Verdict
Summary
An odd duck of a whodunnit mystery done in the style of an Agatha Christie book or even a giallo, but with a science fiction twist, the lo-fi weirdness of the Estonian Dead Mountaineer’s Hotel has a distinctly regional flavor, the sort you might not be so familiar with, which is really its greatest appeal. The film has a tinny, electronic score in the “prog-rock” style, and its visuals are reminiscent of John Carpenter’s The Thing, which obviously came later, but fans of that film might find this one of special interest, as it has a similar style.
Plot:
A police inspector finds himself in a secluded alpine resort with a few people … and a corpse.
Review:
Responding to a phone call for help, a police inspector named Glebsky (Uldis Pucitis) treks through the snow in his little car to reach the origin of the call, which is at a secluded alpine resort known as “The Dead Mountaineer’s Hotel,” after the owner of the place died in an avalanche, leaving his loving and smart St. Bernard behind to lord over the proverbial castle without him. Under new ownership, the resort has all the deluxe food, wine, and luxuries of the fanciest places to vacation at, and the wealthy tourists enjoy skiing, hang gliding, and fine dining during the resort’s busiest time of year. When Glebsky arrives, he’s told that the call for help was a mistake, and believing that story, he decides to stay the night and enjoy the fine wine and food, but after meeting everyone staying at the resort, he quickly realizes that the eccentric guests aren’t all who they say they are. During the night, he makes his rounds and checks up on everyone … and is not surprised at all to find a corpse in one of the rooms. Was it murder? With everyone a suspect, and everyone acting strangely, Glebsky finds himself trapped with everyone after an avalanche locks everyone within the hotel, forcing him to quickly find a solution to the suspicious death before more bodies pile up. With the guests swearing that doppelgangers of themselves are lurking in the shadows – and talk of an alien invasion – make the inspector question everything (including his own sanity when claims of aliens might not be so far fetched). The truth will be revealed, and the inspector is in for quite a revelation by the time the morning comes.
An odd duck of a whodunnit mystery done in the style of an Agatha Christie book or even a giallo, but with a science fiction twist, the lo-fi weirdness of the Estonian Dead Mountaineer’s Hotel has a distinctly regional flavor, the sort you might not be so familiar with, which is really its greatest appeal. The film has a tinny, electronic score in the “prog-rock” style, and its visuals are reminiscent of John Carpenter’s The Thing, which obviously came later, but fans of that film might find this one of special interest, as it has a similar style. It’s unique, but not for every taste. From director Grigori Kromanov, and based on a novel.
Deaf Crocodile recently released a two-disc edition of this one with a 4K Ultra HD disc and a Blu-ray disc, and you’ve got to hand it to DC for unearthing some obscure but worthy films from around the world. I love what they’re doing, and this one is a treat.
Bonus Materials
- New 4K restoration from new 4K interpositive scan by Craig Rogers and Michael Coronado for Deaf Crocodile and color grade by Tyler Fagerstrom.
- First-ever Worldwide 4K UHD + Blu-ray release
- New commentary by film historian Michael Brooke
- “Snow Job: A Routine Investigation in Dead Mountaineer’s Hotel” – new visual essay by Ryan Verrill & Dr. Will Dodson of Someone’s Favorite Prod.
- Excerpt from the documentary BONUS TRACK (2016, dir. Riho Vastrik) on composer Sven Grünberg and his score for the film (13 min.)
- Original trailer
- Vintage “Making of DEAD MOUNTAINEER’S HOTEL” featurette created by Estonian Public TV
- Vintage Soviet Estonian newsreel footage on the making of the film (2 min.)
- New artwork by Beth Morris
