Filmmaker Robert Wise started his career with such classic horror films as The Curse of the Cat People and The Body Snatcher. He would go on to make many different film in many different genres including; westerns, thrillers, science fiction and musicals. During his illustrious career he would earn two academy awards for Best Director.
Than in 1977 he returned to his "horror" roots for the supernatural thriller Audrey Rose. Now the good folks at Arrow Video have given this 70s cult classic a Blu-ray release physical media fans will love.
Bill and Jane Templeton (John Beck, Rollerball and Marsha Mason, The Goodbye Girl) have built a quiet, peaceful life with their 11-year-old daughter Ivy (Susan Swift, Harper Valley PTA). All seems to be going great, than suddenly Ivy begins being haunted by nightmares. One day Jane sees a mysterious stranger stalking her and Ivy. He introduces himself as Elliot Hoover (Anthony Hopkins, Silence of the lambs) and claims that Ivy is his daughter reincarnated.
Audrey Rose is a spectacular supernatural drama, but to label this a horror film might be pushing it a bit much. Now while there is some scary elements this film is more akin to something on the lines of The Changeling in my humble opinion.
In this day and age filmmakers rely on blood and gore to scare the viewer. Back in the day it was the slow burn that caused the most terror. And Audrey Rose uses that to achieve the spine chilling moments. Anthony Hopkins is great here as he is in everything he did. John Beck and Marsha Mason are very good as the loving parents of Ivy. But Susan Swift really deserves a lot of credit in this film, she puts everything into this role and it shows.
Arrow Video has transferred Audrey Rose to Blu-ray in 1080p with the 1.85:1 aspect ratio. The audio soundtrack is a LPCM Mono track. Arrow Video boast of a brand new 2K restoration from a new 4K scan of the original 35mm camera negative. Looking at this new restoration it is an awesome looking restoration. There is only a few minor specks of dirt on this print. It really looks remarkably good for a near 50 year old film.
Now with all Arrow Video releases Audrey Rose is not a bare bones release, oh no! Arrow Video added some amazing bonus features to this Blu-ray. Take a look at what is included on this Blu-ray disc.
* Brand new audio commentary by film critic Jon Towlson
* Faith and Fraud, a brand new interview with magician Adam Cardone about reincarnation and belief in Audrey Rose
* Then and Now, a brand new featurette looking at the New York locations used in the film
* I've Been Here Before, archive visual essay by Lee Gambin looking at reincarnation in cinema
* Investigator: The Paranormal World of Frank De Felitta, an archive interview with the author and scriptwriter of Audrey Rose
* The Role of a Mother, an archive Interview with Marsha Mason
* Hypnotist: Inside the score for Audrey Rose, an archive interview with film music historian Daniel Schweiger
* Theatrical trailer
* Image gallery
* Reversible sleeve featuring original and newly commissioned artwork by Christopher Shy
FIRST PRESSING ONLY: fully illustrated collectors booklet featuring new writing by critics Kimberly Lindbergs and Johnny Mains
In the final analysis Audrey Rose is a snapshot of the late 1970s. I think still holds up in 2022. The film runs the complete gambit of emotions, from joy to terror from heartbreak to laughter. It keeps your interest from beginning to end. And you can ask much more of a film than that.
If you love 1970s supernatural thrillers this new restored Blu-ray of Audrey Rose is a just the kind of addition you are going to want to add to your collection. Head over to Amazon and order your copy today.
Out of 4 Film reels (4 being the best) Arrow Video's Blu-ray Audrey Rose receives...
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