Meet the charming, flamboyant Doctor Death (the incredible John Considine), a 1000-year-old man who has mastered the art of “selective reincarnation”, promising to keep one’s soul alive forever! The catch? He needs a fresh body to host it for you, and finding willing volunteers is an impossibility. When Fred’s beloved wife dies, he refuses to believe she is gone forever. Dr. Death’s loyal assistant, Tana (Florence Marly, the original Queen of Blood), offers a supernatural solution to return his wife to him…only to run into trouble when Dr. Death can’t find a suitable body for her to reside in! The bodies pile up and Fred must choose between his lost love and stopping a mad doctor hellbent on success! Directed with tongue firmly in cheek by Eddie Saeta, this colorful horror oddity must be seen to be believed!

For thoughts on Doctor Death: Seeker Of Souls, please check out our discussion on The Video Attic:

[youtube https://youtu.be/f6KQXYwpn7Q?t=1425]

Video Quality

Scorpion Releasing and Kino Classics presents Doctor Death: Seeker Of Souls with a 1080p master transfer in 1.78:1 sourced from an HD remaster of the Original Camera Negative from 2015 that looks really great. This transfer was first released in 2016, and it is being released again with a new slipcover. The transfer provides nice, natural film grain absent of any compression artifacts or other such damage. This leads to a great array of fine detail that should please fans of the film. Subtle details in the production design for Doctor Death’s layer stand out more than ever before. The film features some striking colors within the costumes and production design that pop off the screen with notable vibrancy. The film has been cleaned up immensely with no noticeable instances of damage or dirt detected here. Skin tones look natural with some makeup skewing a bit pale, and the presentation offers up deep black levels free of crush. This Scorpion Releasing effort still holds up well.

Audio Quality

The Blu-Ray comes with a DTS-HD 2.0 Master Audio track that is a little too bombastic for its own good. The track runs a bit on the loud side compared to other films at the same volume, and as an experience it could use some refinement. The soundtrack can sound a bit unstable at its peaks, unfortunately. The soundscape is forceful, but it lacks a finesse that allows for subtle facets to shine through. This track shows a bit of age related wear and tear such as hissing and popping. Even with the strong presence of certain sounds, nothing ever overpowers the dialogue or other important information. Scorpion Releasing has delivered a passable audio presentation, but it could be better. There are optional English (SDH) subtitles included for the feature film.

Special Features

Audio Commentary: Star John Considine provides a pretty fun and informative commentary track moderated by Henry Crinkle and Scott Spiegel in which they discuss his varied early career for the first part until his character comes on screen, at which point they delve more into specific memories of making the film. This is a really well-rounded track that fans should enjoy.

Interview with John Considine: A ten-minute conversation with star John Considine in which he discusses interviewing for the titular role, the theatrical nature of the character, hosting a “Monster Ball”, and other memorable moments from his career.

Interview with Steve Saeta: A ten-minute conversation with the son of director Eddie Saeta in which he recalls his father’s passion for the film, how it came about being developed, the professional nature of John Considine, the disappointment in the struggle to get the film released and more.

Introduction by Doctor Death: A 30-second introduction from “Doctor Death” himself which shows he still has what it takes to raise the dead.

Trailer: The 32-second trailer is provided here.

Final Thoughts

Doctor Death: Seeker Of Souls is a slightly gonzo horror picture from decades past which has ample amounts of cheese without veering into patently ridiculous territory. It knows what it is trying to be, and it achieves that goal admirably. The performances are likewise dialed into the right level of camp to make this an entertaining group watch with friends. Scorpion Releasing and Kino Classics have provided a new Blu-Ray featuring a pretty solid A/V presentation and a couple of great supplemental features. If you like your horror with a bit of self-awareness, you just might have a good time with this. Recommended

Doctor Death: Seeker Of Souls 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: Scorpion Releasing and Kino Classics have supplied a copy of this disc free of charge for review purposes. All opinions in this review are the honest reactions of the author.