If ever there was an underrated horror masterpiece, Viy is it. When we think of classic horror, especially from overseas, many titles come to mind. Caligari, Golem, Suspiria to name a few. Viy should be added to the list, and mentioned each and every time such a discussion arises. I took a look at the Ruscico Disc, which I hear is almost identical to the Image release, but don't quote me on that.

Viy tells the tale of a young man of the clergy on a short holiday leave from the seminary. Along with 2 of his pals, Khoma finds shelter from a kind old woman at a local farm. That night, the old woman who turns out to be a witch takes Khoma for a ride on her broomstick. The flight is pretty cool, and you will find it hard to believe that this film was shot in '67. Khoma, none to pleased with the witch, proceeds to beat her after their flight. During the beating the old witch turns into a beautiful, young woman. Upon his return to the seminary, Khoma is summoned to recite the last prayers for a young woman who called for him specifically before her last breath. Yup, you guessed it, the same young woman from the night before. For 3 nights Khoma is locked in a room with the young woman, and as he prays, strange things begin to happen. Each night, it gets progressively worse, until ultimately Viy is summoned along with his minions.

Viy is a story that was written in the 1800's by Nikolay Gogol, and the tale is timeless. It's a nightmarish fairy tale of sorts, and this film version is just exploding with style. If you didn't know any better, you'd think you were watching a Tim Burton film, complete with score by Danny Elfman. The last 15 -20 minutes is the real scene stealer, with some modest, yet very effective visions of terror. The film runs just over 70 minutes, and by the time it's over you just want more.

Ruscico has done an incredible job of bringing this horror classic to DVD. The film has some slight damage, a few speckles here and there, but overall, a very pleasing transfer. Colors are extremely strong and the framing looks to be dead on. It boggles the mind that this film was made so long ago, and so far away. Sound is 5.1 and is also pretty incredible. Surrounds are kept to a minimum, but when they kick in, it's very effective. Dialogue and music cues are crisp and clear, and fill the room. Simply amazing.

Incredible classic film, top notch audio/video presentation, but that's not all. There are tons of extras that are worth their weight in gold. For starters, the animated menus are incredible, and themed to the movie. Definitely one of the best menus I have seen on a DVD. We are treated to trailers for Viy and 3 other Ruscico titles also available on DVD. There is an incredible still gallery (with some awesome behind the scenes stills!) and a very interesting filmography for the cast and crew. We are also treated to 3 clips of silent Era Russian Films, that run about 15-20 minutes a piece (one reel perhaps?). Clips of Queen of Spades, Satan Exultant, and The Portrait, all of which need to be seen to be believed. These alone are worth the price of admission. Lastly, there is a 20 minute piece on NV Gogol, the author of the original story of Viy.

I cannot express enough how every self respecting fan of horror needs to add this film to their collection. There is no excuse not to. There are a few Russian retailers that sell this title for about 20 bucks. Image has released a US version, that is supposed to contain the same content. I would do some research first to confirm, but either way, go out and grab this title. I've heard a lot of good things about some of the other Ruscico titles available, and I'm anxious to give them a try as well.