Studiocanal 4K & Blu-ray, out now

A group of guests recount their nightmares… but are they in the middle of their worst?

We’re very used to the idea of the anthology movie – from the Amicus films of the 60s and 70s to the Creepshows and beyond to V/H/S etc. – but if you’re a horror fan, you really need to go back to where a lot of them have their roots. This 1945 Ealing Studios film, beautifully restored for this new edition, still has the power to shock eighty years later, and as the nights draw in, it’s the perfect movie for a stormy night…

I don’t intend to spoil the various segments for those who haven’t yet seen the film; for the record the ventriloquist section is the one that creeped me out most (and Anna Bogutskaya’s essay in the booklet is well worth a read), but given the content of the other tales, we’re all likely to find something that hits a nerve – this is one of those movies that going into knowing as little as possible is a benefit. The melange of directors means each tale has its own individual feel yet there’s a very definite continuity of dread, as you get with the best campfire ghost story-telling sessions.

The Studiocanal discs come with a load of extras, as well as a fascinating booklet with David Parkinson’s history of the movie providing a lot of valuable context. The extras include “legacy” material from both the previous StudioCanal release and the Australian Imprint disc (hello, JLP!), as well as new interviews with Alice Lowe and Nathalie Morris. These give a rounded picture of the genesis of the film and its various aspects, with the music getting its due.

Verdict: An important part of horror cinematic history gets the treatment it deserves. 9/10

Paul Simpson