Blu-ray Review: The City Of The Dead

The City Of The Dead is a spooky gem of a film, with good performances, an intriguing tale and plenty of atmosphere, shot in glorious black and white. It stars Christopher Lee as Alan Driscoll, a professor with a passionate interest in witchcraft, and Venitia Stevenson as Nan Barlow, one of his students who develops her own interest in the occult. It has now received a new Blu-ray release, featuring a new 2K film transfer and restoration, and a couple of special features.

The film opens with a lynch mob emerging from the mist and shadows at a quick clip, heading directly at us. Fortunately, these people are not after us, but a woman named Elizabeth Selwyn (Patricia Jessel), who they believe is a witch. This is Massachusetts in 1692, after all. When they bring her out of her home, she certainly looks like a witch (though it’s difficult to shake from my mind that wonderful scene from Monty Python And The Holy Grail). There is an interesting and unusual shot when she’s tied to the stake; it’s a close-up of her head, turning from side to side, then suddenly stopping and looking almost directly at us. It’s unexpected and kind of creepy. Jethrow Keane (Valentine Dyall), whom Elizabeth had earlier called out by name, is in the crowd. And while we think maybe Elizabeth is not a witch, Jethrow utters, “Help her, O Lucifer, help her.” So we were wrong. Elizabeth, in the flames, curses the town for all eternity. And as she burns, she smiles and even laughs. What a fantastic opening scene.

The film then takes us to modern day (in this case, 1960, when the film was originally released), where Professor Driscoll is lecturing a group of students about witchcraft, and telling them the story of Elizabeth Selwyn’s death. After class, Nan Barlow expresses an interest in learning more and wants to travel to Massachusetts to do personal research on the subject, over the minor objections of her brother Richard (Dennis Lotis) and boyfriend Bill Maitland (Tom Naylor). Driscoll recommends Whitewood, the town where Elizabeth was burned at the stake. She travels there alone, meeting a strange hitchhiker on the way.

They’re a bit too heavy on the fog machine when Nan stops to ask for directions. But the town itself has a great, creepy atmosphere, and is populated by unusual characters. I love how as she’s driving in, her headlights catch one person simply standing by a building, watching her. It’s like the whole town is simply waiting, either for her or for some event, or both. At the inn, she finds more unusual characters, including Mrs. Newless, who closely resembles Elizabeth Selwyn, and Lottie, a mute servant who desperately wishes to help Nan. She also encounters a priest who warns her to leave – “Evil has triumphed over good here,” he tells her – and Patricia Russell (Betta St. John), the priest’s granddaughter, who is sorting through her grandmother’s store and lends Nan a rare book on witchcraft.

I love the moment when Nan reads aloud to Mrs. Newless about a sacrifice, clearly describing what is likely destined to be her own fate.  There are some surprises in this film (such as Nan’s undergarments – holy moly). The City Of The Dead came out the same year as Psycho, and it has something akin to that film’s structure, with two distinct sections. It’s not a perfect film – the ending could be a bit better – but it is completely enjoyable and engaging, is well-acted, and is definitely worth checking out.

Special Features

The DVD includes a commentary track by Christopher Lee, moderated by Jay Slater. Lee talks about the film’s atmosphere, comparing it to the atmosphere of the work of H.P. Lovecraft. He also talks about the camera work and focus, and about the other title the film was later given, Horror Hotel. Interestingly, when they recorded the track, they did so without being able to hear the film’s sound, so they are often guessing as to what is being said on screen. This track seems to have been recorded in 2001.

There is also an interview with Christopher Lee, conducted by Brad Stevens. He talks about some of the directors he worked with early in his career, including Orson Welles. He also talks about working on the Hammer films, and tells an interesting anecdote about To The Devil A Daughter, as well as giving his candid thoughts on the film industry. Christopher Lee is a perfect interview subject, as he is so eloquent and has so many interesting stories to tell. This interview is approximately forty-five minutes. The film’s trailer is also included in the special features.

The City Of The Dead was directed by John Moxey, and was released on Blu-ray on March 27, 2018 through VCI Entertainment and MVD Visual.