The Reptile
1966, UK, Directed by John Gilling
Colour, Running Time: 86 minutes
DVD, Region 2, Optimum, Video: Anamorphic 1.75:1, Audio: Mono
Following the death of his brother, Harry Spalding and his wife move to an inherited house in a Cornish village where they find defensive locals and the town doctor who is unusually protective over his daughter (Pearce). We know something supernatural is occurring in the village due to the opening sequence where someone is killed by a snake-like individual - Spalding is encouraged to leave, first by the benevolent bartender (Michael Ripper in one of his bigger roles for Hammer) and then by the doctor. Exhuming his brother’s corpse reveals a distinctly unnatural death while Pearce appears to go into a strange trance during the performance of a musical piece at the doctor’s mansion - Spalding realises that there is something possibly horrific occurring in the Cornish town.
Gilling demonstrated talent with a couple of Hammer films, this one included. It abides by the conventions of the period but quite skilfully. The location has some atmosphere (recognisable if you’ve already seen Plague of the Zombies) and boasts strong performances. Pearce has a striking presence and benefits from a slightly longer role than that she had in Plague… The musical sequence (Pearce playing an Eastern instrument) is nicely shot and edited, reflecting a hypnotic feel. The climax is a little too typical but overall The Reptile is generally a good watch.
The Optimum disc presents a below average transfer containing washed-out colours, inadequate contrast and faint vertical lines visible occasionally. It also looks to me like it is cropped all around, despite being anamorphically presented at 1.75:1. It’s watchable but noticeably inferior to most of the other transfers in this collection. There is also no bonus material, though the film itself just about makes the disc worth owning for Hammer fans. It was released by Anchor Bay in the US several years ago - that disc contained a World of Hammer episode plus a couple of trailers so, regarding film-specific extras, it wasn’t a particularly superior DVD.