source elements. This does not overshadow the dialogue or other important information. This track presents a bit of age-related wear and tear and some faint hissing, but it is not an egregious issue. Kino Classics has provided a solid presentation. There are optional English SDH subtitles included for the feature film. 

Special Features

• Audio Commentaries: There are two commentary tracks provided with film historians who discuss the career of Charles Marquis Warren, the background of the ensemble players, the unique score of the picture, the indie distributor behind the film, and many other topics.

• • Audio Commentary #1: Film Historians Tom Weaver, Gary D. Rhodes and Larry Blamire

• • Audio Commentary #2: Film Historians David Del Valle and Dana M. Reemes

• Trailers: This disc provides trailers for It! The Terror From Beyond Space, The Colossus of New York, and 99 River Street. 

Final Thoughts

Back from the Dead is a surprising paranormal thriller that keeps you on the edge of your seat wondering what is real. In such a short runtime, the film builds up a narrative that pays off some of the more curious developments. The performers are mostly putting in good work in what would have been a more B-picture by industry standards. With the benefit of time, there is room for this one to be rediscovered for the things it does well. Kino Classics has delivered a Blu-Ray release that sports a consistent A/V presentation and a welcome pair of commentary tracks. Recommended 

Back from the Dead is currently available to purchase on Blu-Ray. 

Note: Images presented in this review are not reflective of the image quality of the Blu-Ray.

Disclaimer: Kino Classics has supplied a copy of this disc free of charge for review purposes. All opinions in this review are the honest reactions of the author.