C.H.U.D.
(1984/MVD Visual/Arrow Blu-ray Set)
Picture:
B Sound: B Extras: B Film: B
The
1984 Douglas Cheek Sci-fi/Horror film C.H.U.D
gets the deluxe Blu-ray treatment from the good folks over at Arrow
Films. Fans will rejoice at this two-disc Blu-ray set packed with
extras and a great new transfer that finally does the cult film some
justice on disc. While some aspects of the film are a little dated,
the low budget genre series has had a recent resurgence on Blu-ray
disc, with the lesser sequel C.H.U.D.
2: Bud The Chud
also scoring a Blu-ray release from Vestron and Lionsgate (see link
below).
C.H.U.D.
is classic '80s horror cheese and features two stars from the
original Home
Alone
film, John Heard and Daniel Stern, alongside Christopher Curry
(Starship
Troopers)
and Kim Greist (Brazil)
to name a few. There's also a brief cameo by John Goodman that's
pretty funny.
Cannibalistic
Humanoid Underground Dwellers threaten the lives of humans in
C.H.U.D.
Created by the Government and forced to dwell in the sewers, a
photographer named George (Heard) encounters the creatures that
threaten the lives of the homeless that live underground. As things
escalate and lives are savagely taken, the glowing eyed monstrous
dwellers end up coming to the surface, stalking and killing any that
cross their path. Now, the Government must choose between disclosure
or wiping out the enemy before they become a threat.
The
film doesn't let the limitations of its budget detract away from its
story. While watching, it's evident that there didn't have many
monster costumes to use. Most of the time onscreen, you only see one
or two monsters at a time. High Definition doesn't lend too kindly
to some of the film's lesser effects either, especially when showing
the Monster hands (which are obviously made of rubber/latex). Though
the film makes up for it are the locations and production design of
the sewer sets, that are dark and dirty and totally realistic. I
would like to see a modern day update on this film, as I feel it
could benefit as long as the campy fun was left intact.
Presented
in 1080p high definition with a widescreen aspect ratio of 1.85:1,
the film has been restored in a new 2K high definition and looks
better than ever on Blu-ray disc. As mentioned, the film looks so
clear in some cases that it hurts some of the realism of the lower
budgeted effects in the film, but that doesn't detract away from its
enjoyment one bit. The audio mix is a nice original uncompressed
Mono PCM track that updates the original mix heard on earlier
releases and improves upon them heavily.
Special
Features include...
Audio
commentary by director Douglas Cheek, writer Shepard Abbott, and
actors John Heard, Daniel Stern & Christopher Curry
Brand
new crew interviews
Original
Theatrical Trailer
Reversible
sleeve featuring original and newly commissioned artwork by Dan
Mumford
FIRST
PRESSING ONLY:
Collector's Booklet featuring new writing on the film
This
is a great release and a lot of fun to watch again, especially in
high definition. I would definitely suggest picking this up if
you're a fan of '80s cult cinema.
For
more on the first sequel, go to this link...
http://www.fulvuedrive-in.com/review/14584/C.H.U.D.+2:+Bud+The+C.H.U.D.+(1989/Vestron
-
James Lockhart
https://www.facebook.com/jamesharlandlockhartv/
