Hammer Films continued to roll through the 1960s, further adding memorable movie monsters to their roster. Much like 1964’s THE GORGON, 1966’s THE REPTILE is another adult fairy tale concerning an innocent, beautiful female protagonist transforming into a horrible and deadly creature, in this case a venomous snake woman. THE REPTILE now makes its U.S. Blu-ray debut courtesy of Shout! Factory’s Scream Factory arm.

At the beginning of the 20th century, the tiny village of Clagmoor Heath in Cornwall, England is subjected to a number of fatalities attributed to"Black Death". After his brother dies under these reported circumstances, Harry Spalding (Ray Barrett, REVENGE) arrives with his new bride Valerie (Jennifer Daniel, KISS OF THE VAMPIRE) to claim and live in his late sibling's modest cottage. Looking for more answers as to how exactly his brother perished, he encounters distain from the locals but a welcomed friend in pub owner Tom Bailey (Michael Ripper, THE MUMMY’S SHROUD). Residing in a large mansion are the Spaldings’ nearby (and only) neighbors; the frigid Dr. Franklyn (Noel Willman), his daughter Anna (Jacqueline Pearce, THE PLAGUE OF THE ZOMBIES) and his sinister foreign servant Malay (Marne Maitland, THE TERROR OF THE TONGS). Dr. Franklyn treats his daughter like a prisoner, and Malay apparently harbors a dark secret about their family, with the Spaldings witnessing some very eccentric behavior when invited over for dinner.

In the meantime, the beloved village idiot of sorts, Mad Peter (John Laurie, THE ABOMINABLE DR. PHIBES) befriends the Spaldings, but is soon bitten and found with his face blackened and mouth foaming. On a very rainy night, Harry recruits Tom to dig up his brother’s coffin, and they discover the same bite marks that were discovered on Mad Peter, throwing the irrational “Black Plague” theory out the window and dealing with not having a proper physician in the village. Harry too is bitten on the neck (through his shirt collar) at the mansion after he comes over in response to a letter, but he returns home and survives thanks to the help of Tom and wife Valerie. But who is the reptilian perpetrator of these wicked attacks, why does Dr. Franklyn (a doctor of theology) treat his daughter so cruelly, and why does the quiet servant have a threatening hold (and curse) over the two?

Shot at Hammer’s Bray Studios in 1965 back-to-back with a quartet that included DRACULA: PRINCE OF DARKNESS, RASPUTIN: THE MAD MONK and THE PLAGUE OF THE ZOMBIES, THE REPTILE (the most modestly-budgeted of the four) follows up the latter as the second of two Cornwall-set horror tales scripted by Anthony Hinds (under his “John Elder” nom de plume) and directed by veteran John Gilling (THE FLESH AND THE FIENDS). The film redresses and recycles some sets from those films, but it’s still a handsome production (also using the famous Oakley Court as the exterior of the Franklyn mansion), even in its minimalist gothic trappings. While the film can be a bit talky, the script displays some good ideas in its themes of the atrocities of British colonialism coming home to haunt them (this would similarly be explored in Freddie Francis’ THE GHOUL — also scripted by Hinds — a decade later) and the fine cast is topped by Pearce, quite captivating as the doomed-girl-turned fanged menace. But THE REPTILE also gives Hammer supporting stalwart Ripper one of his best extended character rolls, and Gilling would utilize the actor memorably again in THE MUMMY’S SHROUD (ironically, George Woodbridge, who was also known for playing pub owner roles in several classic Hammer movies, here makes his last appearance for the company, this time as a patron). Roy Ashton provides the reptile make-up which, despite its limitations, became an iconic creature, gracing the covers of a number of monster movie magazines and exemplary when images from Hammer horrors are represented (Ashton’s venomous bite victim make-ups are quite unsettling). Produced by Anthony Nelson Keys, the film boasts talented Hammer old guard including cinematographer Arthur Grant, production designer Bernard Robinson, art director Don Mingaye, special effects great Les Bowie and the music score is by Don Banks (THE EVIL OF FRANKENSTEIN), an superb substitute for James Bernard.

Previously available (and long out of print) on DVD in the U.S. from Anchor Bay Entertainment, THE REPTILE makes its stateside Blu-ray premiere from Scout! Factory’s Scream Factory arm. Presented in 1080p HD, the transfer looks the same as the one released on Blu-ray by StudioCanal in the UK a few years ago. The very start of the pre-credit sequence and the title sequence (both cases of optical titles being employed) appear washed-out, but the rest of the show looks quite excellent; a well detailed image with nicely saturated colors, strong black levels and natural-looking grain. The film can be watched framed at a 1.85:1 aspect ratio as well as 1.66:1 (viewable here from the “bonus” menu): the 1.85:1 version carries an English DTS-HD Master Audio Mono 2.0 track, while the 1.66:1 version has an English Dolby Digital 2.0 track, both are fine with pretty decent dynamic range and clear dialogue throughout. Optional English subtitles are included.

New to this Blu-ray is an audio commentary with Hammer historians/authors Steve Haberman, Constantine Nasr and Ted Newsom. With all-around appropriate admiration for the film at hand, the three participants give their views on its artistic merits, its budgetary limitations, as well as its entertainment value, bouncing subjects and opinions off of each other in an engaging fashion. Also new to this release is an interview with first assistant director William P. Cartlidge (21:39) who tells how he got involved with Hammer Films, his working relationship with Michael Carreras and being hired to work on THE REPTILE. He mentions how director Gilling was a difficult and a bit of a bully, has nice things to say about some of the lead actors and make-up man Ashton, and he recalls the “reused” sets, namely ones that were set on fire on-screen. “The Serpent's Tale – The Making Of THE REPTILE” (22:45) has been picked up from the 2012 UK StudioCanal Blu-ray. Tight and solid, the featurette includes interviews with such Hammer historians and enthusiasts as its producer/director Marcus Hearn (who describes it as “Hammer’s second werewolf film”), Mark Gatiss, Jonathan Rigby, David Huckvale (who touches upon Don Banks’ music score), Wayne Kinsey, John Mann (the technical restoration manager for the transfer) and the film’s late art director Don Mingaye. The standard def “World of Hammer” episode “Wicked Women” (24:52) dates back to 1990 and is narrated by the late Oliver Reed. It features clips from such Hammers as COUNTESS DRACULA, THE ANNIVERSARY, THE NANNY and STOLEN FACE.