The Black Cat Blu-ray Review

The AVC encoded image (1.39:1 aspect ratio) presentation of "The Black Cat" provides a generally satisfactory visual experience, especially in capturing the movie’s artistic highlights. Detail rendering is competent, with facial particulars and costuming standing out. Interiors maintain their intended atmospheric mystery, supported by satisfactory delineation that preserves shadowy events. However, the grain is notably thick and appears slightly processed. The source material exhibits understandable wear and tear, with numerous frame blemishes, scratches, and speckling throughout.

Scream Factory’s release of "The Black Cat" as part of their Universal Horror Collection is housed on its own disc, but unfortunately originates from a rough and worn source. The persistent vertical scratches, presenting as coarse and unrelenting lines, indicate an older vault find scanned onto Blu-ray without substantial correction. Consequently, the resolution suffers, manifesting a puffiness that overshadows occasional detailed shots. The grain texture is inconsistent, often messy, and introduces banding issues. The gray scale performance is underwhelming with low contrast and instances of blooming. While glamor close-ups retain their intended glow, the overall sharpness of "The Black Cat" falls short when compared to more polished releases like Universal’s Monsters collection.

The Audio presentation of the Blu Ray of "The Black Cat" is presented with a 2.0 DTS-HD MA sound mix that successfully retains the original soundtrack's essence and clarity. Dialogue exchanges are conveyed with appreciable precision, crucial for understanding the tense atmosphere and following Bela Lugosi's performance, even as he sometimes struggles with his English. The audio remains faithful to the film’s era, with a degree of thinness in the scoring that, while not rich, supports the 1930s mood.

Period-specific issues like hiss and periodic pops are evident, but they strangely add to the ambience rather than detract. The continuous score, an unusual choice for its time, captures the thin, tinny quality inherent in early sound films. Highs do crumble and wither due to age, but the resulting distortion and hissing feel appropriate, enhancing the eerie and unkempt visual tone. Significantly, Karloff's organ playing in the final act is accompanied by an off-key, rough audio that perfectly complements the visual decay of a rotting basement, adding to the film's overall disturbing effect.

The Blu-ray release of "The Black Cat" includes a well-curated selection of extras that provide a comprehensive insight into the film's production and legacy. The package features two expert commentaries by Gregory William Mank and Steve Haberman, each offering deep dives into the careers of Karloff and Lugosi as well as the thematic elements of the movie. "A Good Game: Karloff and Lugosi at Universal: Part 1" offers a detailed assessment of the film's place in pre-Hayes Code cinema, exploring the actors' professional rivalry and personal histories. "Dreams Within a Dream: The Classic Cinema of Edgar Allan Poe" discusses film adaptations from early cinema to the 1960s, narrated by Doug Bradley. A brief, charming clip shows Karloff and Lugosi judging a cat pageant. Lastly, an extensive still gallery provides an array of behind-the-scenes moments and promotional materials.

Extras included in this disc:

• Commentary #1: Features author Gregory William Mank.
• Commentary #2: Features author Steve Haberman.
• A Good Game: Karloff and Lugosi at Universal: Part 1: Explores the relationship between Karloff and Lugosi and their roles in "The Black Cat."
• Dreams Within a Dream: The Classic Cinema of Edgar Allan Poe: Overview of Edgar Allan Poe’s cinematic adaptations.
• The Black Cat Contest: Silent clip featuring Karloff and Lugosi judging a cat pageant.
• Still Gallery: Collection of film stills, BTS snaps, publicity shots, and more.

"The Black Cat" (1934), starring Boris Karloff and Bela Lugosi, deviates from their traditional monster roles, delving into subtler, more psychological horror under Edgar G. Ulmer's direction. This adaptation of an Edgar Allan Poe story, highlighted by the film’s sparse but impactful use of dialogue and charged encounters, creates a remarkable atmosphere of dread and menace. The narrative explores dark themes of revenge and higher power, dominated by satanic undertones and character-driven tension. The performances are underscored by skilful use of close-ups that capture the distorted personalities and provide a substantial amount of unease as characters unveil their sinister motivations.

The film breaks surprising new ground for its era, especially considering its post-Hayes Code release. It ventures into deeply unsettling themes such as resurrection, mass graves, and satanism, setting a morose and disturbing tone that distinguishes it from other Universal horror films of the period. The setting contributes significantly to the mood - an ultra-modern house atop a hill juxtaposed against a horrifying basement filled with women in glass coffins. This contrast between light, open living spaces and the dark, unsettling dungeon is a visual triumph in black-and-white cinematography.

"The Black Cat" briskly unfolds in under an hour but is dense with rich and exotic storytelling. Beginning with an ominous encounter on a train, where Lugosi's entrance foreshadows the impending doom, the drama quickly escalates, touching on themes of war trauma and rejection of riches. A climactic confrontation between Karloff and Lugosi, set against the backdrop of betrayal and sacrilege, melds psychological horror with a visceral showdown. This blend of satanic elements, narcotic fears, and wartime reflections creates an engaging narrative that culminates in a brutal yet reflective melee, setting the stage for future Universal horror classics.

The Black Cat on Blu-Ray is a remarkable blend of stylistic mid-budget production and thoughtful cinematography, with a few technical missteps that do not overshadow its overall allure. The high-definition transfer enriches the viewing experience by highlighting the film's meticulous design elements and crisp black-and-white imagery. The video quality showcases a well-restored print with minimal artifacts and a strong grayscale balance, capturing the atmospheric lighting and shadow play integral to its visual narrative.

The soundtrack is equally notable, with classical music selections that enhance the film's eerie ambiance. The audio clarity is impressive, offering well-mixed dialogue and sound effects that immerse the viewer in the unsettling world of the movie. Additional features, including retrospective commentaries and historical insights, add substantial value, providing both context and depth to this timeless horror classic.

Karloff and Lugosi deliver performances that elevate The Black Cat beyond typical genre fare, rendering their characters with a sinister gravitas that is both compelling and chilling. Their on-screen duel encapsulates wartime and depression-era anxieties, making the narrative's dark turns and twisted elements highly engaging. Director Edgar G. Ulmer crafts a film that, while not fully embracing gloom, offers plentiful ghoulishness with astounding focus.

The Black Cat offers grand mid-budget style, considered cinematography (with a few weird blunders), and a soundtrack that supports the feature with classical selections, which helps to keep the endeavor on its feet. And there's Karloff and Lugosi, who dine on the screenplay, making their performances as sinister and helpless as possible without losing the flow of the movie. There are twists and defined twistedness in The Black Cat, and while Ulmer doesn't pursue gloom in full, there's still a healthy amount of ghoulishness to devour here, sold with outstanding concentration.