USA: Tales That Witness Madness comes to DVD & Blu-ray

[Blink]

On 26 June 21012 Olive Films will issue Freddie Francis' Tales That Witness Madness on DVD and Blu-ray.

Stroll down the corridors of a mental asylum, where your mind won't believe what your eyes see. In the tradition of Tales from the Crypt and Creepshow, this anthology of pulp horror tales, helmed by the ever-reliable horror master, Freddie Francis (Dr. Terror's House of Horrors). The film features a quartet of eerie vignettes involving four patients in the care of psychiatrist Donald Pleasance (Halloween), who's attempting to justify his strange theories to colleague, Jack Hawkins (Theatre of Blood). The all-star cast includes Kim Novak, Joan Collins, Peter McEnery and Suzy Kendall.

DVD: amazon.com

Blu-ray: amazon.com | Wow HD

[Dave Jay]

Olive Films has some great stuff due out this year, including THE BOOGENS and William Castle's PROJECT X, THE SPIRIT IS WILLING and, best of all, SHANKS.

[madeleymade]

Paramount's the one company doing proper DVDs, not MODs. Le'ts congratulate them.

[WilsonBros]

The Blu release is going to be region-locked, isn't it...?

Kev W

[christats]

The Blu release is going to be region-locked, isn't it...?

Kev W

Well Breaking Glass isn't Region locked and that is Olive films. Pity its the US edit with the sequence at the end missing. (Did I read that the sound from the end sequence plays over the credits?)
Even if it was locked,Id get my hands on a Toshiba BDX 1200 or 3200 and download the Aussie firmware. Or just settle for a decent DVD.
I read on another forum about Paramount letting Olive have The Boogens, never seen that one.

[Kel E]

"Is there someone here who loves me?"

I also liked the Mr. Tiger segment

I didnt understand the Uncle Albert one though

[drterror666]

Well Breaking Glass isn't Region locked and that is Olive films. Pity its the US edit with the sequence at the end missing. (Did I read that the sound from the end sequence plays over the credits?)

Yes, the Breaking Glass DVD from Olive is a complete wreck. From the reviews I've read, the film ends when Kate is on stage singing Eighth Day (as the US edited version does) and different music plays over the end credits. This is a quote I found on another forum:

Yes, it is the US cut of the movie, complete with abbreviated ending, Paramount logos, and even the old MPAA PG card. However, the audio playing under the credits...is from the deleted UK ending!!!

Apparently, someone made this HD master by grafting picture from Paramount's US negative to the audio from the UK print, and nobody noticed...or at least, nobody familiar with the different versions of the film paid attention. So as the credits roll on this DVD, you're going to hear the movie as it continued in the UK, all the way until the PG card and then it will cut off.

I don't know if Olive or Paramount will care enough to fix this, but I felt this should be brought to the fans attention.

Hopefully Olive Films will do better...

[WilsonBros]

DVDBeaver has just confirmed that it IS region-locked - therefore Olive Films can go fuck themselves.

Kev W

[christats]

It is fairly easy to make the Toshiba BDX 1200 and 3200 region free with the Australian firmware download and 8520 typed in the settings menu to change DVD and Blu regions. It shouldn't be so though, (and some new films can still be a pain without the latest updates.) I see The Boogens is out on 7th August.
Might still take a punt on both but I am sure they have switched to locked discs, previously not being so.?

[jockfun28]

Have to say some friends of mine have a region locked Blu Ray player & it is a nightmare lending/ordering them stuff as mine is Region Unlocked wouldnt do without it TBH, am looking forward to this love a bit of Suzy Kendall

[Katatonia]

DVDBeaver has just confirmed that it IS region-locked - therefore Olive Films can go fuck themselves.

Kev W

You do realize that Olive are contractually obligated to lock these, right? It's not Olive's fault, it's Paramount who's forcing them contractually to lock these licensed titles.

[WilsonBros]

I know, but I like to vent my extreme disappointment at times. Oh, and Paramount can go fuck themselves, too.

Kev W

[christats]

The one thing that bothers me more than Region locking, as that was fairly easily overcome with DVD's, are faults with new releases that require a firmware update.
If it was just a case of Regin A or B (or C) then fine. There have been instances in the past were some brands of Blu Players haven't liked certain disks or no sound.
I don't know if it happens as much now but I could do without the internet nonsense, to get special features or updates. A pin sharp picture would be just fine.
If I wanted to connect I'd join Netflix or whatever.

[christats]

I know, but I like to vent my extreme disappointment at times. Oh, and Paramount can go fuck themselves, too.

Kev W

No need to fuck themselves. I got the disc today and it plays on a UK machine, namely a sony bdp350. I think it confirms a R0 on the back of the box in the bottom right corner. The symbol is tiny.

REGION FREE. So what gives with the early reviews I read.?

[jacksmith1983]

Received my copy of the DVD edition in the post earlier on today. Looking forward to finally catching up with this film, even if the general consensus seems to be that it falls short of the Amicus films in the same vein that it clearly set out to emulate. We shall see...

[Blink]

I rather liked this film and had some great stories (Joan Collins being jealous of a tree was quite (unintentionally) funny ) the only sad thing about the film was the re dubbing of Jack Hawkins's voice by Charles Gray because of throat cancer.

[Companero]

I ordered the Blu-ray from WOW HD and received the DVD - they've been an ABSOLUTE pain in trying to get them to admit liability and replace the incorrect item with the one I ordered.

[jacksmith1983]

Watched Tales That Witness Madness over this past weekend, and I have to say I rather liked it. While it is not as consistent or memorable as the majority of the Amicus pictures it so obviously sets out to emulate, it really doesn't deserve its reputation as their poor cousin that it seems to have been saddled with over the years. The first story, involving a dysfunctional couple who refuse to make their unhappy young sons fanciful claims that he has befriended a real live tiger seriously, is an engaging opener with a surprisingly bloody payoff, and the second story involving a young man who is forced to relive the violent tragedy of his uncle's past, after falling under the spell of his uncle's enchanted penny farthing, is imaginative and pulled off very effectively. The third and most often remarked upon story with Joan Collins as an insecure wife who finds her marriage and life in jeopardy when her husband becomes romantically obsessed with a creepy-looking tree, whilst pretty daft, is still amusing enough and is it just me or did the nightmare sequence in which Collins is chased and attacked by the titular shrubbery, bear an uncanny - albeit probably coincidental - resemblance to the infamous tree attack sequence in The Evil Dead? Finally the last and markedly lengthiest of the four tales, concerns a handsome young gentleman of Polynesian extraction who charms the beautiful, virgin daughter of his literary agent. However, little does she realise that he intends to murder then ritually cook and devour her in an elaborate human sacrifice to one of his native God's. While this tale suffers from the fact that it is all too obvious from an early juncture what the denouement is going to be, it is at least suitably macabre and played out in a watchable fashion, with future Dr Who starlet Mary Tamm proving to be a winningly beautiful presence as the ill-fated virgin Ginny.

While certainly a bit inconsistent and bought down a notch by its weak wraparound sequences involving an uninspired Donald Pleasence as a psychiatrist explaining his techniques to his incredulous colleague played by a cancer-stricken Jack Hawkins, all in all Tales That Witness Madness, even at its worst junctures, is a fairly light yet largely entertaining British horror anthology, highlighted by a decent cast and amusing black humour. While its no Tales From The Crypt or The House That Dripped Blood, it's certainly not the poor mans Amicus imitator that some genre historians have made it out to be.

I should also add that the Olive Films DVD presentation looks wonderfully bright, colourful and vibrant. I was very impressed with the quality of their presentation

[tobiaswragg]

Francis apparently thought that it was the best of the compendium films that he had made.

[Blink]

is it just me or did the nightmare sequence in which Collins is chased and attacked by the titular shrubbery, bear an uncanny - albeit probably coincidental - resemblance to the infamous tree attack sequence in The Evil Dead?

I don't think it is just you Jack,Raimi was most likely influenced by this scene and filmed it again (TtWM was not very succesful film so was less seen around to notice much later on) when I saw Evil Dead back then the only original thing for me was the 2 x4 camera work as most of the other stuff I have seen in previous films one way or another.