Anchor Bay presents

The Vengeance Of She (1968)

"He keeps calling me, he's always calling me...Ayesha."- Carol (Olinka Berova)

Stars: Olinka Berova, Edward Judd, John Richardson
Other Stars: André Morell, George Sewell, Noel Willman, Colin Blakely
Director: Cliff Owen

MPAA Rating: Not RatedRun Time: 01h:41m:00s
Release Date: 1999-09-08
Genre: adventure

Style Grade	Substance Grade	Image Transfer Grade	Audio Transfer Grade	Extras Grade
A-	A-	A-	B+	B-

 

DVD Review

SHE's back, only she doesn't know who she is. In her dreams she hears them—"Ayesha!" They call her to them, across time and space, to the land She used to rule. SHE!

Okay, you get the picture. Three years after Ursula Andress made a splash playing Ayesha, the goddess who must be obeyed in She (also starring Hammer favorites Christopher Lee and Peter Cushing), comes the sequel Vengeance Of She, this time with Olinka Berova in the lead role. At one time She was the immortal ruler of the world of Kuma. Feared by all, She had the power to kill all who disobeyed her (whippings were a favorite pastime...). However, She also wanted to be loved, but when She brought her lover into the flames of immortality, it sealed her fate. Years later, King Killicraties (John Richardson—One Million Years B.C., On A Clear Day You Can See Forever) waits for her to return, and when the Magi claim to have found her, he orders that she be brought to join him in immortality, but this must be done in haste, as the chance to enter the flames is fast approaching, and once gone will be thousands of years in returning. Kassim (André Morell—The Mummy's Shroud, Barry Lyndon), the newly elected head of the Magi has his own plans, as the secret of eternal life is the trade for his services in recovering Ayesha.

When we meet Carol (Berova, real name Olga Sherberova), she is disoriented, travelling the highways, driven by unknown forces. After being discovered as a stowaway on a millionaire's yacht, the tag along shrink, Dr. Philip Smith (Edward Judd) takes an interest in this girl with no past. In her dreams she hears a beckoning, calling her "Ayesha", yet she has no idea what any of this means. These visions are of course manifestations controlled by Kassim, guiding the girl to her destiny in the lost city of Kuma. When Carol sets out across the desert, Dr. Smith follows, and the two eventually end up in the presence of King Killicraties, who accepts her as his long lost Ayesha. He plans to transform her back to her immortal self when the stars are properly aligned—a time when Kassim plans a move of his own. As a possible contender for Ayesha's affections, Smith is imprisoned, but an old Magi named Zo-Tar (Noel Willman) confides in him, and reveals Kassim's deception to overthrow the King and rule the world. Will he get out in time? Will She return to rule her world? Well...

This is great Saturday afternoon fare in the Hammer tradition. The acting is a bit overdone, but adds to the fun of the picture. We aren't witnessing cinematic genius here, but we are given a decent romp into the forgotten city of Kuma, with several action sequences on the way. While there are no major revelations in the plot, it is serviced by some interesting sets and special effects. Although the cover suggests a racier picture than is really here, the costuming does flatter the lead actress' physical assets. Overall, we have a fun way to waste an hour and a half, without any excess gore or blatent sexual content. The Vengeance Of She should please most fans of late '60s Hammer films, and Anchor Bay's presentation adds to its enjoyment.

Rating for Style: A-
Rating for Substance: A-

 

Image Transfer

	One
Aspect Ratio	1.66:1 - Widescreen
Original Aspect Ratio	yes
Anamorphic	no

Image Transfer Review: Anchor Bay has done it once again. This non-anamorphic transfer looks wonderful, perfectly capturing the feel for this film. There is very little grain, colors are vibrant though dated, the image is sharp but not overly enhanced. Aside fom a few very minor artifacts, the picture easily does this film justice. Even when zoomed in to 1.78:1 on a widescreen set, the picture holds up fine, with line structure virtually unnoticable.

Image Transfer Grade: A-
 

Audio Transfer

	Language	Remote Access
Mono	English	no

Audio Transfer Review: An English ProLogic 2 channel mono track is the only available option. Clear, clean and full range, the audio is well rendered, and provides a perfect match for the film.

Audio Transfer Grade: B+ 

Disc Extras

Static menu
Scene Access with 25 cues and remote access
1 Original Trailer(s)
2 TV Spots/Teasers
1 Documentaries
Packaging: other
1 Disc
2-Sided disc(s)
Layers: single

Extra Extras:

1. World of Hammerepisode: "Lands Before Time"

Extras Review: The Vengeance Of She includes another 25 minute installment in the World Of Hammer series, this time we get the "Lands Before Time" episode. Narrated by Oliver Reed, this is a series of excerpts from Hammer films, cropped to 4:3. One Million Years B.C., Creatures The World Forgot, Blood From The Mummy's Tomb, Viking Queen, Slave Girls (aka Prehistoric Women), She, The Lost Continent (dig those scary monsters!) and The Vengeance Of She are all featured. The video quality is generally pretty good, and it is fun to sample through some of these films.

We also get 60 and 20 second TV spots for the feature, along with the 2m:20s theatrical trailer (1.66:1). Anchor Bay has wisely chosen to separate the extras onto the back side of the disc, and the quality of the image on both surfaces benefits as a result.

While not overwhelming in their number, it is nice to have these additions, including one of my favorites, the cardboard insert featuring one sheet artwork.

Extras Grade: B-
 

Final Comments

A very solid release of a decent Hammer installment. The Saturday matinee comes to your home, and looks better than in the theaters. Grab some popcorn, kick back and enjoy!

Jeff Ulmer 2000-08-08