During my time on NC State’s College Bowl team, the members would come up with the goofiest pieces of trivia to write down for our mock rounds. I distinctly remember, “What feature film starred William Shatner only speaking Esperanto?” The answer was Incubus. The reality is that none of us had actually seen the film. The movie was released in 1966 and promptly vanished. The film didn’t get booked on night owl TV. What TV station wanted to run a movie in Esperanto (a universal language created at the end of 1800s) even if it did star William Shatner of Star Trek? Even the legendary Dave’s Videodrome didn’t have a copy of Incubus in the early ’90s. The story was that the original negative was lost by the lab and there weren’t that many prints stuck for the original release. They were lost too. But at the end of the ’90s, a 35mm print was found in France. While it wasn’t in the greatest condition, the print was restored and released on VHS and DVD in 2001. Back in 2023, a second 35mm print was found in a French vault. It was in pristine shape. This has allowed Incubus to be given a new transfer that allows it to be featured on 4K UHD.
The coastal town of Nomen Tuum has become renowned for its healing waters. People come from long distances for a sip from the well to recover and regain their youth. A lot of the rich pilgrims who come to sip are narcissists wanting to regain their good looks. The hot local women get turned on by the return of their handsome faces. They tempt the guys for a fun frolic at the beach. What the guys learn at the wrong moment is their new girlfriends are really succubi who are there to claim souls. Kia (Allyson Ames) is a succubus who wants to claim the soul of someone who isn’t a corrupt fool. She gets her chance when Marc, a wounded soldier (William Shatner) and his sister Arndis (Ann Atmar) arrive in the village. He really is injured and needs the healing power. He’s also a good soul. Kia finds out that trying to tempt a man like him has a major drawback. Her sister fears she’s losing her touch and summons the Incubus (Milos Milos, The Russians Are Coming, The Russians Are Coming) from the grave. Can Marc deal with the supernatural nightmare of the area?
Writer-Director Leslie Stevens was the creator of The Outer Limits TV show. Incubus feels like a really elaborate episode of anthology TV show. Although the network would want it delivered in English. While the use of Esperanto seems like a gimmick when you read about the film, the language adds to the supernatural. The lack of an English track screwed up the box office, but I can’t imagine watching it without Shatner speaking Esperanto. Incubus is next level folk horror.
Also next level is the visuals. The first thing you’ll appreciate in the new transfer is the black and white cinematography of Conrad Hall and William Frake. Shortly after shooting Incubus, Hall would lens Cool Hand Luke and eventually win three Oscars for Best Cinematography. Frake would get five nominations including Looking For Mr. Goodbar and Heaven Can Wait. The two cinematographers would light and frame Incubus to bring out the supernatural atmosphere in the film without that much of a budget. This film seems imported instead of made in Big Sur, California. If you enjoyed the recent Folk Horror retrospectives, Incubus fits in nicely with the films that dominate the genre. By arriving on 4K UHD, Incubus has gone from the trivial to essential viewing.

The Video is 1.85:1 anamorphic. The transfer off the last surviving 35mm print loos astonishing. The black and white film looks as good as any of the masterpieces that came out of post-war Europe. The Audio is LPCM mono in glorious Esperanto. The sound mix brings out the wind sounds of the coastal location. The movie is subtitles in English.
Commentary by David J. Schow was recorded for this new release so he can reflect on how things went during the 2001 release. He had written books on both Incubus and The Outer Limits so he knows a lot about the film.
Commentary by Williams Shatner was from the 2001 release. He talks of going to Esperanto camp to learn how to deliver his lines. He believes a hippie was not happy at them filming and he put a curse on the film.
Commentary by Anthony Taylor, Conrad L. Hall and William Fraker was from 2001 release. David J. Schow asks them questions about the production. They enjoy the reunion and recounting co-workers. Taylor explains how he lost his 35mm print.
Isolated Score Track so you can just enjoy the music of Dominic Frontiere. He is best known for the theme to The Outer Limits.
Open Matte Feature lets you see the film in 1.33:1. You also see the French subtitles that were burned into the frame. These are mostly blocked out when watching the 1.85:1 version.
Words and Worlds: Incubus and Esperanto in Cinema (43:20) has historian Stephen R. Bissette get into the film and the language. He mentions films that used Esperanto in scenes including a song in a Hope and Crosby “Road” picture. He gets into the reason why Incubus didn’t do well when released. They attempted a second release with nude inserts. You’ll learn how the film was linked to a tragic scandal involving one of Mickey Rooney’s wives.
Internacia Lingvo: A History of Esperanto (22:05) is a lesson from Esther Schor, author of Bridge of Words: Esperanto and the Dream of a Universal Language. She gets into the origins and evolution of the language.
An Interview with the Makers of Incubus (19:15) gathers together producer Anthony Taylor, Conrad Hall and William Fraker. They recount how they got involved in the film. They were taken back by the film being only released in Esperanto and not making an English dub. Fraker went on from this film to shoot Rosemary’s Baby and Bullitt. So you’re talking about two great cinematographers working the camera. They get into the production and working with William Shatner. We get the details on how the negative was lost. We learn how they finally found a 35mm copy in France although it wasn’t in great shape. The 4K UHD was transferred off a much better print uncovered in 2023. After the chat, the three men get ready to record the commentary track that’s featured here.
Video Trailer (2:23) puts Incubus into cult movie company. This is from when the movie was finally released on DVD in 2001. They sell William Shatner speaking in tongues.
Illustrated collector’s booklet featuring essays by Frank Collins and Jason Kruppa
Arrow Video presents Incubus: Limited Edition. Directed by Leslie Stevens. Screenplay by Leslie Stevens. Starring William Shatner, Milos Milos, Allyson Ames, Ann Atmar, Eloise Hardt & Robert Fortier. Running Time: 74 minutes. Rating: Not Rated. Release Date: January 14, 2025.
Here are photos of William Shatner I took last summer at Raleigh’s Galaxycon. He did not speak to us in Esperanto.

