Full Circle: The Haunting of Julia 4K UHD
4K UHD & Blu-ray: Full Circle: The Haunting of Julia (1977)
After the shocking and sudden death of her daughter at the breakfast table due to chocking on a piece of apple, bereaved mother Julia (Mia Farrow) leaves her controlling husband Magnus (Keir Dullea) and moves into an old house in West London.
The house has its own secrets and Julia soon begins to have visions of a blonde haired child, which then starts her on a journey of discovery to try and put ghosts of the past to rest.
Based on the novel Julia by Peter Straub, Full Circle: The Haunting of Julia is a slow burn psychological horror story where the narrative is not afraid to take its time to move from one spine tingling scenario to another, all while you try to figure out if the events playing out before you are real or the figment of a troubled mind.
It’s not all slow paced creepiness though, as scattered throughout (specifically in act 3) are a series of Omen-like deaths where unsuspecting people succumb to mysterious forces, though none are particularly blood drenched. Paving the way for a shocking finale that still leaves questions to be answered.
This 4K UHD release by the BFI retains the film grain but gives a clarity of picture that reveals details in the darker scenes that otherwise would have been hidden. While not possessing a vibrant colour palette (it was the age of beige in the UK in the 1970’s), the colours here are bright and clear.
Both new and archive special features give a new depth and appreciation of the story, with the audio commentary with director Richard Loncraine and film historian Simon Fitzjohn being a particular highlight.
SPECIAL FEATURES:
- Limited edition (includes booklet and slipcase)
- 4K (2160p) UHD Blu-ray presentation in Dolby Vision (HDR10 compatible)
- High Definition Blu-ray (1080p) presentation
- Newly recorded introduction by director Richard Loncraine (2023)
- Newly recorded audio commentary with director Richard Loncraine and film historian Simon Fitzjohn
- A Holland Park Haunting (2023, 24 mins): a newly recorded interview with Richard Loncraine
- What’s That Noise? (2023, 25 mins): a newly recorded interview with composer Colin Towns
- Coming Full Circle (2023, 11 mins): actor Tom Conti recalls his humble horror beginnings
- The Fear of Growing Up (2023, 10 mins): Samantha Gates revisits her work as a child actor in Full Circle
- A Haunting Retrospective (2023, 25 mins): a new video essay by author and critic Kim Newman
- Park Life (2023, 16 mins): film historian and self-confessed Full Circle ‘anorak’ Simon Fitzjohn takes a windswept, rain-spattered trek across London in search of key locations from the film
- Joining The Circle (2015, 7 mins): archival interview with associate producer Hugh Harlow
- Images of a Haunting (2023): a selection of rare materials related to the film and collected over many years are presented along with an audio commentary by their owner Simon Fitzjohn
- Gallery – a collection of stills held by the BFI National Archive
- English subtitles for the Deaf and partial hearing
- Reversible sleeve featuring alternative design
- Illustrated booklet featuring an introduction by Richard Loncraine, plus new writing on the film by Simon Fitzjohn and on Richard Loncraine by the BFI’s Dr Josephine Botting
Released 24th April and available to pre-order.
Review by Dave from a disc kindly supplied by the BFI.
