The House That Screamed appears in an aspect ratio of 2.35:1 on this Blu-ray Disc. Though not flawless, the image held up well.
Sharpness was strong. The vast majority of the film looked tight and concise, with only a little softness on display.
I noticed no jagged edges or shimmering, and no edge enhancement occurred. Print flaws caused no problems – outside of some light scratches during the opening credits.
Colors looked good, as they often appeared clear and accurate. The movie didn’t offer a broad palette, as it preferred subdued brownish tones much of the time with some light pinks and purples. The hues were positive within those parameters.
Black levels also worked well, as they demonstrated depth and richness, and shadow detail looked fine. Overall, this was a fine transfer that did the film justice.
As for the movie’s DTS-HD MA monaural soundtrack, it felt more than adequate for a thriller from 1969. Speech seemed fairly natural and firm, with no issues connected to intelligibility or edginess, though some sibilance interfered.
Note that the film came with both English and Spanish renditions, and the actors used different languages through the production. In other words, English-native performers did their lines in English and Spanish speakers used Spanish.
This meant neither language was “right” or “wrong”. However, most of the movie went with English speakers, so I opted for that one. Both ended up heavily looped anyway, so dialogue sounded less than natural whichever version you chose.
Effects lacked much range, but they lacked problems with distortion and seemed acceptably concise. Music also felt thin and without a lot of power.
Still, those elements demonstrated adequate reproduction. Nothing about the audio excelled, but it seemed fine for a flick of this one’s age and ambitions.
As we shift to extras, we open with an audio commentary from film critic Anna Bogutskaya. She provides a running, screen-specfic look at director Narciso Ibáñez Serrador, story/characters/themes, cast and performances, filmmaking techniques, interpretation and genre domains.
Though not a bad commentary, Bogutskaya also never makes this an especially compelling track. She tends to stick with views of the end product, with an emphasis on notes about narrative and roles.
These thoughts don’t seem necessary because House doesn’t represent an especially deep film. The viewer can pick up on all the subtext already so the “insights” lack punch.
Bogutskaya also goes MIA a little too often. Again, this becomes a listenable chat but not one that becomes particularly valuable.
Under “Interviews”, we find five segments, and This Boy’s Innocence provides a 24-minute, 20-second chat with actor John Moulder-Brown.
He tells us of how he got his role, his character and performances, and some experiences during the shoot. Moulder-Brown gives us a good collection of notes.
Another actor appears during An Interview with Mary Maude. Shot in 2012, this one spans 11 minutes, 51 seconds.
Maude covers her memories of House. This becomes a short but informative reel.
All About My “Mama” lasts nine minutes, 25 seconds and brings a chat with author Juan Tébar.
He looks at his story, its move to the screen, and the film’s legacy. A smattering of decent notes emerge but this feels like a lackluster chat overall.
Next comes The Legacy of Terror, a 13-minute, 55-second conversation with director’s son Alejandro Ibáñez. He offers a look at his dad’s life and career in this moderately useful piece.
Finally, Screaming the House Down occupies 20 minutes, 23 seconds and involves horror/fantasy film scholar Dr. Antonio Lazaro-Reboll.
“Down” looks at aspects of the production as well as cast and crew. We find a reasonable overview.
Excerpts from the Spanish Version fill six minutes, nine seconds. These show changes made for the edition of La Residencia that ran in Spain.
Don’t expect much, especially because 4:27 of that 6:09 just displays the opening credits in Spanish, and another shot simply shows a student’s letter in Spanish.
A few mildly “objectionable” elements get “censored” here. However, the changes remain minor.
A Trailer Gallery provides a mix of ads, all from the US. We get a trailer, two TV spots, and two radio spots.
Lastly, an Image Gallery presents 34 stills that mix publicity shots and print ads. It becomes a mediocre compilation.
An awkward mix of sexual exploitation flick and arthouse fare, The House That Screamed never finds a groove. Despite some moderate positives, the film lacks tension and tends to meander. The Blu-ray comes with very good picture, adequate audio and a mix of bonus materials. While the core of an interesting movie exists, the end result fails to connect.