Plot: What’s it about?
Gustav Weil (Peter Cushing) is a driven man, as he is relentless when it comes to hunting down witches. He leads a brotherhood that tracks down witches, then burns them at the stake. He is soon joined by his twin nieces Maria and Frieda (Mary and Madeleine Collinson), who don’t share his outlook on the world. Frieda especially feels trapped by her uncle’s puritanical views, so she gets involved with the mysterious Count Karnstein (Damien Thomas). As it turns out, rumors about the count are true and he is indeed a vampire who worships the devil. Frieda falls victim to Karnstein’s charms and is soon turned into a vampire, which leads to problems for Maria as well. Maria is suspected of evil deeds done by Frieda and soon, Weil finds himself in a situation where he could lose both of his nieces. Now Weil must wage war in a battle against evil like never before. Can he defeat Karnstein and end his curse, or will his nieces fall to the darkness forever?
Video: How does it look?
Twins of Evil is presented in 1.66:1 widescreen. As this is a Synapse release, of course the movie looks excellent. The print shows minor debris and signs of age, but this is the cleanest version I’ve seen. The image shows great depth, which lets all the detail shine through. The colors are brighter and bolder here, while contrast is dead on. This means black levels are accurate and detail isn’t lost in murky shadows. This is quite an accomplishment and easily the best Twins of Evil has looked on home video, so Synapse has woven their magic once again.
Audio: How does it sound?
A DTS HD mono soundtrack is provided and the movie sounds good. I am sure some will complain about the lack of a surround remix, but I’d rather have a natural sounding presentation. The audio is clean, with minimal signs of wear, so hiss and other age issues aren’t present. The music sounds good and dialogue is crystal clear, so quite a good soundtrack. This release also includes an isolated music & effects track, as well as English subtitles.
Supplements: What are the extras?
The Flesh and the Fury is a superb feature length look at Hammer Films’ Karnstein movies. This piece explores every aspect of these productions, as well as some general Hammer topics. You’ll also learn more about the inspirations of the films, so quite a wide scope of topics explored in this one. This release also includes a look at a collection of Hammer props, a gallery of still photos, a deleted scene, television ads, and the film’s theatrical trailer.
