It is often said that films about the Devil are cursed with bad luck, but Leslie Stevens’ Incubus might be the most cursed of them all. By the time it premiered in 1966, two of its stars had tragically taken their own lives; the eccentric director’s insistence on filming in the obscure Esperanto language ensured it failed to receive any distribution; and it was nearly lost forever when the original elements were believed lost in a fire. Decades passed until it was finally saved and unveiled to the public in all its unholy glory!
Wounded in battle, soldier Marc (William Shatner, just prior to being cast in Star Trek) ventures to the remote village of Nomen Tuum to find a well where the waters are said to be blessed with healing powers. Little does he suspect that the inhabitants of Nomen Tuum are demonic seductresses who entice interlopers and lead them to damnation, and one such succubus, Kia (Allyson Ames) has her sights on Marc. As an eclipse shrouds the sun and darkness falls over the village, Marc and Kia’s relationship becomes more passionate… will his soul survive?
Now restored in 4K from the last known surviving 35mm print, this eerie and unforgettable American folk horror from the creator of The Outer Limits survives to chill a new generation as never seen before. Stylishly filmed in Big Sur and other California locations by cinematographer (and future Academy Award winner) Conrad L. Hall, Incubus is a film unlike any other, now accompanied by hours of bonus features delving into the mysteries of this once-thought-lost cult classic.
For thoughts on Incubus, please check out my thoughts on No Streaming Required:
Video Quality
Arrow Video presents Incubus with an admirable 2160p Dolby Vision/HDR transfer in a 1.85:1 aspect ratio from a restoration conducted by Le Chat Qui Fume. The film is also presented in 1.37:1 aspect ratio from the same restoration but presented in SDR 1080p HD. This release is something of a miracle as the original camera negative and other release materials are thought to have been destroyed or are presumed lost. The last known surviving 35mm print in the world, located in France and supplied by Emmanuel Rossi, was scanned for this new digital restoration. As the source is a French distribution print, you will see burnt-in subtitles within the frame that could not be removed without compromising the integrity of the image. The burnt-in subtitles are only present in a handful of shots on the 4K release, but they are a constant presence on the HD presentation.
Since this release is sourced from a print, expectations should be kept firmly in check, although we appreciate the audacity to give this a full 4K release in any form. Those who come to 4K strictly for a sleek and crystal clear picture should probably look elsewhere. With that out of the way, this is the best this film could most likely ever look. The level of detail and clarity able to be gleaned from a print is impressive with all of the natural film grain intact. The thick, gritty grain resolves favorably with only occasional fluctuations due to the source. The texture on display in the costumes and within the rural countryside is a bit softer than your average 4K UHD, but it still has some texture to it.
This is a black-and-white feature, and the introduction of Dolby Vision treats it very well. Lighting is a vital part of the experience of this film and this disc handles every environmental change with ease. The black levels are quite strong with nothing in the way of crush present, and highlights are tame with no evidence of blooming. There are not any jarring digital anomalies such as compression artifacts, banding, or any other such nuisances. Print damage has been cleaned up substantially but some specks still linger. This presentation is true to the original look of the film. Our one avoidable nitpick for this release is that both aspect ratios are not presented in 4K UHD on this disc, but otherwise Arrow Video treated this about as well as you could expect.
Audio Quality
The 4K UHD Blu-Ray disc comes with an LPCM 1.0 lossless mono track in the original Esperanto that is a bit more consistent than the video side of things. The track captures the artistic intent while using modern technology to make it sound better than ever. The atmospheric score is used effectively to establish the mood of the story. There is never a moment where it threatens to drown out competing sounds, and it maintains a deft balance so that dialogue comes through clearly. The sounds of the countryside and beach are rendered well alongside everything else. There do not seem to be any unexpected instances of age-related wear and tear. Arrow Video has given this film the best audio presentation that can be expected from the source. Optional English and Esperanto SDH subtitles are provided.
Special Features
The first pressing of the Arrow Video 4K UHD Blu-Ray of Incubus includes a 32-page booklet featuring new writing on the film by Frank Collins and Jason Kruppa. These works provide great analysis and history of the film, the creatives, the behind-the-scenes details, the score, and more in a thoughtfully written style. The on-disc special features are as follows:
- Audio Commentaries: This disc provides a newer commentary track along with a pair of archival tracks in which a film historian gives some rich context to the production and the creative team reflects on the process of making the film, the shooting locations, the memorable moments that were experienced, the special effects work, the language barriers, and more.
- Audio Commentary #1 (2024): Writer and genre historian David J. Schow, author of The Outer Limits: The Official Companion
- Audio Commentary #2 (2001): Star William Shatner
- Audio Commentary #3 (2001): Producer Anthony Taylor, cinematographer Conrad L. Hall and camera operator William Fraker
- Isolated Score Track: Watch the film with a newly assembled reconstruction of Dominic Frontiere’s score, compiled for this edition by music historian Jason Kruppa.
- Open Matte Feature
- Words and Worlds – Incubus and Esperanto In Cinema: A nearly 44-minute interview with genre historian Stephen Bissette in which he discusses the invented language of Esperanto, how it has been used in popular fiction, why the language is found so often in science fiction, its use in documentaries, and more.
- Internacia Lingvo – A History of Esperanto: A 22-minute interview with Esther Schor, author of Bridge of Words: Esperanto and the Dream of a Universal Language, who delves deeper into the history of the proposed language.
- An Interview with Makers of Incubus: A 19-minute archival interview by Schow with Taylor, Hall and Fraker in which the creatives go over some information not mentioned in the commentary track while repeating a few points.
- Video Trailer (2:23)
Final Thoughts
Incubus is the type of dreamy nightmare that casts a spell on us from the very beginning. The flirtation with the darkside is compelling as you see the morality of man tested to compelling ends. The creative decision to film in Esperanto is somewhat effective, but the film would not have lost much if Shatner and company could have filmed in English. Speaking of, William Shatner is surprisingly good despite acting in a language that he learned for the role. This film was close to being lost to time, and we are very glad it avoided that fate. Arrow Video has released a 4K UHD Blu-Ray featuring a solid A/V presentation and a respectable array of special features that enhance the package. If you like dreamy horror films along the lines of Carnival of Souls, this is worth a watch. Recommended
Incubus will be available to purchase on 4K UHD Blu-Ray on January 14, 2025.
Note: Images presented in this review are not reflective of the image quality of the 4K UHD Blu-Ray.
Disclaimer: Arrow Video has supplied a copy of this set free of charge for review purposes. All opinions in this review are the honest reactions of the author.
Dillon is most comfortable sitting around in a theatre all day watching both big budget and independent movies.
