Two Action/Sci-fi "Classics" From 1995 Make Their Triumphant Return on 4K UHD
Some people love to say that physical media is dying, but those people are toxic and should be cut out of your life. Physical media is more awesome than ever, and we're here to celebrate the new 4K UHDs, Blu-rays, and DVDs making their way into the world. Now join us as we explore... recent action releases from Vinegar Syndrome Archive!
Vinegar Syndrome's Ultra line is self-described as a "sub-label focused exclusively on extravagant UHD/Blu releases of 'major' 80s and 90s titles that might not always fit into the regular VS milieu," and we're taking a look at their two most recent releases. The label goes above and beyond with these releases, starting with their hard boxes with magnetic lids, ribbon markers, slipcase art, and abundant special features.
Congo (1995)
A millionaire's son has gone missing in deepest, darkest Africa, but not before letting both his father and his ex-girlfriend know that he's found something special -- a rare diamond that can fuel lasers. Sounds wild, I know, but that's not the half of it. The jungle holds other secrets too, from lost cities to a homicidal species of gorillas, and the key to finding it all rests with a young gorilla raised in captivity named Amy.
Steven Spielberg's Jurassic Park redefined the modern blockbuster, so it was no surprise to see more Michael Crichton novels rushed into production for the big screen. Three arrived in quick succession, including Rising Sun, Disclosure, and the big summer 1995 release -- Congo. All three feel extremely dated these days, for different reasons, but it's Congo that skates by as feeling old simply because of its special effects.
To be clear, the dated fx are mostly optical and CG while the prosthetic effects from Stan Winston's studio used to create the apes still thrill. They may not look real, necessarily, but they succeed at feeling alive and adding a tangible feel to the action. Add in some surprisingly gory demises for a PG-13 adventure, and you have a minor blockbuster that never forgets to just have fun.
The film was never going to be the next Jurassic Park, both because apes aren't as inherently cool as dinosaurs and because director Frank Marshall is no Spielberg. (That's not a knock on Marshall, as his Arachnophobia remains its own creepy, crawly masterpiece.) What it is, though, is some incredibly goofy fun that lures you in with its stellar cast -- Laura Linney, Ernie Hudson, Tim Curry, Joe Don Baker, Bruce Campbell, John Hawkes, and more -- before revealing just how silly it is. Linney wielding a laser gun is somehow both ridiculous and very, very satisfying.
Congo comes to 4K UHD newly restored from an original negative with Dolby Vision HDR. The film's jungle locations and soundstages all pop with color and detail as the green trees and red lava find vivid new life in 4K. The details on Winston's apes are also more visible, with the result being that they're now even more impressive to the eye. The extras include trailers, a photo gallery, and the following special features.
- NEW Commentary with author and screenwriter Kelly Goodner and film historian Jim Hemphill
- NEW A Crash Course in Ape School: Looking Back at the Creation of Congo's Gorillas [49:44] - Several members of the late Stan Winston's legendary fx studio share their memories of the film's production including the highs, the struggles, and everything in between. It's a great look at their ambition and skills, but there's an inspiring emotional element in hearing them praise Winston, his abilities, and his work ethic. A terrific extra.
- NEW Withstand the Test of Time: A Conversation with Congo's Make-Up FX Team [13:07] - Make-up fx artists Matthew Mungle and Michael McCracken talk about getting into the industry and their work on the film which included the gory death scenes and more.
- Journey Into the Unknown [24:49] - An archival featurette narrated by Martin Sheen for some reason.
The deluxe, limited edition of Congo, not provided for coverage, comes in magnet box and slipcover set and includes a 40-page booklet with photos and new writing, and it's limited to 10,000 copies.
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Virtuosity (1995)
It's the future, and tech wizards have created a new program to help train police officers for handling the dangers of smart and deadly suspects. A new virtual reality allows subjects to enter the digital world and face off against bad guys both generic and brilliant, and there's not really a downside at all. Oh, scratch that, it seems human hubris and virtual evil have combined to allow the system's most vile and accomplished villain to cross over into the real world. The only man who can stop him? A cop incarcerated for excess violence on the job, obviously.
Director Brett Leonard wowed audiences and studio execs (while pissing off Stephen King) with his very, very loose King adaptation, The Lawnmower Man. Some came to view him as a filmmaker with his finger on the pulse of the future, and that led to him landing this studio gig from Paramount Pictures that comes fully loaded with CG antics and visual effects. Virtuosity never actually feels all that prophetic on the technology front, but it does manage real entertainment using the oldest effect of all -- human beings.
Denzel Washington does the expected good work here as the ex-cop with a tragic backstory, but it's Russell Crowe who single-handedly carries the film across the finish line. His SID 6.7 is a sadistic showman whose line deliveries and facial expressions bring the fun even as they compete with the abundance of ugly CG around him. He's hilarious and vicious in equal measure, and it's his unchecked charisma that powers the film.
The rest of the film is a mixed bag, finding both highs and lows along the way. The supporting cast is stellar, with numerous familiar faces like Kelly Lynch, Stephen Spinella, William Forsythe, Louise Fletcher, William Fichtner, Kevin J. O'Connor, and more. There's also plenty of action, and while it's occasionally marred by those darn CG monstrosities, it still delivers some thrills. That basically sums up the film as a whole as more than enough works here despite the "futuristic" visuals.
Virtuosity is newly restored from an original negative with Dolby Vision HDR, and it looks fantastic more often than not. 4K can't help digital effects that were dated before the film even hit theaters, but the rest of the movie pops as its colorful palette finds a vibrant new life. The special features include an image gallery and the following.
- NEW Commentary with writer and film historian Walter Chaw
- NEW Commentary with director Brett Leonard and Jim Branscome from Cinematic Void
- NEW Democratizing Virtual Reality: Director Brett Leonard on the Creation of Virtuosity [13:13] - The filmmaker talks about his love of speculative fiction (aka sci-fi), matching the aesthetics of technology with story, how his film maybe inspired parts of The Matrix, making a black comedy about high tech, and more.
- NEW Ahead of Its Time: Producer Gary Lucchesi on the Development and Legacy of Virtuosity [13:45] - Lucchesi recalls his move from being an agent to becoming a studio executive, starting his producing career with Jennifer 8 and Primal Fear, how the 90s was "an era of original content," and more.
- NEW A Virtual Reunion: Brett Leonard, Kelly Durkin, and Georg Berger: The Pioneers Behind the Interactive Screens of Virtuosity [37:40] - The three talents have a Zoom chat discussing the visual effects and technology needed to make the on-set interactive screens work, how Leonard intentionally used consumer-level computers instead of the big workstations typically used for digital film effects, updates on what they're doing now, and more. Ironically, one of the highlights in this high-tech chat is seeing the three old friends get emotional as they hadn't seen each other in decades.
- NEW God Complex: Author Eric Bernt on Writing Virtuosity [18:21] - The writer of Surviving the Game talks about shifting from a thriller about homeless people to a movie about artificial intelligence, the research required to bring it to life, how it all started with imagining the most diabolical villain inspired by new versions of Microsoft Windows, and more.
- NEW Character First: Assembling the Cast of Virtuosity [17:38] - The film's casting director recalls kicking off her studio career with The Shawshank Redemption, taking a job at Paramount where she worked on The Brady Bunch and Primal Fear, the various choices made on Virtuosity, and more.
The deluxe, limited edition of Virtuosity, not provided for coverage, comes in magnet box and slipcover set and includes a 40-page booklet with photos and new writing, and it's limited to 8,000 copies.
