Caltiki: The Immortal Monster is a quirky 1950s Italian flick that is part silly, part respectable for its effects work that is worthy of watching if only for that aspect, and viewing with friends might make for a fun time.
Caltiki: The Immortal Monster
(1959)
Genre(s): Horror, Fantasy
Arrow Video | NR – 76 min. – $39.95 | April 25, 2017
Date Published: 05/01/2017 | Author: The Movieman
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PLOT SYNOPSIS
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A team of archaeologists led by Dr. John Fielding (JOHN MERIVALE) descends on the ruins of an ancient Mayan city to investigate the mysterious disappearance of its inhabitants. However, the luckless explorers get more than they bargained for when their investigation of a sacrificial pool awakens the monster that dwells beneath its waters – the fearsome and malevolent god Caltiki. |
SPECIAL FEATURES – 3.75/5 |
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This 2-disc release (BD+DVD) comes housed in a clear HD Keep Case. Inside is a 35-page essay booklet. Audio Commentaries:
From Quatermass to Caltiki (18:13; HD) is a new discussion with author and critic Kim Newman on the influence of classic monster movies on Caltiki. Full Aperture Version (1:16:54; HD) – This is an alternative presentation of the film exposes the entire captured frame, providing a better view of Bava’s effects work. This is a 1.33 aspect ratio and while nice, has plenty of film damage. Archival Features:
Also included is the U.S. Theatrical Trailer (2:07; HD) and U.S. Opening Titles (2:24; HD). Seeing both makes you appreciate the restoration work Arrow did on this release… |
VIDEO – 4.5/5 |
| Arrow Video unleashes Caltiki: The Immortal Monster onto Blu-ray presented in its original 1.66 aspect ratio and with a 1080p high-definition resolution (culled from a 2K restoration from 35mm dupe negative as the original film no longer exists. The black and white picture looks pretty darn good displaying excellent sharpness and detail and no obvious instances of dirt, specs or other flaws. |
AUDIO – 4.25/5 |
| The disc includes both an Italian and English PCM Mono tracks which sounds good especially in regards to the dialogue levels which were crisp and clean throughout and when other elements comes into play, some fine depth comes through well enough. It’s nothing amazing but for a cheap nearly 60-year-old film, I highly doubt it could ever sound better. |
OVERALL – 3.25/5 |
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Overall, Caltiki: The Immortal Monster is a quirky 1950s Italian flick that is part silly, part respectable for its effects work that is worthy of watching if only for that aspect, and viewing with friends might make for a fun time. This release by Arrow Video offers great video/audio transfers and a nice selection of bonus materials. |
Check out some more screen caps by going to page 2. Please note, these do contain spoilers.