Beware Tabonga! On a remote South Seas island, no one is safe from this hideous…and unique…monster. Tabonga is part man, part tree, all doom. Formerly an island prince, he was unjustly put to death by a witch doctor. Now he’s returned to life with roots, branches, and a vengeance. Against natives. Against visiting American scientists who investigate the tree’s radioactive green sap. Against anyone unwise enough to expect a tree to stay put. A macabre medley of creature feature, Polynesian kitsch and Atomic Age cautionary tale, From Hell It Came is the killer-tree movie you woodn’t want to miss!

For thoughts on From Hell It Came, please check out our discussion on The Video Attic:

[youtube https://youtu.be/FjQ9S0XiZNo?si=ldhVqT-HF8nEbpcb&t=1444]

Video Quality

Warner Archive brought From Hell It Came to Blu-Ray with 1080p transfer back in 2017 sourced from a 2K scan of the Fine Grain Master Positive. This low-budget effort is not one that was ever going to be polished into a diamond with a first-rate transfer, but the team at the label sure made an admirable effort. Given the limitations of the source, this transfer is a beauty. Print damage is nearly nonexistent to these eyes, which shows how much care has been put into the preservation. The presentation has a pleasing amount of depth to it including in the shadows where there is no evidence of any black crush.

This black-and-white feature retains the natural film grain throughout which provides a notable amount of detail to the image. In fact, the filmmakers probably never intended some shots to be so clear, as the film features numerous visual effects shots that are not exactly the most convincing. This is part of the charm of the picture, and these elements are completely natural to the original look of the film and never stand out as something of substantial deficit. It is doubtful the film looked better even during its initial run. Warner Archive delivered a fine effort for a film many probably figured would be better off forgotten.

Audio Quality

This Blu-Ray release comes with a DTS-HD 2.0 Master Audio track that holds up given the aforementioned limitations in the production process. The dialogue comes through crystal clear even in the somewhat active moments. None of the sound effects or the overly dramatic score ever overpowers exchanges on this release. This is not the most dynamic soundscape, but it holds up without many issues. There does not appear to be any damage or age-related wear and tear to the track. This is a good audio presentation that fans should appreciate. There are optional English (SDH) subtitles available on the disc for those who need it.

Special Features

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

Final Thoughts

From Hell It Came is nowhere close to being considered a “good” movie, but the way in which it is terrible opens up its own brand of fun. The premise alone is enough to tell you if this is an experience you might want to embark upon, as “killer tree monster” is a pretty straightforward descriptor. There are some expected shortcomings even outside of the technical limitations such as the unflattering depiction of the native people. If you can look past this, though, you might just find yourself chuckling at this patently ridiculous creature feature of yore. Warner Archive has released a Blu-Ray featuring a favorable A/V presentation but almost nothing in the way of special features If you appreciate a bad, cheesy creature feature, this should be seen at least once in your lifetime.

From Hell It Came can be purchased directly through MovieZyng or various other online retailers.

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

Disclaimer: Warner Archive 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.