Codec: HEVC / H.265 (83.6 Mb/s)
Resolution: Native 4K (2160p)
Original aspect ratio: 1.33:1
#English: DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1
#English: Dolby Digital 2.0 (Audio Commentary by Film Historian David Del Valle and Silent Film Expert Randy Haberkamp)
#English: Dolby Digital 2.0 (Audio Commentary by Film Historian Anthony Slide)
This film is interesting in that it may be the first to feature the theme of a maniac killer who obsessively murders all the visitors to a country castle. That's the simple plot. However, as you may have guessed, the main thing here is not the plot intrigue. It's all about the style. Many films come to mind — from various versions of “Ten Little Niggers” to all kinds of giallo. It is safe to say that almost every film in which a maniac kills people one by one in a house refers us to “The Cat and the Canary.”
Today, of course, this film is more than boring to watch. But if you believe the critics, at the time of its release, the film was considered almost a hit. Ronald Bergen, for example, classifies it as horror. Although, what kind of horror is there in our times? Just an ordinary maniac and all that.
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One of the most successful scenes in this film says the most about it: the bed. A girl is sleeping. A scary hand reaches out from the headboard towards her head. It is wrinkled and has long nails. The girl senses something is wrong and wakes up with a scream. Therefore, I recommend this film only to the most inquisitive lovers of film history.