Synopsis
Bank teller Lee Remick returns home one night to be grabbed in her garage by a terrifying,asthmatic killer. She will do as he says, he tells her, and rob the bank, or she and her sister willdie. Remick seeks the help of the FBI, and agent Glenn Ford is soon locked in a cat-and-mousegame with the killer. Rightly seen as anticipating the films of Brian De Palma and JohnCarpenter, Experiment in Terror combines police procedural with lurking menace, andhas a sequence in … mannequin-filled apartment that wouldn’t be out of place in the Italianthrillers of Mario Bava and Dario Argento. The black-and-white photography is breathtaking.Not to be missed.
Audio
The soundtrack is mono, but the lack of remix is no great loss. This is still a warm and richmono, and Henry Mancini’s superbly moody score comes across very nicely. The sound is clean,and free of distortion or static.
Video
It is nice to see the film in its original 1.85:1 anamorphic widescreen ratio at last, whichreally makes a difference, notably in the crucial two-shot of the initial confrontation. The black-and-white photography for the most part is well served, with the high-contrast lookcomplemented by the very sharp image. The print is not in perfect shape, however. Though thegrain level is mostly very minor, when visible at all, there is some flicker that comes and goes.As well, there is the odd glare that flashes from time to time at one edge or the other of theframe.
Special Features
A basic menu, and the only extras are the film’s trailer plus those for The Big Heatand The Lady from Shanghai.
Closing Thoughts
A stripped-down, no-frills disc, but this is a classic thriller. Check it out.
Special Features List
- Trailers
