The Cremator (Blu-ray)

Juraj Herz's The Cremator has been described in many ways – as surrealist-inspired horror film, as an expressionistic political allegory, a pitch-black comic satire and as a dark and disturbing tale of terror.

This brilliantly chilling film, a unique mix of Psycho, Dr Strangelove and Repulsion, is set in Prague during the Nazi occupation of Czechoslovakia. It tells the story of Karl Kopfrkingl (Rudolf Hrušínský), a professional cremator, for whom the political climate allows free rein to his increasingly perverse and deranged impulses for the ‘salvation of the world’…

This Blu-ray edition also includes Herz's rarely-seen 1965 debut short film The Junk Shop (Sběrné surovosti), a new audio commentary by Kat Ellinger and a filmed introduction by the Quay Brothers.

• The Cremator (Spalovač mrtvol, 1968) presented from a new HD transfer from original materials by the Czech National Film Archive
• Filmed introduction by the Quay Brothers
• Audio Commentary by Diabolique magazine editor-in-chief Kat Ellinger
• Juraj Herz’s short film The Junk Shop (Sběrné surovosti, 1965)
• The Projection Booth podcast with Mike White and critic Samm Deighan
• Booklet with an essay on Herz and the film by writer/producer Daniel Bird
• New and improved English subtitle translation
• Region Free
• World premiere release on Blu-ray