Venom
(1981/Blue Underground Blu-ray w/DVD)
Picture:
B+/B- Sound: B+/B- Extras: B Film: C+
Directed
by Piers Haggard (who took over the director's chair from Poltergeist
director Tobe Hooper), Venom
is an interesting suspense/thriller with great characters and an
interesting cast that includes Oliver Reed, Klaus Kinski, Michael
Gough, Sterling Hayden, and Sarah Miles to name a few. For the first
time, thanks to Blue Underground, the film has been beautifully
restored on Blu-ray disc with a great new 2K transfer, restored
sound, nice collectible package (complete with a color booklet - a
rarity these days) and great extras that make this release definitely
worth checking out for fans of cult cinema.
A
duo of International terrorists (Kinski and Reed) attempt to kidnap a
wealthy couple's asthmatic boy named Phillip with the help of their
attractive Maid while his rich mother is gone for the week on a
business trip. In hopes of making his grandson happy while his
mother is away, his grandfather (Hayden - who happens to be a retired
African explorer) decides to let the boy pick up a harmless house
snake to add to his small collection of animals that he tends for in
his small bedroom.
Things
goes south when the boy picks up a deadly black mamba snake by
mistake at the pet shop, which was meant for a local professor to
experiment on in a controlled lab environment. As the boy gets home,
the snake bites the maid and a police officer is shot on the property
in quick judgement. Now, the terrorist kidnappers must fend for
their lives inside the house where the snake is loose, all the while
dealing with a Police standoff outside, which forces them with
nowhere to turn. Will they survive the night?
The
film is presented on Blu-ray disc in 1080p high definition with a
widescreen aspect ratio of 1.85:1 and an impressive list of audio
tracks including lossless 7.1 DTS-HD MA (Master Audio), 2.0 DTS-HD
lossless, lossy 6.1 DTS-ES discrete, lossy 5.1 Dolby Digital Surround
EX, and Stereo. The 2K restoration is flawless with lush color and
impeccable details on characters and costumes. The film has never
looked better than it does here! Also included is a DVD version of
the film presented in standard definition with a lossy Dolby Digital
5.1 track and an anamorphic widescreen aspect ratio of 1.85:1, which
looks good for the format but can't compare with the quality of the
Blu-ray disc at all.
Extras
include....
Audio
Commentary with Director Piers Haggard
Theatrical
and Teaser Trailers, TV Spots
Poster
& Still Gallery
A
very cool bonus Collectable Booklet featuring an essay by (now
former) Fangoria Editor Michael Gingold
While
the film starts out quite suspenseful some aspects of it are a bit
dated and drags a bit during the second act, however the ending
sequence definitely makes up for the parts that lag. I was surprised
how much I enjoyed the film, thanks in part to the great actors and
the beautiful cinematography that is easy on the eyes.
The
use of a real black mamba snake also adds to the suspense (I'm sure
again that if it was remade today, the snake would be digital) and
the filmmaking techniques used to make its attacks seem more vicious
using point of view photography and quick cutaways to make the
creature more threatening.
If
you're interested in checking this film out, be sure you check out
this release on Blu-ray disc. As mentioned, the transfer and new
sound mix really bring the film the film to life in a way you
wouldn't be able to experience otherwise. In some ways, the film
reminds me of David Fincher's Panic
Room
in that it deals with building suspense, kidnapping, a main child
character with asthmatic problems, and scenes of great tension.
-
James Lockhart
https://www.facebook.com/jamesharlandlockhartv/
