“I was on call to drive to a mountain hotel. The hotel’s name was The Dead Mountaineer,” says police inspector Peter Glebsky (Uldis Pūcītis) at the beginning of Estonian director Grigori Kromanov’s dazzling, paranoid mixture of locked-room mystery, 1970s Euro giallo, classic noir whodunit, and (unbelievably) alien sci-fi ala THE MAN WHO FELL TO EARTH. Based on a novel by famed Soviet authors Arkady and Boris Strugatsky (STALKER, HARD TO BE A GOD), the hall-of-mirrors plot follows Glebsky as he’s trapped by avalanche in the ski lodge with a rogues’ gallery of weird suspects: tubercular gangster Hinckus (Mikk Mikiver), creepy hotel owner Snewahr (Jüri Järvet, KING LEAR), a wall-climbing physicist (Lembit Peterson), a louche, wig-wearing beauty out of a Bryan Ferry song (Irena Kriauzaite) – oh, and the Dead Mountaineer’s faithful St. Bernard. The interior of the hotel (brilliantly art directed by Tõnu Virve and Priit Vaher, and photographed by Jüri Sillart) is straight out of a Dario Argento or Sergio Martino thriller: all chrome-and-marble with Space Age modern designs, drenched in champagne and feather boas.

Featuring a stellar electronica / prog score by composer Sven Grünberg, the film combines an eerie THE SHINING-like mountain locale with speculative sci-fi straight out of Chariots of the Gods. “This is the end of the road. The only way is back,” as the hotel owner cryptically smiles. Newly restored in 4K by Deaf Crocodile in collaboration with the Estonian Film Institute and Film Archive. In Estonian with English subtitles.

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Video Quality

Dead Mountaineer’s Hotel debuts on 4K UHD Blu-Ray in its original 1.37:1 aspect ratio with a 2160p Dolby Vision/HDR master derived from a new 6K scan of the 35mm Interpositive held by the National Archives of Estonia, which was created from the Original Camera Negative at Gosfilmofond. The restoration and color grading were performed by the team at Deaf Crocodile. Whenever the label ventures into the 4K UHD space, something special typically emerges, and this is no different. The Dolby Vision grade brings out all the nuances of the picture. Colors are perfectly in line with the intended aesthetic of the feature, thanks to the ideal saturation. Black levels are especially vital with this title, and this format rescues so much shadow detail with no semblance of black crush or compression artifacts. The contrast is in excellent shape, and there is virtually no print damage to be found thanks to the careful restoration efforts.

The beautiful restoration is maximized to its full potential with a perfect encoding effort. The moody photography, which captures the distinct spaces, thrives with natural grain intact and nicely resolved. There is an exceptional amount of detail present with prominent textures on the clothing and within the production design. The new transfer shows off a great amount of depth and enhanced detail even when the visuals are contained mostly within interiors. Many craft elements look rewarding in their clarity. Deaf Crocodile has done a first-rate job of rescuing this one and giving it a rich second life.

Audio Quality

This 4K UHD Blu-Ray arrives with a wonderful DTS-HD 2.0 Master Audio track in the original Estonian (with optional English subtitles). The score is an essential part of establishing the distinct mood of the story, and it comes through favorably in relation to the competing sounds. Dialogue comes through clearly without the unsettling sound effects or the music distracting from important information. The film deploys some rich sound effects that are given the appropriate presence within the mix. The mysterious journey undertaken by our protagonist is filled with curious sonic characteristics that make a strong impression in the speakers. This track accomplishes everything it needs to with sterling fidelity and is free of damage or other unwanted anomalies. Deaf Crocodile ensures this is in top form.

Special Features

The Deluxe Edition 4K UHD Blu-Ray of Dead Mountaineer’s Hotel arrives in a hard slipcase package that is a beauty in person. The release also includes a 60-page, bound book featuring writing by Soviet film scholar Peter Rollberg, film historian Michelle Kisner, and film critic Walter Chaw. This provides great insight into the film, the themes, the creatives, and the behind-the-scenes details in a thoughtfully written style. The on-disc special features are as follows:

Audio Commentary: Film historian Michael Brooke provides an engaging and informative commentary track in which he delivers great context for Estonian cinema of the time, the adaptation of the source material, the background of the performers, the work of director Grigori Kromanov, the production of the film, and much more.

Original Estonian Trailer (2:40)

1979 Estonian Newsreel: A two-minute news bulletin that discusses the creation of the film.

In Focus – Dead Mountaineer’s Hotel: A 20-minute Estonian news program that looks at Dead Mountaineer’s Hotel, its cinematic legacy, the unique tone, and more.

Snow Job – A Routine Investigation in Dead Mountaineer’s Hotel: An eight-minute visual essay from Ryan Verrill & Dr. Will Dodson of Someone’s Favorite Productions is provided which explores the themes of the film, the flaws of the characters, the handling of the twists and turns, and so much more.

Bonus Track: A nearly 14-minute excerpt from the 2016 documentary Bonus Track is provided that explores the life and composer Sven Grünberg and his score for the film.

Final Thoughts

Dead Mountaineer’s Hotel is a mysterious and captivating tale that transcends settling on a single genre thanks to its constantly evolving narrative. Director Grigori Kromanov deftly captures the paranoia at the center of this story on screen through keen attention to production design and exceptional editing that always keeps the tension taut as a drum. The world-building allows all of these unique characters to make an impression and delight as you get to know them more. It is a terrific little gem that should be in the hearts and minds of a larger audience. Deaf Crocodile has released a 4K UHD Blu-Ray which sports a top-shelf A/V presentation and an excellent assortment of special features in lovely packaging. Recommended

Dead Mountaineer’s Hotel is currently available to purchase on Standard Edition 4K UHD Blu-Ray or with a Deluxe Edition Slipcase exclusively through Deaf Crocodile and DiabolikDVD.

Note: Images presented in this review are not reflective of the image quality of the 4K UHD Blu-Ray.

Disclaimer: Deaf Crocodile 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.