Nightcomers, The (UK - DVD R2)
If you are expecting a fantastic 70's horror movie then go and watch “The Changeling" - if you want to watch a fro...
Synopsis
This movie stars Marlon Brando and Stephanie Beecham, set in the old English countryside. Peter Quint (Brando) is the hired help at a manor house, tending to the gardens and whatever else needs attention where as Beecham (yes, of Dynasty fame!) is a tutor (named Miss Jessel) to two parentless children. The house is run by Dame Thora Hird who feeds the children and keeps the house in ship shape condition. The story (if you can call it that) revolves around the children learning how to spell and converse with each other from Miss Jessel, and facts of life from Quint (with his appalling Irish accent). Jessel and Quint have many steamy, violent love scenes which the children watch and attempt to copy (which is very wrong!) in this boring movie. Quint and Jessel try to keep their meetings a secret so they only see each other at night – hence the films title. It truly is a dull film. The trailer has several quotes portraying the movie as a triumphant success, and it’s possible it was thirty years ago, but today this movie bored the hell out of me. Mind you, I can’t think of one Michael Winner movie that I liked (including Death Wish).
Video
The print is 1.85:1 and anamorphic (as expected of all DVDs these days). The video itself has obviously been touched up a little (a quick comparison with the trailer verifies this) but it is still of low quality. The colours are muted at times and night scenes are very dark to the point when colours blend together. It is an old movie so don’t expect too much – I’d imagine the movie itself is older than most of you reading this!
Audio
The soundtrack was originally a mono mix, and that’s what you get here – albeit a Dolby Digital one. Nothing to write home about really, but it is a dialogue heavy movie. The audio is clear and easily understandable (except Brando’s accent!) so no real problems here.
Extras
The disc features both English and German language tracks as well as menus in each language, which is always a nice touch. The real extras are a trailer and a teaser trailer. The trailer, which runs for one minute, fifty five seconds, has not been touched up like the actual film itself, so you can easily see what the original film quality was like. As I said before, several quotes are overlaid stating such things as “Gripping, spine-tingling and terrific!” All I can assume is that not too many good movies came out in 1972. The teaser, which runs for twenty nine seconds, is exactly that – a tiny glimpse of the film aimed at whetting the audiences’ appetite. Interestingly enough, although there are several subtitle selections available, there is no English choice.
Overall
It’s no secret that I didn’t like this film. It is a prequel to another movie which I have not seen (Turn of the Screw) and quite frankly that is how that movie is remaining – unseen. It was a dull lifeless film which had little point and certainly not the horror I was expecting (bar an exploding frog, and a couple of well placed arrows). If you are a fan of Brando then try it out, but the ninety two minutes it takes from your life are non-refundable from DVDAnswers.com, so don’t ask (I have rated the movie as a 3, and the only reason it is that high is because
Review by David Beamish
This movie stars Marlon Brando and Stephanie Beecham, set in the old English countryside. Peter Quint (Brando) is the hired help at a manor house, tending to the gardens and whatever else needs attention where as Beecham (yes, of Dynasty fame!) is a tutor (named Miss Jessel) to two parentless children. The house is run by Dame Thora Hird who feeds the children and keeps the house in ship shape condition. The story (if you can call it that) revolves around the children learning how to spell and converse with each other from Miss Jessel, and facts of life from Quint (with his appalling Irish accent). Jessel and Quint have many steamy, violent love scenes which the children watch and attempt to copy (which is very wrong!) in this boring movie. Quint and Jessel try to keep their meetings a secret so they only see each other at night – hence the films title. It truly is a dull film. The trailer has several quotes portraying the movie as a triumphant success, and it’s possible it was thirty years ago, but today this movie bored the hell out of me. Mind you, I can’t think of one Michael Winner movie that I liked (including Death Wish).
Video
The print is 1.85:1 and anamorphic (as expected of all DVDs these days). The video itself has obviously been touched up a little (a quick comparison with the trailer verifies this) but it is still of low quality. The colours are muted at times and night scenes are very dark to the point when colours blend together. It is an old movie so don’t expect too much – I’d imagine the movie itself is older than most of you reading this!
Audio
The soundtrack was originally a mono mix, and that’s what you get here – albeit a Dolby Digital one. Nothing to write home about really, but it is a dialogue heavy movie. The audio is clear and easily understandable (except Brando’s accent!) so no real problems here.
Extras
The disc features both English and German language tracks as well as menus in each language, which is always a nice touch. The real extras are a trailer and a teaser trailer. The trailer, which runs for one minute, fifty five seconds, has not been touched up like the actual film itself, so you can easily see what the original film quality was like. As I said before, several quotes are overlaid stating such things as “Gripping, spine-tingling and terrific!” All I can assume is that not too many good movies came out in 1972. The teaser, which runs for twenty nine seconds, is exactly that – a tiny glimpse of the film aimed at whetting the audiences’ appetite. Interestingly enough, although there are several subtitle selections available, there is no English choice.
Overall
It’s no secret that I didn’t like this film. It is a prequel to another movie which I have not seen (Turn of the Screw) and quite frankly that is how that movie is remaining – unseen. It was a dull lifeless film which had little point and certainly not the horror I was expecting (bar an exploding frog, and a couple of well placed arrows). If you are a fan of Brando then try it out, but the ninety two minutes it takes from your life are non-refundable from DVDAnswers.com, so don’t ask (I have rated the movie as a 3, and the only reason it is that high is because
Review by David Beamish
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Suitable only for persons of 18 years and over
Disc Details
Release Date:
21st October 2002
Discs:
1
Disc Type:
Single side, dual layer
RCE:
No
Video:
PAL
Aspect:
1.85:1
Anamorphic:
Yes
Colour:
Yes
Audio:
English (Dolby 1.0), german (Dolby 1.0)
Subtitles:
German, Dutch
Extras:
Trailer, Teaser Trailer
Easter Egg:
No
Feature Details
Director:
Michael Winner
Cast:
Marlon Brando, Stephanie Beecham, Dame Thora Hird
Genre:
Horror and Romance
Length:
92 minutes
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I assume the major details in "The Innocents" are true to the original James' "Turn of the Screw ".
But Winner's "The Nightcomers" seems to ignore "The Innocents" full stop.
**SPOILERS**
First off Quint and Jessel are not known to be dead! They have simply vanished. Not even Mrs Gross knows.
The new Governess (obviously the one from "The Innocents"/"Screw" ) thus also has no idea they are dead...which surely destroys the main plot of the story of "Innocents"/"Screw" in that she knows they are dead and that is why she sees the ghosts. This is of course essential if the 'ghosts' are simply in her head!
In "The Nightcomers" the children kill Quint and Miss Jessel...they drown her in the lake (so far so good) but Miles kills Quint with a bow and arrow (!) before dumping him in the water! So much for the unexplained death on the wintery steps then!
Miles is also not a boarding school when the new Governess arrives! His being expelled from boarding school for sadistic acts is a major cornerstone of the plot of "The Innocents" (And I assume "Screw" ).
Not a good film at all really, with only one sex scene as well I might add (Beacham does look gorgeous though) that only Miles spies on. As such there is very little shown here that could have so corrupted the children.
Quote: , I can’t think of one Michael Winner movie that I liked (including Death Wish).
Don't agree with that though!
"Death Wish" is an exceptional work and far more serious and intelligent than people give it credit for. A true 70's classic.
"Death Wish 2" (at least uncut) is utter fantasy trash...BUT WHAT TRASH! Grindhouse with big bucks was never so good.
"Hannibal Brooks" is lot's of fun with a very nice turn by Oliver Reed.
"Lawman" is a solid Western and rather literate as well.
"The Jokers" is also an enjoyable 60#s caper comedy that's worth a look.
"Death Wish 3" is very silly and very overblown, but it's enjoyable enough for what it is (though we are a million miles away from the seriousness of the first film in every way).