The Black Room (1935) Blu-ray Screenshots (Patreon)

Video

While the source materials lack perfection - dust, dirt, and scratches happen regularly - the scan itself looks decent (and recent). The greater problems lie in the encode. Paired on the same disc with Man They Could Not Hang, artifacting sours every frame, struggling to replicate and maintain the film stock's natural grit. Black Room thus appears as if streamed rather than running from a disc. That's a shame.

That aside, Black Room holds up over some 90 years. Bright contrast clips a bit at the brightest points. Mid-tier grays wander, stuck between solid black and that intense contrast. There's depth generated via this method, even if it's excessively bold.

At Black Room's sharpest, texture can stand out, especially wide shots of land, castles, or the Columbia backlot. Black Room has an undeniable HD crispness; sadly, artifacts rob the imagery of its true luster.

Audio

Naturally airy audio from this early sound era thriller passes smoothy from within a DTS-HD track. Dialog echoes in the tall ceiling'd rooms, vintage but pristine. Only the lightest static is audible during the quietest moments, and the score reached a satisfying high.