Indicator, out now

The 1967 Amicus portmanteau horror film gets a UK Blu-ray release with a typically strong selection of extras from Indicator.

Directed by Freddie Francis, the second Amicus horror anthology – following from 1965’s Dr. Terror’s House of Horrors – is the first of the studio’s multi-part movies written by Psycho author Robert Bloch. I remember watching this as part of a TV late-night horror strand in the 1980s, and as a boon for completists you can opt for either the original theatrical cut or the seven-minutes-longer TV version.

As is standard for this style of movie, a group of strangers assemble before their individual tales are told. Instead of Dr. Terror we get Dr. Diablo (that name… surely he not…?) played by Batman’s Burgess Meredith. He’s a fairground barker who invites unsuspecting punters to gaze into The Shears of Fate (I’m assuming The Secateurs of Doom were being sharpened) and each story is then played out.

Most of the plot twists are obvious, and the protagonists are quite unlikeable, but it’s great fun watching Jack Palance spar with Peter Cushing over an Edgar Allen Poe collectable, Michael Bryant being terrorised by a black cat with a taste for human flesh and Beverly Adams discovering that her Hollywood co-stars are plastic androids! Mr Steinway is probably the most bonkers, with a jealous piano called Euterpe pursuing owner John Standing’s new squeeze. It’s like Christine… but with a keyboard!

By the time the wraparound story resolves itself you might be forgiven for thinking you’ve seen it all before, but the short segments never outstay their welcome. It’s a crisp transfer that accentuates its use of primary colours, with acceptable grain on a B-movie print.

New extras include short interviews with author Ramsey Campbell and horror aficionado Kim Newman. There’s also some new writing, photos and full credits in the booklet, a 77-minute 1995 interview with Freddie Francis (interviewed by Alan Jones), 4 minutes with production supervisor Ted Wallis, stills, lobby cards and trailer.

Verdict: A tidy HD package that shows off this fun, minor horror compendium to best effect. 7/10

Nick Joy