Streaming might be the future, but physical media is still the present -- for movie lovers, anyway. It's also awesome, depending on the title, the label, and the release, so join us as we take a look at the new 4K UHDs, Blu-rays, and DVDs heading your way. Now keep reading as we explore... the latest batch of new 4K UHD upgrades of horror films from KL Studio Classics!
Orca (1977)
The success of Steven Spielberg's Jaws in 1975 led to a slew of imitators hoping to ride those waves of success. Many copied the structure and setting of Spielberg's film while others felt it was enough to feature a big, menacing animal. Michael Anderson's Orca went the latter route, but I'd argue it's actually far more of a riff on Moby Dick than it is Jaws -- and that's a very good thing, indeed.
Captain Nolan (a wonderfully brash and egotistical Richard Harris) is on the hunt for whatever sea creature brings him the greatest payday, and he soon sets his sights on a killer whale. He accidentally harpoons a pregnant female and brings it aboard, where it miscarries and dies. Nolan hoses the baby off the deck in disgust while the orca's mate watches from the ocean. The male sees the carnage -- and it wants revenge.
Orca grows increasingly insane from there, and it is glorious in its bonkers approach to the obsession that forms between a man and a "whale." Boats are sunk, an oceanside village is set ablaze, houses are knocked into the sea, Bo Derek gets her leg bitten off -- this is nonsensical but never less than entertaining as hell. A haunting tale of vengeance and obsession riddled with eco-horror themes and all wrapped up in sincere goofiness, Orca is a film deserving of far more than cult appreciation.
Kino's new 4K UHD features a 4K scan from the 35mm negative, and it is simply beautiful. There's a renewed clarity in the visuals, both at night and underwater, but the improvements during the day above the sea are even more impressive. It's just a stunning transfer that makes this wildly entertaining tale even more enjoyable. The discs also include two commentaries, one with film historians Howard S. Berger, Steve Mitchell, and Nathaniel Thompson, and another with the late film essayist and historian, Lee Gambin. Both are entertaining and informative listens, even if they don't all share my love for the film.
(See also 70s Rewind: ORCA.)
April Fool's Day (1986)
The slasher subgenre owned horror films in the 1980s, but while a handful of franchises found success, too many one-offs disappeared into the woodwork. Familiarity was a big part of their problem, as too many felt like copies of what came before, and that left some filmmakers willing to take a riskier swing. April Fool's Day is one of those big swings in a small but very fun package.
Muffy St. John (the always wonderful Deborah Foreman) invites some college friends to her family's island retreat for a good time, but it's not long before people start dying in gruesome ways. Someone is killing the party vibes in the most literal of ways, and it's only when the dead start to outnumber the living that the truth creeps into the light.
April Fool's Day might feel slight to some slasher fans, but to me it's an 80s gem. Sure, some elements stretch credulity, but if you're focused on that, you're already missing the boat on a very entertaining ride. Foreman is fantastic as she shifts from bubbly to unsettling, and the supporting cast -- including great turns by Amy Steel, Tom Wilson, Clayton Rohner, and more -- is fully onboard for the fun.
Kino brings the film to 4K UHD with a new 4K scan of the 35mm negative, and as is generally par for the course with their transfers, it looks great. Detail and depth are both improved from previous releases without losing its original feel, and the special features are equally impressive. We get a commentary with film historians Howard S. Berger, Steve Mitchell, and Nathaniel Thompson, alongside several interviews with cast and crew. April Fool's Day may not be a real holiday, but April Fool's Day is still one of the highly entertaining holiday horrors.
Graveyard Shift (1990)
When you think about the movies deserving of a 4K UHD upgrade, the odds are pretty good that Stephen King's Graveyard Shift isn't among them. Happily for those of us who love our King adaptations greasy, sweaty, and cheesy, though, the folks at Kino Lorber have no such mental block. The 1990 release is new to UHD this month, so what say we kick off our latest dispatch with a descent into the grimy, bloody depths of a rat-filled nightmare.
When a drifter wanders into a small Maine town, he finds work at the only place hiring, a busy textile mill that hasn't had a good cleaning, well, ever, and is now crawling with vermin. John and some others are tasked with the clean-up, but they soon discover there's more than just a century's worth of muck and rat feces beneath their feet -- there's also something big, monstrous, and hungry.
Ralph S. Singleton worked various roles on film as diverse as Taxi Driver, Network, and Clear and Present Danger, but he only directed a single feature film. Graveyard Shift isn't exactly the kind of film you lead with on your resume, but it sits very comfortably in King's canon with its Maine locale, exaggerated accents, hokey dialogue, and blue-collar cast of characters. It's a B-movie creature feature, the kind of King adaptation that used to be the norm, and it's loaded with fun performances headlined by the great Brad Dourif as The Exterminator and throwaway references to names like Bachman and Castle Rock.
Kino's new two-disc release includes a 4K UHD and a Blu-ray, and ports over all four interviews from the earlier Scream Factory release while adding a new commentary track with film historians Howard S. Berger and Marc Edward Heuck. The new master comes from a 4K scan of the 35mm original camera negative, and it feels like a noticeable improvement as everyone's skin glistens with sweat and the mill's dark corners reveal deep blacks.
Murder By Decree (1979)
From a one-time director to a man with one hell of an eclectic filmography, Bob Clark's Murder by Decree also lands a worthy 4K UHD upgrade with a new master from StudioCanal. A vicious killer is terrorizing London, and when Scotland Yard fails, it's up to Sherlock Holmes and Dr. Watson to deduce the truth behind the murders.
The film is arguably the best Jack the Ripper movie and one of the greatest Sherlock Holmes adventures, and a big part of its success is due to the casting of Christopher Plummer and James Mason as Holmes and Watson. The extremely talented and charismatic duo have terrific chemistry, and the film hits them with a grimly cynical mystery and conspiracy that thrills and chills in equal measure. It's a slow burn, to be sure, but it finds some spooky beats and gives Plummer's Holmes an inspired monologue or two as well.
Kino's new release sees a 4K upgrade that heightens clarity even as it maintains the grainy, hazy visuals. Don't go looking for sharp details here, but do go in ready to immerse yourself in atmosphere, sleaze, and corruption. The extras include two commentaries, one with Clark and a newer one with film historians Howard S. Berger and Steve Mitchell.
Body Parts (1991)
Eric Red secured his place in the genre pantheon with his scripts for two classics, The Hitcher and Near Dark. (Personally, I'd toss Bad Moon into the accolade mix too, which he wrote and directed.) 1991's Body Parts can't reach their heights, but it delivers some grisly thrills in its story of a man who finds himself prone to violence.
In his defense, it only comes after a horrifying car accident leaves the arm of the psychologist (a terrific Jeff Fahey) destroyed. He's given a new one via a radical surgery, but violent thoughts and episodes begin taking control. Oh, and the other people who received limb transplants from the same source are being murdered in grotesquely violent ways. Connection? Maybe.
It's impossible to watch Body Parts and not think about both Red's obsession with vehicular violence and his own deadly crash that left two people dead. (Google it if this is news to you... it's not pretty.) That context adds an extra layer here, a darker layer, making a good genre effort more interesting as a result. Add in a rare non-psycho role for the great Brad Dourif, and you have a horror/thriller well worth watching.
Kino's new 4K scan with Dolby Vision sees the bloody goods pop on screen, and well-crafted auto mayhem -- including a cool chase featuring people in two cars handcuffed together -- roars with detail and newly emboldened power. The special features include a commentary with Red, several interviews, and some deleted scenes.