Out on 4K UHD and Blu Ray May 21st, 2024, from Blue Underground
Andy’s parents have received the worst possible news about their son who is away at war in Vietnam. Soon, he returns home, however, something that may not be as joyous as his mother would have liked.
Written by Alan Ormsby, inspired by The Monkey’s Paw by W.W. Jacobs, and directed by Bob Clark, this take in the well-known story goes in a different direction than one might expect given other adaptations of the same work. Here, we follow the story of a young soldier sent to Vietnam who seemingly dies on the battlefield yet returns home after his parents have been given news of his demise. The film here approaches war as a nightmare and a returning zombie (for lack of a better word) as something that is obviously normal for his mother to accept. The themes here are some that had not been often touched upon back in the 1970s. While, yes, war films were around, very few made a point about the damage the war did to the soldiers the way Deathdream does. The writing here is good and the direction also is, but both are dated and very much show the age of the film. That being said, it seems to add to things more than subtract. The film has a style and a feeling that is very much mid-1970s and it works great here.
The cast here works, with some performances coming on top of the list as usual. Actor Richard Backus gives the perfect trauma zombie he can here, making the film one that is both physical and psychological for the lead. There is something in Backus’ performance that hits the right now and hints at PTSD and other damages left on the psyche by going to war and seeing atrocities daily. The actors chosen to play Andy’s parents, Joh Marley and Lynn Carlin, do effective work here with a few over-acted scenes, but that feels like it fits here.
In terms of special effects, the work by Tom Savini and an uncredited Alan Ormsby, work well. They are on the lower end of the budget spectrum and are a bit dated of course, but they work. The look of things is gross at times and there to remind the viewer that this is a film about a man who came back from the dead. The cinematography by Jack McGowan brings these effects, the performances, and the story to the screen just right. This is not a film filled with flashy sequences, but one that was filmed with its message in might, thus bringing a more somber style to things which works great here.
This new release from Blue Underground is a 4K restoration that was done from the 35 mm negative of the film, which looks and sounds great here. The extras on here a plentiful with the main interest being the student film by Alan Ormsby. Of course, the disc has the film’s theatrical trailer and still galleries which are pretty basic these days, 2 audio commentaries (the one with Bob Clark is the most interesting of the two here), the interview with Richard Backus is also a good extra to have on here. Of course, there are more, but these are the top-ranking ones for this release.
Overall, this newly restored version of Deathdream is a solid pick up on the technical side, on the extras side, and in general. The film itself has aged rather well with a few sequences that feel off. The story, the return to war and its consequences, the way the story is brought to the screen are why this film has stood the test of time and this is one of those that still has a lot to say 50 years later.