The City of the Dead (1960) (Blu-ray + DVD)

IN WHITEWOOD, TIME STANDS STILL...

Christopher Lee was already a horror icon when he started filming The City of the Dead in 1959. Having played Frankenstein s Monster, Count Dracula and The Mummy for Hammer, this new picture would allow him to extend his range to the American Gothic and witchcraft in a small New England village...

Lee plays Professor Driscoll, an authority on the occult who persuades one of his students (Venetia Stevenson) to research his hometown, Whitewood, once the site of witch burnings in the 17th century. Booking herself into the Raven s Inn, she soon learns that devil worship among the locals hasn t been consigned to the past.

Produced by future Amicus founders Milton Subotsky and Max Rosenberg, and beautifully shot by Desmond Dickinson (whose credits ranged from Laurence Olivier s Hamlet to Horrors of the Black Museum), The City of the Dead is a wonderfully atmospheric and still shocking slice of horror that stands firmly alongside with its Hammer contemporaries.

SPECIAL EDITION CONTENTS:

New 4K digital restoration by the Cohen Film Collection and the BFI High Definition Blu-ray (1080p) and Standard Definition DVD presentations of two versions of the film: The City of the Dead and the alternative US cut, Horror Hotel Uncompressed Mono 1.0 PCM Audio Optional English subtitles for the deaf and hard of hearing Audio commentary by film critic Jonathan Rigby, author of English Gothic: Classic Horror Cinema 1897-2015 and Christopher Lee: An Authorised Screen History, recorded exclusively for this release Trailer Reversible sleeve featuring original and newly commissioned artwork by Graham Humphreys MORE TO BE ANNOUNCED!

FIRST PRESSING ONLY: Illustrated collector s booklet featuring new writing by Vic Pratt