Search - The Flesh and the Fiends on DVD

MPAA Rating: NR Content Advisory: Not For Children Movie Release: 1960 DVD Release: 07/24/2001 Format: DVD - Black and White,Enhanced Wide Screen Letterbox for 16x9 TV Edition: Special Collection SwapaDVD Credits: 1 Number of Discs: 1 Run Time: 1 hrs 34 mins Studio: Image Entertainment Members Wishing: 5 Genres: Crime, Crime Drama, Gothic Film

Mania is the venerable Burke and Hare story, previously cinematized by producer Val Lewton as The Body Snatcher. Peter Cushing plays a respectable 19th-century Edinburgh doctor who needs fresh cadavers in order to continue his crucial research. Since the exhuming of bodies for medical purposes is illegal, Lee must rely upon grave-robbers George Rose and Donald Pleasance for his corpse supply. What Lee doesn't know is that Rose and Pleasance frequently cut out the middleman by "creating" their own corpses. The good doctor catches on when the latest cadaver turns out to be his own fiancee. Its excessively violent climax has prevented Mania from being shown completely intact on commercial television. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

Peter Cushing - Dr. Robert Knox
June Laverick - Martha
Donald Pleasence - William Hare
Dermot Walsh - Dr. Geoffrey Mitchell
Renee Houston - Helen Burke

From Image Entertainment's Euroshock Collection comes this lurid black-and-white body-snatcher flick. There is the option of watching the U.K. or "Continental" version of the film (the Continental version offers about a minute's worth of nudity). Both versions are presented widescreen with an aspect ratio of 2.35:1. The print quality offers no visible marks but is overall very soft. The audio is presented in Dolby Digital 2.0 (mono) and again it is just adequate. Bonus material includes a trailer for the film under the title "Fiendish Ghouls." There is also an alternative main title sequence which runs approximately two minutes. Also included is an animated "Photo and Poster Gallery" which lasts about 41 seconds. The disc is rounded off with a filmography section which has text movie credit listings for stars Peter Cushing, Donald Pleasence, and director John Gilling. A nice-enough package that could have used a better source print. ~ A.R. Ferguson, All Movie Guide