Magnus and Julia Lofting (Keir Dullea, Black Christmas, and Mia Farrow, Rosemary’s Baby) suffer a tremendous shock one morning when their daughter Kate (Sophie Ward, The Hunger) begins choking. Unsure what to do, Julia attempts a tracheotomy, inadvertently causing Kate’s death. The tragedy sends Julia to a hospital to recover, but when Magnus asks that she come home, she prefers to buy a new house in London to live alone. Magnus begins pondering Julia’s fragile sanity, while Julia becomes convinced that her house is haunted by the spirit of a little girl. A supernatural fable based on the novel Julia by Peter Straub, The Haunting Of Julia is brimming with haunting imagery and chilly atmosphere.

For thoughts on The Haunting Of Julia, please check out our discussion on The Video Attic:

[youtube https://youtu.be/_8_-3VPsJtU?t=445]

Video Quality

Scream Factory presents The Haunting Of Julia with a really strong 2160p transfer in its original 2.35:1 aspect ratio sourced from a 4K restoration of the Original Camera Negative with Dolby Vision/HDR. This film has never been released on Blu-Ray within the United States, so the fact that we are jumping straight to 4K UHD is a tremendous win for fans. For those who are not 4K capable, the included Blu-Ray has been sourced from the same new master. While that disc is quite fetching, this 4K UHD presentation stands as a notable improvement in numerous regards.

This Dolby Vision presentation is mighty impressive as it finds so much depth and nuance to the colors that are on screen, even if this is a far cry from a candy-colored feast for the eyes. The world as presented is a bit bleak and overcast with moderate hues represented well on screen. Elements of the production design and specific costumes allow for more interesting pops of vibrancy within Julia’s world. There is also a greater accuracy to the more dour colors such as the nondescript walls inside of the apartment. The black levels are immensely strong with no obvious crush present, and highlights never get too hot with their firm appearance. The new presentation reaches a greater level of accuracy and color detail that likely tops the original prints.

This disc retains the natural film grain of the source which brings out a grand amount of distinct texture in the production design, the unsettling special effects, the costumes and more. This grain resolves without issue as nothing ever appears frozen or spiking throughout the abundance of shadowy sequences. This is a fairly gritty film from a grain perspective, but everything appears quite natural rather than noisy. The film does have a soft, dreamy aesthetic that should not be mistaken for deficits in the print. This new master has cleaned up a substantial amount of the print damage with very few specks or scratches remaining. There are a few moments where the encode may have been able to be better optimized, but nothing ever goes completely awry. Horror fans who have been waiting for years to even own this in high definition will be grateful for what Scream Factory has delivered with this 4K UHD presentation.

Audio Quality

The 4K UHD Blu-Ray disc comes with a decent DTS-HD 2.0 Master Audio mono track which falls victim to the quality of the source. Dialogue comes through mostly clear, but there is a bit of sibilance trailing the delivery. Environmental noises such as the automobiles around the city or laughter of children on the playground are prominent in the mix. Fidelity never completely waivers, but there is an undercurrent of light wear to the track as a whole with some faint humming and flashes of distortion. The mysterious score from Colin Towns sounds pretty good while avoiding most abrasive qualities. It truly acts as an essential element of the story as it establishes the atmosphere of the narrative. The low end of the track is rarely put to the test, and without a dedicated channel it barely registers as a part of the audio experience. Overall, Scream Factory provided a suitable audio experience for this one that can only be as good as the source will allow. English SDH subtitles are provided for those who want them.

Special Features

Audio Commentary: Director Richard Loncraine and Film Historian Simon Fitzjohn provide a very thorough and entertaining commentary track in which they discuss how they discuss the difficulties during the shoot, the disagreements in the creative vision, leaning into the grief of the story, working with Mia Farrow, the casting process and the performances in the film, technical aspects of the production, the cinematography and so much more that is an absolute delight to delve into for fans.

Introduction: A 38-second introduction from the director who simply thanks you for watching the film.

Park Life – Simon Fitzjohn Revisits The Locations: A 16-minute featurette in which the writer and film historian visits the locations around central London in the present day while giving some great background details.

Coming Full Circle – Tom Conti Recalls His Humble Horror Beginnings: A new 11-minute conversation with the actor in which he discusses his character, working with Richard Loncraine and Mia Farrow, the shooting locations, getting into a car crash on set, the scarcity of the film, the film having the opportunity at a second life and more.

The Fear Of Growing Up – Samantha Gates On Her Childhood Chills: A new nearly 11-minute interview with actress who discusses her career as a child actress, vague memories of shooting in the house and the playground, her disappointment as a child not being able to meet the other young actress in the film, the pleasure of working with director Richard Loncraine, the reaction of her family to the film and more.

A Haunting Retrospective – Critic Kim Newman On An Underrated Ghost Story: A great 25-minute analysis of the film with the the author and critic as he discusses where this falls in the history of horror films, the respectability brought to the project by director Richard Loncraine, the tension between being a ghost story and a horror film, how it compares to the source material, the presence of Mia Farrow, the film’s history and more.

Final Thoughts

The Haunting Of Julia is a pretty decent ghost story which keeps things more psychological rather than spiritual. The movie starts off on an unintentionally ludicrous note, but it quickly settles into the mentally dire state of its title character’s grief that radiates out to those she comes in contact with. Mia Farrow is an MVP when it comes to playing a character coming apart at the seams, and her talent elevates this movie tenfold. It is not the scariest movie you will ever see, but it provides the unsettling quality that sticks with you after the credits have finished rolling. Scream Factory has provided the film with a 4K UHD Blu-Ray release that delivers a pretty solid A/V presentation and a top tier array of special features. Those who have been waiting for decades for this to receive a loving release should pop the champagne. Recommended

The Haunting Of Julia (Collector’s Edition) is currently available to purchase on 4K UHD + Blu-Ray Combo Pack.

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

Disclaimer: Scream Factory 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.