Fiend Without a Face (1958)

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General		Extras
Category	Horror	Main Menu Audio Audio Commentary-Richard Gordon (Producer) And Tom Weaver (Film Historian) Gallery-Stills And Poster Theatrical Trailer Trailer-The Shape Of Things To Come, First Man Into Space Trailer-Atomic Submarine, Day The World Ended
Rating
Year Of Production	1958
Running Time	73:46
RSDL / Flipper	Dual Layered	Cast & Crew
Start Up	Menu
Region Coding	1,2,3,4,5,6	Directed By	Arthur Crabtree
Studio Distributor	Umbrella Entertainment	Starring	Marshall Thompson Kynaston Reeves Michael Balfour Kim Parker Stanley Maxted Gil Winfield Shane Cordell Terry Kilburn James Dyrenforth Peter Madden E. Kerrigan Prescott Meadows White Lala Lloyd
Case	Amaray-Transparent-Secure Clip
RPI	$24.95	Music	Buxton Orr

Video		Audio
Pan & Scan/Full Frame	None	English Dolby Digital 2.0 (448Kb/s) English Audio Commentary Dolby Digital 2.0 (448Kb/s)
Widescreen Aspect Ratio	1.66:1
16x9 Enhancement
Video Format	576i (PAL)
Original Aspect Ratio	1.66:1	Miscellaneous
Jacket Pictures	No
Subtitles	None	Smoking	No
		Annoying Product Placement	No
		Action In or After Credits	No

    Following a number of macabre civilian deaths where the victims are found with their brain and spinal cord neatly removed, Major Jeff Cummings (Marshall Thompson) is sent to investigate.

    While the locals believe the deaths are caused by radiation leaking from the nearby nuclear powered radar base, Cummings believes more sinister events are taking place.

    We soon learn that the Major’s suspicions are valid when retired scientist Professor Walgate (Kynaston Reeves) reveals secrets about his experiments with atomic energy and thought manifestation. In fact, Walgate, in true Frankensteinian form, has inadvertently created a group of anatomically bizarre beings – invisible creatures that eventually materialise as physical components of the human nervous system.

    The 1950s was a time of extreme paranoia and unease in human cultural and social evolution. Following the horrific and devastating effects of the atomic bomb on Hiroshima, and soon after a plutonium bomb on Nagasaki, films such as Them!, Godzilla, The Incredible Shrinking Man, and The Quatermass Xperiment reflected deep-seated fears of the unknown and the alarming capabilities of human action.

    While the world still reeled in shock, an enterprising bunch of filmmakers imagined those fears by turning them into realities for the big screen. Thousands of teenagers flocked to theatres and drive-ins to nestle up with their dates and experience their anxieties in the comfort of a darkened room or car.

    Consequently, Fiend Without A Face holds a special place in the minds of the post-WWII and early baby boomer generations. Although the acting and script is serviceable at best, and the storyline derivative of Forbidden Planet, it’s the frightening home-grown premise, startling use of stop-motion techniques which bring the creatures to life, and the shocking level of gore (for its time) that has ensured its enduring appeal.

Video

    The transfer is presented in its original theatrical aspect ratio of 1.66:1. It is also 16x9 enhanced.

    The print is acceptably sharp and agreeable for the most part. Shadow detail is demonstrated well by offering reasonable clarity during dark scenes, while black and contrast levels are fairly deep and stable. Grain is minimal, only becoming quite obvious during sequences where the camera follows the path of the invisible creature, such as at 27:19.

    Intermittent print damage like spots, speckling and fine hair lines are apparent to varying degrees throughout the film, especially bad when stock footage is used.

    Some instances of noise reduction were evident at 3:19 and again at 31.04 where the guard house appears to move when it should be static.

    Edge enhancement in the form of halo effects around heads and hats is a concern when viewing the film on high-definition monitors. Although not obvious at first, once noticed it can be quite distracting.

    Being a dual-layered disc, the layer break occurs at 51:10 at the end of a conversation between two characters. The pause is well placed and does not interfere with the onscreen action.

Video Ratings Summary

Sharpness
Shadow Detail
Colour
Grain/Pixelization
Film-To-Video Artefacts
Film Artefacts
Overall

Audio

    Although the English-only Dolby Digital 2.0 (448Kb/s) mix is welcome, it tends to highlight the problems inherent with the original source materials. The main concern is that the audio is set at too high a level, making the soundtrack jarringly loud and, at times, sounding somewhat hollow.

    All of the action and dialogue is channelled through the front speakers without any discrete left-to-right separation. Surround use is non-existent and bass levels never reach a level where the subwoofer could be served. This is one of the few occasions where the original Mono would have certainly sufficed.

    The score by Buxton Orr is sparse, but effective – his compelling orchestrated meanderings add a creepy, comic, romantic or dramatic flavour to particular scenes when required. The throbbing heartbeat and squelching noises indicating the presence of the creatures sound quaintly dated, yet disgusting nevertheless.

    Dialogue is generally clear and lip sync is not an issue.

Audio Ratings Summary

Dialogue
Audio Sync
Clicks/Pops/Dropouts
Surround Channel Use
Subwoofer
Overall

Main Menu Audio

    Contains sound bites from the film – mainly the creature noises and accompanying soundtrack effects.

Commentary with Producer Richard Gordon and Film Historian Tom Weaver

    This commentary is the same one found on the Region 1 Criterion disc. Tom Weaver even acknowledges that Criterion asked him to interview Richard Gordon for it. Although Gordon is somewhat monotone in his vocal delivery, a very learned Weaver competently keeps the pace and extracts some fascinating insights about the making of Fiend and the difficulties of creating low budget sci-fi/horror films during the 1950s.

Still and Poster Gallery

    A series of 45 rather out-of-focus lobby cards and press advertisements.

Original Theatrical Trailer

    Science Gone Wild. Will the man of the future be a… A scare-mongering doomsday trailer that was typical for the time.

Umbrella Trailers

    The wonderfully overwrought French language trailer (with English subtitles) for The Shapes of Things to Come and the following trailers from the Umbrella sci-fi back catalogue: First Man into Space, Atomic Submarine, Day the World Ended.

    The transfer on this Region-free Umbrella disc appears to be the same restored version released in Region 1 by the Criterion Collection back in January, 2001. In comparison to the Region 1 Criterion disc, the Region 4 misses out on:

• Original Mono soundtrack
• English subtitles
• Slideshow of stills and ephemera with commentary by Richard Gordon and Tom Weaver
• Illustrated essay on British sci-fi/horror filmmaking by historian Bruce Eder
• Trailers for The Haunted Strangler and Corridors of Blood
• Lobby cards and Vintage Ad Mats
• 6-page booklet featuring notes by film professor and author Bruce Kawin

    There is also a Region 2 disc available, but this should be avoided at all costs. It is presented in an incorrect 1.33:1 (full screen) aspect ratio, is reportedly very grainy and contains no bonus features.

    Although the Region 1 Criterion disc does not contain a Dolby Digital 2.0 mix as found on the Region 4, those with a spare $40 US to spend will want to invest in the Criterion edition for the original mono sound and additional bonus features.

    A firm cult favourite, Fiend Without a Face arrives in Region 4 on a reasonably priced disc with satisfactory image and sound quality and an excellent commentary track ported over from the Region 1 Criterion release.

Video
Audio
Extras
Plot
Overall