Overview: Riding high on their successful adaptations of Edgar Allan Poe, Roger Corman and American International Pictures took on that other titan of literary terror, H.P Lovecraft, in The Dunwich Horror!

Dean Stockwell stars as Wilbur Whateley, a mysterious young man who travels from the small town of Dunwich to the library of the Miskatonic University which holds one of the only copies of the Necronomicon, a legendary book of occult lore that Wilbur hopes to borrow.

Graduate student Nancy Wagner (Sandra Dee) falls under his malign influence and travels with him back to his home where Wilbur has plans to use her in a ritual to raise �The Old Ones�, cosmic beings from another dimension. But who, or what, is in the locked room at the top of the stairs? And what will happen if they get out?

Blu-ray Verdict: Directed by Daniel Haller, genius art director of numerous Corman classics, this was also the first screenwriting credit for Curtis Hanson, who would later direct the multi award-winning L.A. Confidential.

Newly restored by Arrow Films from the original 35mm camera negative, The Dunwich Horror is among the most successful Lovecraft adaptations ever committed to film, and it has never looked better.

I am not student of Lovecraft, so I cannot comment on the film�s faithfulness to the source material, though I can say that The Dunwich Horror is very evidently an acid-tripping interpretation of it!

The plot structure is rather bizarre, and leaves many questions throughout. For example, what draws Nancy to be so willing to accompany Wilbur in the first place? Regardless, as Nancy withdraws with Wilbur, spending time with him at his family home, a subplot involving her friend and a detective�s pursuit of her is built into the proceedings.

While the plot is full of idiosyncrasies, in some ways they work in favor of the film�s visual tone, which is bizarre and quite atmospheric. There are a handful of nightmarish sequences involving Nancy, one of which has her being caressed by various demonic-looking figures as she sleeps on a bed in a field!

The stylistic imagery that director Daniel Haller utilizes in his approach to the film�s horror elements is psychedelic to the core - given that the film was made in 1969, at the apex of the love generation, this is not surprising. Some who are ardent fans of Lovecraft may find this unfitting, but I thought it was an interesting approach.

A fresh-faced Sandra Dee is likable here, although her character is not well drawn, neither is Stockwell�s, for that matter, but he has enough offbeat charm to draw the audience in.

The film�s finale is rather ridiculous, and at times recalls the gaudiness of an early-1960s Hammer film, but it�s not entirely out of pitch with the rest of the film.

In the end, The Dunwich Horror is a mildly effective film that is largely worth seeing for its imagery and atmospheric nature. It is not particularly thrilling, but it is certainly bizarre enough to keep your attention, that�s for damn sure!

New 2K restoration by Arrow Films from the original camera negative
High Definition (1080p) Blu-ray presentation
Original lossless mono audio
Optional English subtitles for the deaf and hard of hearing
New audio commentary by Guy Adams and Alexandra Benedict, creators of the audio drama Arkham County
The Door into Dunwich, a new conversation between film historian Stephen R. Bissette and horror author Stephen Laws in which they discuss The Dunwich Horror, Lovecraft, and their memories of seeing the film on release
After Summer After Winter, a new interview with science fiction and fantasy writer Ruthanna Emrys, author of The Innsmouth Legacy series
The Sound of Cosmic Terror, new interview with music historian David Huckvale in which he takes a closer look at Les Baxter�s score for The Dunwich Horror
Theatrical trailer
Image gallery
Reversible sleeve featuring original and newly commissioned artwork by Luke Preece
+ FIRST PRESSING ONLY: Illustrated collector�s booklet featuring new writing by film critics Johnny Mains and Jack Sargeant

www.arrowvideo.com