Fear In The Night

Bluesky

Fear In The Night, Jimmy Sangster's physiological horror film, is being released in UHD format. Although it was not the best directed or the most visually striking of the Hammer films it does have its moments and those moments do benefit from 4K. There are subtle foreshadowings that are easier to spot in the clearer image. As the newlywed couple Robert, a teacher, and Peggy Heller (Ralph Bates and Judy Geeson) prepare to leave the modernity of London for the faux heritage of his new school, we see a low loader stacked with Land Rovers. It brings out the nuances of Geeson's performance on which the film depends. And there is of course Peter Cushing's Headmaster standing stock still, centre frame, his John Lennon glasses shattered.

There are several extras on the Blu-ray. Firstly there is a new piece, The Fragile Mind: Kim Newman Explores Fear In The Night. It does what you would expect from the title. Kim Newman is affable as always. Two audio commentaries follow. An old one by the late Jimmy Sangster, the film's co-writer, producer and director, and Hammer film historian Marcus Hearn; and another by film historian Troy Howarth. End Of Term: Inside Fear In The Night, various talking heads give their view on the film. These can get a bit samey, going over the same basic material. There are other things in the film that could be discussed. No one seems to comment on the sexual tensions within the film. The headmaster's wife, Molly Carmichael (Joan Collins), openly makes a pass at Peggy. Fear In The Night is somewhat derivative in nature (Les Diaboliques, Gaslight, Mario Bava's black gloved killers, The Fugitive). When it steps away from this it deserves comment: Peggy reverse gaslighting her antagonists.

There was also some wondering in a commentary about whatever happened to Judy Geeson. For the record, she worked in America in both TV and film until the early 2000s. After a ten year hiatus, at about the age of 65, she returned to film, starting with Rob Zombie's The Lords Of Salem.

Finally, to round the disc off, there is a stills gallery and an original theatrical trailer which is fun to watch.