The Devil Bat [Blu-ray]

This storyline holds up well for an older movie. It’s interesting and makes the viewer think about how bad things could be if science went astray with evil intentions. And Bela Lugosi is always fun to watch.

First off, my 5 star rating is not for "great movie," or for great print. It's for the smiles and chuckles this ridiculous little thriller brings me every time I watch it. The directing, sets, special effects, and over all production are typically cheap, but adequate for a late 30's early 40's micro studio quickie. The music is effective, even though it's recycled from who knows how many other PRC productions released prior to this one; I think I've even heard the same music in a few Monogram pictures. The silly story is well written, although I can't imagine why any adult would want to take credit for it. The acting is gleefully melodramatic, with Lugosi running over-the-top circles 'round the rest of the cast. But really, the funniest and most entertaining thing about "Devil Bat" is Dr. Carruther's (Lugosi) absurdly complicated plot for revenge against his employers. Anyone but a mad scientist would have slashed their tires, ruined their reputation, or God forbid, quit and got a better job. Fortunately for those of us who love this kind of hooey, the electronically size-enhanced killer-bat and aftershave bait was to the good Dr., the most logical approach. As others have already noted, this Legend release is the best, so far. Sound and picture quality are quite good for an seventy-some year old film like this. The dvd includes the restored black and white version as well as a colorized version.

Whether it should be considered a comedy or not, THE DEVIL BAT is a hugely enjoyable film. Bela Lugosi and the rest of the cast and crew may have decided there was no point in taking the script too seriously. Whatever the case, the finished product is a romp, and Bela earns some good laughs just by his delivery of standard-issue mad scientist dialogue. Arthur Q. Bryan, the original voice of Elmer Fudd, makes the most of his brief role as an aggravated newspaper editor. This source is a restored print supplied by Bob Furmanek; it's rare for a Poverty Row film to look this good! The audio commentary by Richard Harland Smith is also entertaining and informative. Recommended.

This will probably not be a blind buy for most people. So if you are buying the Blu-ray you know what you are getting. Lugosi on good form, giant bats on strings and some amazing acting. Picture is great probably the best presentation of this movie and the commentary track is informative. Recommended.

This is one of my favourite Lugosi movies. It's hardly a classic - in fact the whole thing is pretty goofy and none of the actors seem to take it seriously (that is, except for Bela). The so-called "Devil Bat" is just a big rubber mockup, except for several out of focus close-ups showing what is clearly a fruit-eating flying fox. These bats are common here in Australia where I live and are strictly vegetarian. Rather than being fearsome, they're quite gorgeous and sociable if you're lucky to get up close ... so instead of being repelled by them in this movie I kept thinking how sweet they were. However, Bela Lugosi is what really makes this movie enjoyable. He completely owns this movie giving a performance where he's just so delightfully twisted and evil. There's also a little bit of humour thrown in which just adds to the fun. However - despite the "so bad it's good" nature of this film, viewers need to resign themselves to it being a far from perfect transfer. It's watchable and has clear audio - but it isn't particularly clear or crisp, and is quite contrasty with some highlights clearly having been burnt out. And, at times there are so many dust spots you'd swear it was snowing. The blurb on the cover says it was scanned from "archival" footage but that doesn't necessarily mean that it was in great condition. For me this is still a great purchase since this is likely the best that we'll see for this movie in the foreseeable future. This bluray version is on the pricy side for what it is, but that simply be because the producers were never really going to sell this in large volumes. Hopefully Kino have kept the digital transfer that they've made and will maybe look to digitally restore or clean up the image as much as they can in future (or maybe just give it to a film school so that their students can give it a try). If so, then there's a chance that maybe we'll get a better version in future - although I certainly won't be holding my breath for it. In the meantime I figure this is the best we're likely to get and I'll enjoy it for what it is. Very highly recommended for lovers of these old movies. Other more casual viewers will probably be disappointed or confused. Note: with a current list price of $28 I sympathise with those who claim this as overpriced for what it is. Even with the understanding that this is a low volume product with a limited audience it's a little steep compared with other offerings. The inclusion of subtitles at least might have been nice.

Pretty good poor man's horror film. Lugosi plays a mad doctor who creates a monstrous bat that can kill his designated enemies. It seems that the bad doctor, once upon a time, created a formula for a perfume company and he sold it for only ten thousand bucks. Meanwhile the perfume company is still reaping the profits from Doctor Dimbulb's invention. HELLO, that is what big companies do; SCREW YOU OVER. So, the dimbulb doc decides to do in all the family members of the company's owners. It takes a not entirely braindead reporter and a local sheriff to figure things out and stop the doc's reign of nonsense. The Kino Classics DVD release is probably the best quality there will ever be. Highly recommended.

I've been told that not many of the Lugosi poverty row films have good elements extant to produce a good high def Blu Ray edition. We are fortunate that this one has been restored to this kind of quality. Outstanding! See also THE DEATH KISS with Lugosi in a smaller role.

Very well done on this one. I was not dissapointed. The picture is as good as I soppose it can be. The sound is good.