Plot: What’s it about?
David Emerson (Klaus Kinski) has just been convicted of murder and as such, has been locked inside a mental institution. He insists he is innocent and did not kill his family’s gardener, but nonetheless, he is sent off to serve his penance. But when the asylum’s head nurse is also murdered, some chaos ensues and in the process, David manages to escape and heads back to his family’s mansion. The estate is isolated and looks as eerie as a home can, though it is even creepier once the doors open and you venture inside. Once he arrives, a sort of darkness falls on the already spooky mansion, which is home to several family members and their acquaintances, as well as a few staff members. The darkness reaches a climax when a rash of murders breaks out, all the work of a cloaked madman with a hideous metallic hand. This hand is no ordinary one either, as it can extend out some sharp claws, which could slash and slay anyone in the sadistic killer’s sights. The mansion is soon visited by two detectives from Scotland Yard, who seeks answers not only in the murders, but also in David’s escape from the institution. After some investigation work, it is concluded that the asylum’s head, Dr. Mangrove (Karl Lange) is involved in the activities. Its obvious he answers to someone, but who and who is behind all the murders?
This German production was first released in America by Roger Corman, under the name of Creature with the Blue Hand. It was known as simply The Blue Hand in its native land and would come to be known by a third moniker when producer Sam Sherman secured the movie’s distribution rights, only to rework some elements. Sherman would bring in makeup artists, new actors, and set designers, the latter of which had to recreate the German sets to near perfection and in the end, they were able to do just that. So Sherman shot some new scenes, added some spice and blood effects, then retitled the picture The Bloody Dead. On this release from Image, you can watch both The Bloody Dead and Creature with the Blue Hand, so you can decide for yourself if the additional work was needed. While I can’t say that I approve of such tactics, the original movie does come off as dull and slow at times, so I can see why Sherman was inspired to add some carnage. But even with the bloodshed, the movie comes off as what it is, a movie with new elements added and of course, that lessens the fluid movement of the storyline. But it is fun to watch Kinski, as always, especially as twins, so not all is lost here. I can’t recommend this release as a purchase, but for genre fans, it is more than worth a rental.
The main attraction here is the madman himself, Klaus Kinski and of course, he is as intense as ever here. I always like to see Kinski on screen, but in The Bloody Dead, he plays twins and that adds even more fun to his performance. He is wild eyed and stark raving throughout, which is the definite highlight of this motion picture. As we’ve seen many times before, Kinski could make even dull material seem entertaining, but in this case, even he isn’t able to turn around the poor material. He tries to elevate it with his performance, but he holds back at times and with this kind of material, the performance needs to be wall-to-wall. Even so, this wouldn’t have been as passable without his presence, to be sure. Its a shame this turned out so slow, as the source novel is better and of course, Kinski deserved better material. Other films with Kinski include Cobra Verde, Jack the Ripper, Aguirre: The Wrath of God, Venus in Furs, The Great Silence, and Fitzcarraldo. The cast also includes Diana Korner (Red Sun, Montana Trap), Ilse Page (A Doctor of Conviction, The Hunchback of Soho), Harald Leipnitz (Swedish Sin, House of Pleasure).
Video: How does it look?
Both films are presented in full screen and while I have no idea of the intended visual presence, the framing looks solid in both cases. I know these were shown in theaters, so I am sure widescreen versions were shown, but I am unsure of what the actual intended aspect ratio is, though I kind of doubt it was full screen. In any event, the treatment here is lackluster and even for a low rent horror import from the 70s, these movies look weak here. The prints have a lot of grain and debris, which softens and mucks up the visuals, though the basics still come across, just not much in terms of subtle details. The contrast is thin and often wavers, while colors are muted and show minimal vibrance. In other words, these movies look pretty bad here, though I suppose the material is more to blame than Image’s treatment.
Audio: How does it sound?
This disc uses the original mono track and the years have taken some toll on it, but it still comes through in the end. There are minor traces of harshness to be heard and some distortion on the music at times, but this hardly detracts from the movie so I won’t knock too much off the score. The sound effects ring true at all times, with a loud and effective delivery in this mix. If you’re supposed to hear something, this mix will make sure you do and in the way you’re supposed to. The dialogue is dubbed into English in both movies, so the synch is off throughout and of course, that lessens the audio impact.
Supplements: What are the extras?
The sole film specific extra here is an audio commentary with Sam Sherman, who explains how the film went through its renditions. As Sherman was so involved in the process, he is able to shed a lot of light on the specifics and of course, he can draw upon a vast bank of information about the situation. He tells us which scenes were shuffled, which were redone, and of course, tells us his opinion of the finished work. I’ve enjoyed several of Sherman’s commentary tracks and this one is another good one, so don’t miss this session. Sherman’s comments are available only on The Bloody Dead however, not on Creature with the Blue Hand.
