Art & HueDead of Night at 80: The Anthology That Changed Horror Forever
Dead of Night 80th Anniversary – 80 Years of Dead of Night
One of the earliest horror films, “Dead of Night” stars Michael Redgrave in the final impactful story with the ventriloquist dummy, along with the unique cinematic double-act of Basil Radford & Naunton Wayne who appear together to provide a brief respite of comic relief within the chilling horror. The Ealing Studios film features the pair as golfers vying for the affections of Peggy Bryan, who previously starred in the George Formby film “Turned Out Nice Again“.
The early horror is well-regarded and made director Martin Scorsese’s list of scariest horror films of all time.
Dead of Night at 80: The Anthology That Changed Horror Forever
Its genius lies not just in the individual tales but in how they coalesce into a deeply unsettling whole, building a pervasive sense of dread that culminates in one of the most iconic and mind-bending endings in cinema history.
The film’s true legacy is its profound and lasting impact. It established the anthology blueprint, proving that short, sharp shocks could be just as effective as a single narrative, and directly inspired every horror portmanteau that followed, from the Amicus productions of the 60s and 70s such as “Asylum” with Sylvia Syms, Richard Todd, Britt Ekland & Herbert Lom, American anthologies like “Creepshow”, and beyond.
But its most significant contribution is undoubtedly the ventriloquist’s dummy segment featuring Michael Redgrave‘s breathtaking portrayal of a performer whose sanity is consumed by his malevolent dummy, Hugo, the ancestor of psychological horror. It explored the terrifying link between identity, madness, and the monstrous, planting the seeds for many psychologic horrors to follow. “Dead of Night” taught us that the most potent horrors aren’t always vampires or werewolves; sometimes, they are the fragile human mind, and that is a nightmare from which we never truly wake up.
New UHD 4k restoration of Dead of Night by STUDIOCANAL
By weaving together a series of psychological horror tales, the film helped define a new horror genre in British cinema, and beyond, and its impact and influence remains timeless. Ground-breaking in its exploration of psychological horror as opposed to jump scares, the film’s impact endures to this day with many current filmmakers still citing it as a major influence.
Available via pre-order now from STUDIOCANAL‘s Vintage Classics, the 2-disc 4K Ultra-HD Collector’s Edition offers extras including new material with writer and director Alice Lowe and Senior BFI Curator Nathalie Morris, a 64-page booklet with new essays by film writers David Parkinson, Kat Ellinger, Peter Raleigh & Anna Bogutskaya, a print of the original film poster and a new artwork designed by Krishna Bala Shenoi. The new 4K DCP will also be available to book for cinema presentation so keep an eye on your local listings for any upcoming screenings.
Dead of Night: Dreams and Duality with Alice Lowe;
Marketing Galore! The Art of Ealing with the BFI‘s Nathalie Morris;
Audio Commentary by critic and film historian Pamela Hutchinson;
Short Sharp Screams: Dead of Night and the British Horror Anthology;
Interview with author John Llewelyn Probert;
Scoring the Night: On Georges Auric;
Interview with author Dr. David Huckvale;
Remembering Dead of Night Featurette;
Behind the Scenes Stills Gallery.
With a release date of the 20th of October, the brand-new UHD 4k restoration of Dead of Night is available to pre-order now.
Discover more films celebrating major anniversaries this year:
