66 - The Asphyx (1972) aka Spirit of the Dead aka The Horror of Death

2026-02-07

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The Asphyx (1972) In this episode, we dive deep into the 1972 British science fiction horror cult classic, The Asphyx (also known as Spirit of the Dead or The Horror of Death). Set in the Victorian era, this unique period chiller follows a wealthy philanthropist and amateur scientist, Sir Hugo Cunningham, who stumbles upon a way to photograph the "Asphyx"—the Ancient Greek spirit of death that appears at the precise moment of a person's demise.A Quick Mea Culpa on Picture QualityBefore we g...

The Asphyx (1972)

In this episode, we dive deep into the 1972 British science fiction horror cult classic, The Asphyx (also known as Spirit of the Dead or The Horror of Death). Set in the Victorian era, this unique period chiller follows a wealthy philanthropist and amateur scientist, Sir Hugo Cunningham, who stumbles upon a way to photograph the "Asphyx"—the Ancient Greek spirit of death that appears at the precise moment of a person's demise.

A Quick Mea Culpa on Picture Quality

Before we get into the meat of the film, we have to address the elephant in the room: the visuals. Throughout the episode, you’ll hear us absolutely tear into the "pan and scan" and the ropy, grainy picture quality of the version we watched.

Full disclosure: We’ve since realized we were watching a particularly bottom-of-the-barrel DVD. It turns out there are actually stunning, high-quality HD versions of The Asphyx available for free on YouTube! From the Todd-AO 35mm widescreen transfers to beautifully restored prints, the real film looks pretty good. If you want to see what Freddie Young actually intended, go search for it—it’s easy to find and looks worlds better than the disc we suffered through.

Inside the Episode: Behind the Lens of a Horror Oddity.

Despite our technical hurdles, The Asphyx is a fascinating piece of British cinema history. We explore the career of director Peter Newbrook, who rose from a messenger boy to the second unit photographer for the legendary mirage shot in Lawrence of Arabia.

Key Discussion Points:

The Legend Freddie Young: How a three-time Academy Award-winning cinematographer ended up shooting a 70s mad scientist flick.
The Ghostbusters Connection: We examine the theory that this film’s spirit-trapping tech was the direct blueprint for the 1984 Ghostbusters equipment.
The Remake That Never Was: Details on the failed 2011 reboot that was set to star Bond girl Alison Doody.
Music: Composer Bill McGuffie (of Daleks' Invasion Earth 2150 A.D. fame) and his incredible story of overcoming a childhood injury to master the piano.

A Star-Studded Cast of British Icons.

The acting pedigree in this film is surprisingly high, featuring some of the most recognizable faces in British television and film:

Robert Stephens: The star of The Prime of Miss Jean Brodie and The Private Life of Sherlock Holmes. We discuss his marriage to Maggie Smith and his iconic work in The Box of Delights.
Robert Powell: From Jesus of Nazareth to fighting rats in Doomwatch, Powell brings a certain intensity to the role of Giles.
Jane Lapotaire: A Tony-winner and star of The Crown (as Princess Alice). We also take a detour into her role in One of Our Dinosaurs Is Missing.
Fiona Walker & Ralph Arliss: Spotting familiar faces from Doctor Who, I, Claudius, The Abominable Dr. Phibes, and the classic series Survivors.