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Scream Factory continues their blazingly good high definition video transfer work with a digital upgrade of Michael Winner's 1977 quasi-shocker THE SENTINEL (not to be confused with the Michael Douglas thriller of the same surname), a picture that has (until now at least) been consigned to the viewing menus of indiscriminate classic horror fans. Although the extras appear to at first to be rather minute for a current day Scream release, potential buyers of this item should be aware that this release ranks within the top tier of the Shout!/Scream Blu-Ray offerings, especially considering the fact that there are no video interviews with the stars or director included here. But what is offered is nothing other than revelatory and essential for the serious film collector. Ralph S. Singleton's lengthy interview clip is an essential watch for any aspiring filmmakers out there, and he is nothing less than candid in describing what it was like to work with the great Michael Winner and his crew, how he got started in the picture business (after having been inspired by a screening of Kubrick's 2001: a space odyssey), and what people do when trying to sell and market movies these days. Singleton is down to earth and insightful in his rather telling commentary upon the movie business. There are three absolutely fantastic audio commentaries included here that help to make this Blu-Ray one of the most special releases in the Scream Factory cannon. Writer/producer Jeffrey Konvitz (led by commentator Nathaniel Thompson) is involved in a terrific commentary track in which he candidly explains the origins of the movie's source novel, the rather hazardous journey of the book from page to screen, and what he is doing nowadays in the both the book publishing and film distribution worlds (Konvitz offers some incisive comments upon the business of proving intellectual property law cases, and the track delves quite deeply into the rather tendentious nature of the moviemaking business itself--tellingly, Konvitz admits that he doesn't like Michael Winner as a director, and he is in fact rather mournful about the whole movie adaptation process concerning THE SENTINEL). Actress Christina Raines is also guided through a hilarious audio commentary track in which she mostly describes Winner's relationship with her on the set as "unpleasant" and how the whole atmosphere of the picture was out of her league in terms of the picture's genre. And, of course, there is a wonderful (and wonderfully amusing) reminiscence track by Winner himself, who blazes through his recording session telling the audience countless on the set tales about the movie, how he got into a contract with Universal, how he came to work with Chris Sarandon on the film, and even a brief memo about how he ended up falling out of bed one morning after having slept with a beautiful model the night before in a ritzy hotel room! Other miraculous and wondrous anecdotes and vignettes await you on Winner's track and it too is an absolute keeper. There is also a fantastic, 1080 pixel image transfer of the film, coded in 1.78:1 frame and it looks tremendous to these screen weary eyes, especially considering the fact that THE SENTINEL has not had any kind of decent special edition release to speak of before this. This is the best color and tone presentation that one will be able to find of the movie, certainly as of now.
Christina Raines is a rather foxy lead in a story that encompasses some fragments from other hit "horror" movies (THE EXORCIST, THE OMEN, and even ROSEMARY'S BABY) of the era, but I personally prefer to think of Winner's movie as an original project. Considering the fact that Konvitz helped get the project set up at Universal pictures (he was on board as a producer at various early stages) it is hard to see now why his original screenplay wasn't filmed more closely, but once Winner came aboard I think he chose to develop the movie more along the lines of his own personal aesthetic (and even if it doesn't scare horror fans very much, he does manage to get in some repulsive moments that linger in the corridors of the mind afterwards). It might have been fun to read Winner's revisions, but one suspects that much of what he wanted in the final film remains. While Konvitz seems to be unhappy with the final result, THE SENTINEL is unique among thrillers in that it flirts with a supernatural premise without ever going full on into scenes of outlandish supernatural phenomena; still, Burgess Meredith is one of many celebrities on hand who manage to elevate the film to a level of genuine cinematic intensity. There is even a nod to Browning's FREAKS at the picture's conclusion; exploitative or not, the deformed and disfigured folks at the end of the film add a touch of realism to the menacing atmosphere of the story.
THE SENTINEL may not be as scary (or as horrifying) as it seemed to be back in 1977, but the picture still retains much of its entertainment value, and with the naked ladies (Beverly D'Angelo among them) and monstrous imagery on display there is certainly much to see in the movie itself. As grotesque and cinematically antiquated as most of the picture feels now, I personally find it a lot more enjoyable and engaging than today's modern horror movies. Still, Winner is an acquired taste...but once you acquire him he becomes a director that you can certainly come to rely upon for entertainment. Scream Factory does justice to what made Winner's pictures special; rather than writing him off as yet another journeyman director, this new Blu-Ray shows that Winner wanted every movie set to be a party and every attendee to get their worth in fun and creative anticipation. For Winner, the business of movies was certainly a business, but he did everything with so much joy and self-belief that it's hard not to like what he left us with. A+ for the overall effort, presentation, and wonderful (and long overdue) extras.
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Reviews with images
Timeless classic from the 70s
If you like classic early 70s movies you would like this one it is a little slow in the beginning my opinion not that scary but it is good I would recommend.
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Reviewed in the United States on September 13, 2016
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Damien
Scream Factory Delivers a great release of The Sentinel.
Reviewed in Canada on May 18, 2022
