No, this is not a movie about a proctologist's office. (Oops, sorry...bad joke.) Rather, "The Asphyx" is a finely constructed film that tells of a British scientist in 1875 who, with the aid of some novel equipment, realizes that he can photograph this eponymous "spirit of death" that hovers over people who are about to die. He then endeavors to capture an asphyx, in the hopes of achieving immortality... This fascinating premise is very well carried out, abetted by a literate script, handsome sets, uniformly fine acting, and a lush if somewhat incongruous score. Veteran cinematographer Freddie Francis delivers another piece of remarkable lensing, and the film's subdued color tones only add to the realism. The asphyxes (asphyxi?) themselves look like no critter you've ever seen on screen before, and the film keeps getting better and better as it goes along. It is a genuine sleeper, whose relative obscurity is quite undeserved. This nice-looking DVD, which preserves the film's original wide-screen aspect ratio, will hopefully bring it to a wider audience. It would make a wonderful double feature with the 1959 Vincent Price film "The Tingler," if the viewer has time one evening. Bottom line: "The Asphyx" is a unique viewing experience that all lovers of both horror AND sci-fi should enjoy immensely.
Review of The Asphyx
