The Criminal Acts of Tod Slaughter: Eight Blood-and-Thunder Entertainments, 1935-1940 (Limited Edition) Bluray

I remember some of these film from a run on Channel 4 nearly 40 years ago, on scratchy old prints, and dim gave been on DVD, in versions of varying quality, but these are beautiful restorations and bring out the master's moustache twirling villainy in all its glory. You can see how he's the ancestor of Terry-Thomas and Dick Dastardly, and probably the only authentic record of the tradition of Victorian melodrama. Far from being risible in their old fashioned hamminess, Tod and his directors knew exactly what they were doing. With a couple of slightly dull exceptions that depart from the tradition, these are wonderful films and an absolute delight to watch in these flawless restorations.

After far too many years, Tod Slaughter is now getting the attention that he well deserves, first a marvellously detailed biography, “Mr. Murder: The Life & Times of Slaughter”, and currently this collection of blood and thunder movies where he played the villain, often lusting after the young heroine and chuckling as he does away with another victim.I first came across him in “Face At The Window”, in the early 1950s, when BBC Television would be “on air” for one hour during weekday afternoons (I was a very young kid but the film has remained in my mind). Many years later his crimes were occasionally screened by the Classic cinema chain, then released on DVD before being beautifully restored in this BluRay collection.Slaughter was one of those old-style actor managers who specialized in Victorian melodramas, making his debut on stage in 1905 before recreating many of his best known barnstormers on cheaply produced films some thirty years later. He was then aged 50 and commenced his film career with two true classics, “Maria Marten or Murder In The Red Barn” and “Sweeney Todd, the Demon Barber of Fleet Street”. He was a ham actor who possessed a demonic laugh and gleefully uttered such blood curdling lines as “you wanted to be a bride, and so you shall be … a bride of death” or tempting his barbershop customers with a promise of “polishing them off” with a shave before actually doing so, then despatching them to the adjoining pie shop! It's all wonderful stuff and this collection provides a rare opportunity to see what many Victorian audiences would have seen, though such productions were generally ignored by any serious critic or theatregoer.This BluRay box set not only contains eight Slaughter movies but also several short features including the actor on stage and at home, and an item on his regular company of players that, briefly, included Bruce Seton and Eric Portman before they developed their own screen careers. There’s more coverage on the actor and the movies in the accompanying 116 page book.Lay your hands on this essential collection before it disappears and ready yourself to hiss the villain!

Brilliant to finally able the inferior quality DVDs in favour of this superb bluray box set of Slaughter classics with exceptional extras. If you're a fan you won't be disappointed!

Another very good set from Indicator. Most people buying this will be doing so for the extras I imagine and these do not disappoint.

This is a review of the new box set of Tod Slaughter films. Wonderful restorations have been achieved with an astonishing clarity of both sound and vision. If you previously bought some or all of the earlier Tod Slaughter dvd's, upgrade to this blu-ray set. You will not be disappointed.

Fantastic! Tod Slaughter never fails to entertain. A true icon of British horror cinema.

Excellent to get these in good quality

I grew up listening to my father rave about Tod Slaughter and his melodramatic style. Whenever they were on TV we sat and watched his films with eager anticipation...always enjoying my dad's appreciation of an old style of acting. His early films were to capture a victorian charm, just as if the cinema had been invented in the 1840's. The sets, settings and regular troupe of actors adding to the atmosphere.To have his main films to watch on Blu-ray is a long overdue testament to his influence on villainy as an artform. The style may look dated now but without Tod Slaughter you wouldn't have had Hammer films and their freedom of expression. Reviving the memory of this long forgotten and under appreciated actor is a tribute to his life and times in keeping melodrama alive .

Never had heard of this gentleman before or any of his movies. But it was a pleasant surprise to watch them. Be able to enjoy them. If you watch them, don’t binge them watch one a day or every other day. There are a lot the same but different, Todd slaughter reminded me of the cartoon character slightly whiplash. Once I got that in mind, I kept waiting for him to twirl or twist his mustache. They are enjoyable movies to watch. I definitely will be re-watching them later.

This is a gem. I'd never heard of Tod Slaughter until there was some passing mention of him in the commentary for The Dark Eyes of London (a fairly obscure pre-war Bela Lugosi film shot in England). Then, shortly afterwards I noticed that Indicator had put out this set.I'm still making my way through the eight films - but Tod Slaughter is very entertaining to watch. His characters are delightfully ghastly, with evil laughs, hand-rubbing glee - and insincere fawning to his supposed 19th century betters. The films weren't ever going to win Academy Awards (did they have BAFTAs back then?) but they sure are fun. Thank you to Indicator for rescuing these from obscurity and giving them the supreme level of TLC that they received in this release. The video and audio quality is a thousand times better than the muddy and blurry copies of these films that you can see on YouTube - and the packaging with the slimline cases and the included book is very nice indeed.This is highly recommended for any fan of classic horror. Get this limited edition package before it goes out of print - you won't regret it.

You had me at "SOURCED FROM THE ORIGINAL NITRATE CAMERA NEGATIVES"Absolutely gorgeous! Exhaustive commentaries. Limited edition so BUY this set NOW!

If you are looking at this product page, you are almost certainly familiar with the films of Tod Slaughter, "Europe's Horror Man". No actor ever had more fun being a complete scoundrel than Tod! Apart from a Blu-ray release of THE FACE AT THE WINDOW, these films have been available only from budget labels offering marginal quality. This set includes 8 of Slaughter's best with quality that you have not seen before! It's truly like seeing these highly entertaining films for the first time. Great special features are included as well.At the currently listed price, this set is a steal that all Slaughter fans ought to jump on without delay. Fans of 1930s Horror in general should enjoy these films, too. THE CRIMINAL ACTS OF TOD SLAUGHTER is a limited edition, and won't be around forever. Highest Recommendation!

I've only watched the first film in this set so far, though previously I'd seen four of the others in so-so condition, but from what I've seen this box deserves a spot on the shelf of every classic horror film fan! Tod Slaughter is so over-the-top NASTY; he reminds me of Simon McGreed with a greased mustache while tying Nell Pureheart to the train tracks. Even viewers in 2024 would react to his behavior with disgust!Next up is "Sweeney Todd, The Demon Barber Of Fleet Street" which I've seen many, many times. I can't wait to finally SEE the film in excellent detail and gray scale. (Update: Watched it last night. Superb print!)Absolutely beautiful transfers and clear sound, these were high-quality films using Gaumont Studios. Honestly - buy it now before it's gone forever.