In 1979 Werner Herzog took up the challenge to remake "Nosferatu" in his own inimatable style, and certainly achieved moments that are every bit as atmospheric as FW Murnau's 1922 silent classic. Now released onto a fine double disc DVD, there's plenty to enjoy, including insights into the only man scarier than even Dracula, Klaus Kinski.

Disc one has the English version of the movie. It's not dubbed, but was reshot with English dialogue. It's far clumsier than the German version, but is certainly of curiosity value. Sound is in mono and the picture quality is much the same as for disc two.

Technical Features (Disc Two):

Picture Despite the anamorphic 1.85:1 transfer, the resulting image is a little disappointing. There is evident grain in darker scenes, and blacks do have a greyish hue to them. Not a disaster by any means, but could be better.

Sound You can choose from either a German 2.0 surround or 5.1 mix. The 5.1 effort is excellent, with creepy atmospherics wreathing the rear speakers in hellish effects.

Extra Features:

Audio Commentary Journalist Norman Hill sits in with director Werner Herzog for a fine commentary that's every bit as enjoyable as his thoughts for the "Aguirre: Wrath of God" DVD. "Nosferatu" was picked up for world distribution by 20th Century Fox during a brief insightful period that also saw them buying rights for other European films like Dario Argento's "Inferno". Even so, Fox was "appalled" by Herzog's use of long shots for romantic scenes, but as he had shot nothing else, they had to take it anyway.

Herzog has more choice comments on Kinski. As always, it's clear he loves his performance, but describes Kinski's claims to incredible sexual exploits during the making of the film as "grossly exaggerated", and had to fight tooth and nail with the crew to get them to work with Kinski. Apparently there was a lot of screaming and kicking doors from Kinski on the shoot.

Behind-the-Scenes Featurette This 1979 featurette is surprisingly good. There's a lot of behind-the-scenes footage, including Kinski taking direction from Herzog without complaint! Herzog is interviewed and describes the 1922 "Nosferatu" as "the most important film ever made in Germany, so this is something of a challenge for me".

Additional Features: Two US trailers and one Spanish trailer.

Region: 2
Chapters: 29
Ratio: 1.85:1 (anamorphic)
Sound: Dolby Digital 5.1
Technical Features: Scene selection, animated menus, and English subtitles.

This DVD was reviewed on a JVC XV-S57 DVD player.