Something creeps in the night. The waking dread that brings you fright. The spectral beast that shines so bright. This gothic mansion in moderna tale from first-time feature director Patrick Picard, is a lively re-examination of Edgar Allan Poe, The Fall of the House of Usher. Francis (Liam Aiken), is a young man with little purpose. He is summoned to the secluded home of his wealthy childhood friend, JP Luret (Joe Adler). JP is an odd sort of human. He lives with his sister, never leaves the house and is suffering from a mysterious affliction. Sometimes it is present. Coughing fits and the like. Other times, its nothing  more than a morose feeling of dark and light.

Upon his arrival, Francis realizes that JP and his sister are all that is left of the once bright and wealthy Luret family. There legacy now is tainted. Children who suffer depression, a name that is linked to self-destruction, and the only firm asset is the decaying family estate. All of those left, pace the hallways in fear of the decay enveloping them as they seat. Francis starts with a drink from JP, but the failure to escape the inevitable is all consuming. The decay floats over the place and this descends into a battle of control. You might expect this. Poe, first time director,  slow-burn nightmare of repression and obsession. All the things pretension loves. However Leal Naim and Thomas R. Burke, producers of The Endless and Synchronic, know something we dont.

Patrick Picard is a skilled and sensitive director. He hones two stunning central performances that excel and do justice to the source work. A work that has gone down in literature history. The Bloodhound navigates a slow path, creakingly slow but intelligent. The fears of intimacy, intrusion and repression are rife. This is defused via a series of dreams, waking nightmares and a series of revelations. The camera is key here. Staying back, pushing in, holding time and frame without forcing. If Hitchcock were alive, he would have loved this. Maybe he would have said its a little slow paced but it is such riverting stuff that he, like me, would return still impressed with what he has seen.

DISC

Right, start with audio commentary by director Patrick Picard and editor David Scorca. This will set the mood for the film and the logic behind its power. Then read the excellent new writing on the film by Anton Bitel. Mediating the source, expectation and power of the films imagery. Finally see all of the 4 short films by director Patrick Picard. They sometimes fail, sometimes succeed but set a precedent for a bright future.

SPECIAL EDITION CONTENTS

• High Definition (1080p) Blu-ray presentation
• Optional English subtitles for the deaf and hard of hearing
• Brand new audio commentary by director Patrick Picard and editor David Scorca
• Four experimental short films by director Patrick Picard: bad dream, the muffled hammerfall in action, the mosaic code and wiggleworm
• On the Trail of The Bloodhound: Behind the Scenes of a Modern Chiller exclusive 45-minute making-of featurette

FIRST PRESSING ONLY: Illustrated booklet featuring new writing on the film by Anton Bitel