Night of the Ghouls (1959) - The Hunt for Edward D. Wood, Jr.

(1959)
Night of the Ghouls - VHS, DVD, Laserdisc a.k.a. Revenge of the Dead a.k.a. La Venganza de la Muerte - VHS a.k.a. A Noite dos Espíritos GET THIS MOVIE -> (opens new window) Directed by Edward D. Wood, Jr. Written by Edward D. Wood, Jr. Wood regulars Henry Bederski Conrad Brooks Johnny Carpenter Criswell David De Mering Kenne Duncan Harvey B. Dunn Karl Johnson Tor Johnson Paul Marco Dr. Tom Mason Mona McKinnon Duke Moore Don Nagel Bud Osborne Jeannie Stevens Additional cast Valda Hansen Mercelle Hemphill Margaret Mason Clay Stone Plot Reports of strange activities out by the Old Willow's place signal new adventures for Kelton the Cop & Co. An apparent mystic, Dr. Acula is engaging in rituals designed to raise the dead. But he may get more than he bargained for... 'Wood'-ness The third of the "Kelton Trilogy" (after Bride of the Monster and Plan 9 From Outer Space), Night of the Ghouls is the final moment of the Golden Age of Wood. Ed's last stab at mainstream filmmaking, it's a must for all Wood fans. Best Line unknown File Under Ed Acting, Horror VIDEO RELEASES NIGHT OF THE GHOULSThis was Ed's original title for the movie. Although the title was changed (apparently for previews), the film never had a full theatrical release at the time. Later, when the original footage was uncovered, it was released to video under its original title. Not to be confused with the Peter Cushing film Night of the Ghoul. VHS This could very well be the first release of Night of the Ghouls. It's from Nostalgia Merchant. This is the release from Rhino Home Video. This edition is hosted by Elvira, meaning it has a mildly amusing introduction featuring the 80's answer to Vampira. The opening credits feature Wade Williams' name prominantly, having apparently altered the original credits as he has on other films he has acquired. PROS: Good image. Inexpensive. CONS: Out of print. Can be hard to find. This is the edition from Englewood Entertainment. This is a British PAL release, most likely from the same source as the Englewood release. DVD This is the DVD release from Image. Manufacturer: Passport Video Format: Region 1 - NTSC Comments: This is a 2 disc DVD set that features six Ed films: Glen or Glenda, Jail Bait, Bride of the Monster, The Violent Years, Night of the Ghouls and Plan 9 From Outer Space. It also features the same "Ed Wood Story" found on the previous Passport DVD of Plan 9. This is a PAL DVD release from Avenue One. If it is like the others, it is region free. This is an Australian DVD release from Payless. Laserdisc This is a laserdisc from Image Entertainemtn. It also contains Plan 9 From Outer Space and Jail Bait. REVENGE OF THE DEADThis is the title that distributors added to the film after Ed was done with it. It may have been used for test screenings, but has apparently never has a legitimate release. Nonetheless, as the original titles have been shown, copies with this title intact may exist. Manufacturer: Video Dimensions Video Format: NTSC Comments: Extremely rare release under the original print title. LA VENGANZA DE LA MUERTEi.e.: "The Revenge of the Death" This is the title under which Night of the Ghouls was released in Argentina This is a VHS PAL release from Argentina. It contains both Revenge of the Dead and "Vampiros del Espacio" a.k.a. Plan 9 From Outer Space. It is subtitled in Spanish. A NOITE DOS ESPIRITOSi.e.: "The Night of the Spirits" This is the title Night of the Ghouls was released under in Portugal. I have found no mass market release under this title. NIA All images Š their respective owners. Images are used for review purposes only. All other content, including (but not limited to): text, html & original graphics are Š Philip R. Frey