From bestselling author Alistair MacLean (The Guns of Navarone, Where Eagles Dare) comes a pulse-pounding, rip-roaring rampage of revenge starring Barry Newman, the king of existential cool who had previously put the pedal to the metal in Vanishing Point. Mysterious drifter John Talbot (Newman) arrives in a small Louisiana town, picks a fight with local police, and gets arrested. In court, it is revealed he’s wanted for a number of violent crimes, but nothing is quite what it seems. Staging a daring escape, Talbot abducts seemingly random spectator Sarah Ruthven (Suzy Kendall) and hits the road at high speed for a journey filled with unexpected twists and turns: a crashed airplane, a sleazy private investigator, criminal enforcers, and an oil millionaire. It’s a journey toward truth and vengeance and Talbot won’t hit the brakes until he gets there. Director Michael Tuchner (Villain) delivers a crackerjack crime-thriller packed with great performances (including Ben Kingsley in his first movie role), an unforgettable score by Roy Budd (Get Carter), and stunt sequences coordinated by the legendary Carey Loftin (Bullit, Vanishing Point, The French Connection). Fear Is the Key is a white-knuckle winner that demands to be seen!

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[youtube https://youtu.be/pPsN6xv-QFw?si=sn7XA5XAMHPPxyAu&t=3585]

Video Quality

Fear Is The Key comes to Blu-Ray courtesy of Arrow Video in its original 2.35:1 sourced from an HD master supplied by Paramount. While we would prefer to see that a 2K or 4K remaster had been conducted by Arrow themselves, this presentation looks very nice with natural grain intact and nicely resolved. There are a couple of places where the grain may have been touched up, but it has not been scrubbed of its texture. Thanks to this, you get a terrific amount of detail throughout with varied textures on the clothing and within the production design.

The contrast is firmly defined with strong highlights that do not veer into blooming. Black levels are largely deep with nothing unwanted when it comes to crush. The transfer showcases fleeting signs of print damage, but the picture is consistently clear throughout most of the presentation. The transfer allows for a significant amount of depth and enhanced detail. There are fleeting moments that may take a bit of a downturn in quality in terms of clarity, most likely due to the original elements, but this holds firm way more than it doesn’t. Arrow Video has delivered solid work with this one.

Audio Quality

This Blu-Ray comes with a restored original LPCM 1.0 mono track that supports the film very well. This is a thrilling picture, and sound effects such as speeding cars or breaking furniture are given the appropriate heft within the mix. The sonic ambitions are deftly realized as every element coalesces into a gripping experience. Dialogue sounds clear without sound effects or the score swallowing up important information. The terrific score from Roy Budd that sets the tone of the picture is handled with great fidelity. This presentation showcases everything you want without damage or other unwanted issues. The release comes with optional English SDH subtitles.

Special Features

The first-pressing of the Arrow Video Blu-Ray of Fear Is The Key includes a booklet featuring the essay “‘Drop The Plumber On ‘Em’: The Films of Alistair Maclean” by author and film critic Sean Hogan. This provides a great analysis of the author, the films adapted from his work, thematic connections, and more. The booklet also contains the details of the restoration. The on-disc special features are as follows:

Audio Commentary: Filmmaker and critic Howard S. Berger provides an audio commentary in which he discusses the landscape of Hollywood of this time, the popularity of works from author Alistair MacLean, the performers and their backgrounds, shooting locations, the patience of the storytelling, the atmospheric cinematography, the themes tackled within this one, the direction of Michael Tuchner and more.

A Different Type of Spy Game: A 24-minute visual essay is provided by film critic and author Scout Tafoya who explores the place of Fear Is The Key in 70s cinema, the background and popularity of Alistair MacLean, how this work compares to other adaptations of his work, the complexity of the characters, and much more.

Fear in the Key of Budd: A nearly 17-minute appreciation piece from film and music historian Neil Brand who discusses the work of composer Roy Budd, his personal and professional background, the personality he brought to Fear Is The Key, analysis of different melodies, and more.

Producing the Action: A 30-minute archival interview with associate producer Gavrik Losey who discusses the realities of pulling off the thrilling action sequences in the film, shooting on location, and much more that is very enlightening.

Bayou to Bray: A 40-minute archival piece in which crew members look back on the making of the film with plenty of colorful anecdotes about shooting in Louisiana, the death-defying stunts, and more.

Theatrical Trailer: The two-minute trailer is provided here.

Final Thoughts

Fear Is The Key is a tremendously entertaining thriller that confidently unfolds its twists and turns without ever seeming convoluted. The set pieces are executed with a level of daring that is not seen as much these days with the advent of digital effects. Barry Newman plays all aspects of his character with an admirable balance of strength and vulnerability, as the talented ensemble supports him well. If you typically enjoy so-called “dad movies”, you are going to have a great time here. Arrow Video has released a Blu-Ray featuring a really good A/V presentation and a strong array of special features that are very much worth exploring. Recommended

Fear Is The Key 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: Arrow Video 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.