{"id":40688,"date":"2023-08-15T11:52:38","date_gmt":"2023-08-15T15:52:38","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.cinema-crazed.com\/blog\/?p=40688"},"modified":"2023-08-15T11:52:38","modified_gmt":"2023-08-15T15:52:38","slug":"swamp-thing-1982-mvd-rewind-laservision-collection-4k-uhd-blu-ray","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.cinema-crazed.com\/blog\/2023\/08\/15\/swamp-thing-1982-mvd-rewind-laservision-collection-4k-uhd-blu-ray\/","title":{"rendered":"Swamp Thing (1982): MVD Rewind LaserVision Collection [4K UHD\/Blu-Ray]"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"\"<\/a>It\u2019s too bad that in Wes Craven\u2019s long and storied filmmaking career that \u201cSwamp Thing\u201d is the movie that\u2019s aged the worst. It seemed like a slam dunk for the director, but his approach toward \u201cSwamp Thing\u201d never quite rises above niche horror camp. Even when adapting the source material as straight faced as possible, \u201cSwamp Thing\u201d is really never great as, say, \u201cA Nightmare on Elm Street\u201d and that\u2019s probably because the movie itself jumps back and forth in tone and aesthetic. It goes from cheesy monster movie to an attempt at a Beauty and the Beast tale. It garners clear moments of pure camp and then tries to offer allegories on God complex drawing obvious influence from \u201cThe Island of Dr. Moreau.\u201d<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

Sometimes the movie tip toes around the vicious violence, and then other times dives right in with some gruesome scenes. Craven spends a majority of the film building and building but never quite accomplishing a coherent or cogent adaptation of the comic books. On the verge of a breakthrough in his quest to wipe out world hunger, altruistic botanist Dr. Alec Holland (Ray Wise) is placed under the protection of special government agent Alice Cable (Adrienne Barbeau). Mad outlaw scientist Anton Arcane (Louis Jourdan) wants to steal Holland’s research for his own nefarious means, but an unforeseen accident during the heist turns Holland into the Swamp Thing, an enormous plant-like creature that fights back against Arcane’s henchmen to save Cable.<\/p>\n

Like most Craven films, \u201cSwamp Thing\u201d is very well directed and garners some neat ideas, but it never really clicks together. You can really feel Craven trying to grasp the source material in so many scenes, and that\u2019s where a lot of it tends to fall apart hindering the momentum of the story. It\u2019s odd how Dick Durock looks pretty great as the big screen Swamp Thing, but every other monster in the picture feel so silly. There\u2019s one particularly goofy scene set during a big meeting where one of Arcane\u2019s henchmen is transformed in to a goblin-like monster. There\u2019s also the final beast that Arcane mutates in to is just all kinds of anti-climactic and never quite resolves any of the film\u2019s ideas.<\/p>\n

This is sadly true especially in regards to the maguffin of Alec Holland\u2019s formula. \u201cSwamp Thing\u201d always felt more suitable for a filmmaker like Sam Raimi or Tobe Hooper as Craven was always so much more of a cerebral horror filmmaker. In either case, \u201cSwamp Thing\u201d is an okay movie but I\u2019d recommend it more to fanatics of Craven or Swamp Thing. It\u2019s sad to admit but \u201cThe Return of Swamp Thing\u201d ends up being the superior film.<\/p>\n

This release carries over the supplements from the prior Shout! Factory release, however<\/em><\/strong> there are two featurettes that were not<\/em><\/strong> on the Shout! release. Featured in the both<\/strong> the included 4K and Blu-Ray release are the original Theatrical Version <\/strong>and the International Unrated Version <\/strong>with two minutes extra. Included on both the 4K and Blu-Ray, there\u2019s a vintage Audio Commentary with Writer\/Director Wes Craven<\/strong> who is joined by moderator\/questioner Sean Clark, and finally an Audio Commentary with Makeup Effects Artist William Munn<\/strong>. Michael Felsher hosts this commentary, in which Munn gives some nice detail about so many of the effects in the film.<\/p>\n

The Blu-Ray includes Tales From the Swamp with Actress Adrienne Barbeau<\/strong>, a sixteen minutes discussion with iconic actress Adrienne Barbeau, who talks about some of the trials the cast and crew had to endure to get Swamp Thing<\/em> filmed. Hey Jude with Actor Reggie Batts <\/strong>is a fourteen minutes sit down with the actor (a child during the film\u2019s production) who discusses how being in the film was a blessing. That Swamp Thing, a Look Back with Len Wein, Creator of Swamp Thing<\/strong> is thirteen minutes with creator Len Wein who discusses his initial desire to be an artist, which morphed into him writing for DC Comics. Swamp Screen: Designing DC’s Main Monster<\/strong> is a twenty two minutes featurette from 88 Films featuring production designer Robb Wilson King.<\/p>\n

From Krug to Comics: How the Mainstream Shaped a Radical Genre Voice<\/strong> is a seventeen minutes discussion with film critic Kim Newman who talks about his love of horror, comics, and Craven\u2019s film; another piece from 88 Films. There\u2019s the original Theatrical Trailer<\/strong>, as well as four galleries: Posters and Lobby Cards, Photos from the Film, William Munns’ Behind the Scenes Photos Photo Gallery<\/strong>, and Behind the Scenes Photos by Geoffrey Rayle. <\/strong>For collector\u2019s the physical release included a mini-poster from MVD.<\/p>\n