The Horrible Dr. Hitchcock in 4K UHD

            The astonishing 4K 2-disc Blu-ray set of Riccardo Freda’s 1962 gothic horror classic The Horrible Dr. Hitchcock from Vinegar Syndrome is the ultimate necrophile Valentine’s gift.

            Now I’ve written about necrophilia in films before, but the subject matter personally leaves me a bit cold. It’s hard enough getting someone in bed, but having to do all that digging up first (or bribing a mortuary attendant) seems like too much work. It reminds me of a quote I once read: “Life without love is meaningless. Love without life is necrophilia.”

            Now the plot of this bizarre film (set in 1885 London) is about a necrophiliac Professor- Bernard Hitchcock (Robert Flemyng), who delights in drugging his wife into a death-like state before he makes love to her. One night things go terribly wrong and she accidentally dies. Years later the doctor returns to the mansion with his new bride Cynthia (the stunning, saucer-eyed beauty Barbara Steele) and his frightful urges return. “His secret was a coffin named desire!” screamed the ad line for this wonderful kinky gothic chiller about a physician who likes to think “inside” the box.

            The 4K restoration from the negative is staggering. It really captures the eerie, atmospheric cinematography by Raffaele Masciocchi (who usually lensed “Sword & Sandal“ flicks). His work in this film is exemplary. It also contains several different versions of the movie including the original 87-minute Italian cut (with both Italian and English audio) and the 78-minute American cut (in English). Now with Italian movies during this era (especially with an International cast) all films were dubbed afterwards in Italian and American versions. I never liked the dubbed American soundtracks back then- they always sounded so hollow and fake. And I just like hearing the Italian language anyway. I wish there was someone to say- watch it this way and listen to this language track. But since there isn’t I’m going for the longer cut in Italian. 

            There is excellent, informative audio commentary by film historians Eugenio Ercolani, Troy Howarth and Nathaniel Thompson. Also, an interview with assistant director Marcello Avallone and screenwriter Ernesto Gastaldi. There’s even select commentary track with Barbara Steele. She has less to do in The Horrible Dr. Hitchcock than usual but that gorgeous, beautifully strange face of hers and the power of her presence on film elevates the movie to the stratosphere. 

            I really think this is Freda’s masterpiece, but in case you think I’m the only one in the crypt who thinks this way, The Encyclopedia of Horror Films, edited by Phil Hardy, describes the movie as, “a macabre poem as perverse, powerful and fascinating in form as Poe’s best work.”

            It’s probably wise to “crack open a cold one” before watching this creepy classic.