And Soon the Darkness (1970) - Camera Obscura 4K UHD Mediabook B (German Import)

As I’ve also worked up a partial review of this film with KLSC’s Peril & Distress set, I’ll reprint those thoughts here before expanding on them:

Of the pair, I have to lean towards And Soon the Darkness as the better offering. Like the best kidnapping/missing person thrillers, director Robert Fuest had a deft touch with pacing and steadily building the suspense that will fuel the final act into its shocking conclusion. What I love most about the film are the seemingly innocuous background details. When a scene doesn’t seem like a whole lot is happening, pay attention to the scenery, it’ll tell you a whole lot more than you think!

I can’t quite remember the first time I saw And Soon the Darkness. Growing up in a city that had about a dozen mom & pop and specialty rental shops, I probably was able to locate this on tape at some point. I have distinct memories of turning this one on and being taken in by it. The slow ominous score from Laurie Johnson just made the hairs on the back of my neck stand on edge. Now years later the music still gives me the willies as I settle into the unfolding events. 

As far as Horror/Thrillers go, And Soon the Darkness is the kind of event where you just want to shout at Jane “Don’t talk to that person!” or “Don’t go into that room!” because you just know it’s not going to go well. You can feel the tension rise with every decision she makes as she desperately tries to find her friend. It also helps there’s a language gap. Her handle of French is extremely limited so she can’t be sure she’s being told the truth when anyone actually does translate for her. Can she trust Paul (Sandor Eles)? He has his reasons for helping, but are they genuine? Or has Jane fallen into the same trap that snared her friend? The whole film plays like that with these little red herrings and it's deliciously tense! 

Best of all, the twists and turns in the plot are earned. The surprises aren’t a gigantic plot rug pull that upends the entire film. All of the moves our characters make work towards a fitting conclusion with one hell of a distressing final shot. I’ve only seen this film a few times in my life. Maybe because of the time between viewings, but even though I know how it ends, I’m still drawn in by it sitting on the edge of my seat in anticipation. 

Vital Disc Stats: The 4K Ultra HD Blu-ray 
And Soon the Darkness travels onto 4K UHD Blu-ray in a two-disc Mediabook release from German label Camera Obscura. The 4K of the film is pressed on a Region Free BD66 disc with a Region B BD50 serving up the film in 1080p and hosting most of the bonus features. The discs get their own cradles on either side of the Mediabook package with a 16-page booklet offering an excellent essay by Tobias Hohmann. Each disc loads to an animated main menu with standard navigation options.

Camera Obscura delivers And Soon the Darkness to 4K UHD with a lovely 2160p HDR10 transfer. Looking back to the KLSC disc, it would seem the same restoration elements were used for both discs, but obviously in this case, treated very differently. Being pressed on its own disc, this transfer scores a notably higher bitrate, often resting well into the upper 70mbps and 80mbps range with healthy spikes beyond. I felt like the definition looked quite a bit cleaner and clearer, the fine lines looked a little more crisp and the grain structure was just a bit better rendered without any signs of compression, smoothing, or any kind of edge enhancement. The HDR grade is perhaps a bit on the subtle side, but I felt like the film’s primaries were better saturated, skin tones looked a little more natural and healthy, and the few creepy dark spaces and shadowy areas had a little more weight on them. In truth, both discs look great, but I will give Camera Obscura’s work the edge.

And Soon the Darkness enters the scene with an excellent English LPCM 2.0 track. Playing against the DTS-HD MA 2.0 on the KLSC disc, the two tracks are very, very similar, but I felt like this LPCM mix had a little more heft. There was something about how the film’s ominous score landed that had a little more weight. Again dialog is clear as a bell without issue and no signs of hiss or pops. It’s a moody atmospheric little Horror/Thriller and does a lot with some very clever sound design.

Bonus features for this round with And Soon the Darkness are similar to the KLSC disc, but not 100% the same. We have the same very good commentary with Robert Fuest, Brian Clemens, with moderator Jonathan Sothcott. While it doesn’t have the also worthwhile Troy Howarth commentary track, it does come with a new lengthy conversation with film historian Kim Newman - that very nearly could have been its own commentary. He pulls in some great points about the film, the genres it was playing with, location, and themes, all in a very packed 30-minute chat. The downside of that interview is it is locked on the Region B Blu-ray so you’ll need a Region Free player to enjoy it. And then you have the lengthy and very interesting essay by Tobias Hoffman in the Mediabook to pick through. Granted, it’s in German and you’d need to use a translate app if that’s not your native language but it’s well worth your time and effort. 

4K UHD Disc

• Audio Commentary  featuring Robert Fuest, Brian Clemens, moderated by Jonathan Sothcott

Blu-ray Disc

• Audio Commentary featuring Robert Fuest, Brian Clemens, moderated by Jonathan Sothcott
• Interview with Kim Newman (HD 29:42)
• Radio Spots
• Trailer
• Essay by Tobias Hoffman

And Soon the Darkness is a gritty creepy Giallo-styled Horror/Thriller. It’s a subtle little adventure that wisely knows how to play its cards. Director Robert Fuest and his writer Brian Clemens had a deft touch for how to stage the events with a knack for peppering the story with some shady supporting characters you know our leading lady shouldn’t trust. At a breezy 90 minutes, the film doesn’t waste time, but it also doesn’t shortchange the plot or the thrills! Camera Obscura out of Germany has delivered an excellent 4K UHD mediabook package. We can enjoy the film with a solid HDR10 transfer, clean audio, and a nice slice of informative extra features. For a gnarly piece of British ‘70s cinema, you’ll definitely want to give And Soon the Darkness a try on some cold dreary fall night if you haven’t caught it already! Highly Recommended