Note: Publicity stills are NOT screenshots from the 4K master
The Masters of Modern Horror – George Romero and Dario Argento – bring you an unprecedented pair of shockers inspired by the tales of Edgar Allan Poe. In Romero’s The Facts In The Case Of Mr. Valdemar, a conniving wife (Adrienne Barbeau of THE FOG) and her lover use a hypnotic trance to embezzle a fortune from her dying husband, only to receive some chilling surprises from beyond the grave. Then in Argento’s The Black Cat, a deranged crime scene photographer (Harvey Keitel of FROM DUSK TILL DAWN) is driven to brutal acts of madness and murder by his girlfriend’s new pet. But will this cunning feline deliver a final sickening twist of its own?
Martin Balsam (PSYCHO), E.G. Marshall (CREEPSHOW), John Amos (THE BEASTMASTER) and Tom Atkins (NIGHT OF THE CREEPS) co-star in this wild horror hit that also features grisly makeup effects by Tom Savini (MANIAC). Blue Underground’s acclaimed restoration of TWO EVIL EYES, scanned in 4K 16-bit from the original camera negative, is now presented with Dolby Vision HDR and a new Dolby Atmos audio mix, packed with hours of Extras!
For thoughts on Two Evil Eyes, please see my previous article here.
Video Quality
Blue Underground presents Two Evil Eyes with a magnificent 2160p transfer in its original 1.85:1 aspect ratio sourced from a 4K master with Dolby Vision and HDR. The level of detail and clarity is stunning with an excellent amount of natural film grain intact. The grain resolves impeccably well with some of the loose moments of the previous Blu-Ray tightened up here to perfection. The texture on display in the outfits and within the production design are a revelation. Even the special effects details from Tom Savini and crew present with impressive clarity that makes their work all the more visceral. This transfer does not register anything in the way of print damage. This presentation is true to the original look of the film with the added resolution making elements seem more natural. There does not appear to be any jarring digital anomalies such as compression artifacts, banding or any other such nuisances.
Perhaps the most impressive aspect of the disc is the application of Dolby Vision for increased color output that has to be seen to be truly appreciated for its lustrous beauty. The film ranks among the best films of this age that I have seen on the format. The new master features some colors in the production design and costumes such as the crimson red blood that pop off the screen with a vibrant intensity. Lighting is an essential part of establishing the mood of these segments and this disc handles every slight environmental change with ease. The black levels are outstanding with nothing in the way of crush present, and white levels are solid as a rock with no evidence of blooming. This presentation is a knockout effort from the good people at Blue Underground.
Audio Quality
The 4K UHD Blu-Ray disc comes with three tremendous tracks including a Dolby Atmos track, a DTS-HD 2.0 Master Audio English track and a DTS-HD 1.0 Master Audio track in French. These tracks provide an expansive soundscape that perfectly captures the artistic intent while harnessing the technology of the present. The track does not feature constant activity in the side and rear channels, but it goes towards making the world sound fuller. The score from Pino Donaggio has never sounded better and is used impeccably to establish the mood of the story. There is never a moment where it threatens to overwhelm competing sounds, and it maintains a good balance so that dialogue comes through clearly. The environmental sounds such as the ticking of the hypnosis machine and shrieking of the cat are rendered well alongside everything else. There does not seem to be any noticeable instances of age-related wear and tear. Blue Underground has given this film a perfectly preserved audio presentation that brings the movie to life in an exciting manner.
Special Features
Disc One
- Audio Commentary: Troy Howarth, critic and author of Murder by Design: The Unsane Cinema of Dario Argento, delivers a really informative and interesting commentary track in which he discusses the complex relationships in the Argento family, the miscommunication between Argento and Romero, the evolving scope of this project, the talent who were familiar faces for the auteurs, the distinct visual styles of the two segments, the independent nature of the project and more. This is a very enjoyable listen and should be given a spin by fans of the film.
- Theatrical Trailer: The minute-and-a-half trailer is provided here.
- Poster & Still Gallery: A collection of posters, advertising material, stills, behind the scenes photos and more.
Disc Two
- Two Masters’ Eyes: A 30-minute archival piece featuring interviews with directors Dario Argento and George Romero, Special Make-Up Effects supervisor Tom Savini, executive producer Claudio Argento, and Asia Argento. In this featurette the participants discuss the influence of Edgar Allan Poe on their work with his style and tone, the creation of this feature film, the complicated production history, the special effects, working with family and more. There is a ton of great on-set footage that is a blast to check out.
- Savini’s EFX: A 12-minute archival featurette which takes a closer look at Tom Savini’s inventive special effects work on this film including the simultaneous construction of both “episodes”, how they collapsed a skull on camera, getting an anatomically correct female torso, creating the cat and more.
- At Home with Tom Savini: A 16-minute piece shot during production in which Savini takes you through some of the activities of the day while driving home before giving you a tour of his very interesting home.
- Adrienne Barbeau: A five-minute archival interview shot during the production of the film in which Barbeau discusses her experience working with George A. Romero and the trust she had in him.
- Before I Wake: A new 14-minute interview with star Ramy Zada in which he discusses getting involved with acting, coming on board to the film, the legacy of the feature thanks to Romero, the special effects work that frightened him, his personal memories of the film and more.
- Behind The Wall: A new 16-minute interview with star Madeleine Potter in which she discusses the themes of the Edgar Allan Poe story, her entry into acting, getting involved with Two Evil Eyes, how Dario Argento put her at ease, the aspects of her character that drew her to the role, shooting the death sequence and more.
- One Maestro and Two Masters: A new 15-minute interview with composer Pino Donaggio in which he discusses working with young directors, getting involved with Argento after scoring Brian De Palma’s Body Double, the process of recording the score, the freedom that the budget of US films offered him, Hitchcockian influences and more.
- Rewriting Poe: A 14-minute interview with co-writer Franco Ferrini in which he discusses falling in love with the work of Edgar Allan Poe, collaborating with Dario Argento, how the project evolved and different stories were chosen to be adapted, the perfecting melding of character and actor, the themes of the film, the tone he was trying to strike and more.
- The Cat Who Couldn’t Die: A 27-minute interview with assistant director Luigi Cozzi in which he discusses the work of Edgar Allan Poe, working with Dario Argento, the friendly competition between Argento and Romero, the complications during the production of the project, the performers he most admired during the shoot, the special effects of the film and more.
- Two Evil Brothers: A 14-minute interview with Special Make-Up Assistant Everett Burrell in which he discusses his relationship with Tom Savini, his most memorable sequences from Two Evil Eyes, the passion that Argento had for the material, the run-in he had with the cops during production and more.
- Working with George: A 14-minute interview with costume designer Barbara Anderson in which she reflects upon her collaborations with Romero including Knightriders, Creepshow, Day of the Dead and, of course, Two Evil Eyes. She has some fun anecdotes that horror fans will eat up.
Final Thoughts
Two Evil Eyes is a thrilling interpretation of two classic Edgar Allan Poe tales as brought to life by two of the greatest horror directors of all time. The Facts In The Case Of Mr. Valdemar keeps the suspense ratcheting up throughout as you wonder whether something supernatural is actually happening or if there is a more logical explanation to the horrific situation. The special effects work in this one is especially great and the ending is a knockout. The Black Cat is slightly more effective and a bigger punch in the gut overall, especially with the performance from Harvey Keitel to anchor it. Each story is a nasty piece of business that works really well with one another. Blue Underground has released a 4K UHD Blu-Ray that offers an outstanding A/V presentation and more amazing features than you could ever want. Fans should not pass this one up. Highly Recommended
Two Evil Eyes is currently available to purchase on 4K UHD Blu-Ray, Blu-Ray and DVD.
Note: Images presented in this review are not reflective of the image quality of the 4K UHD Blu-Ray.
Disclaimer: Blue Underground 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.
