This is a review of the just-released Blu-Ray of Nightbreed: The Directors Cut. While this is not exactly the same as the fan-edited Cabal cut that has circulated in the last few years, it is the Director's original vision - as stated in the introduction to the disc by director Clive Barker and the restorer Mark Miller.
Frankly...a bit of backstory doesn't hurt - although you'll certainly hear more about this if you check out the film. Much like Gilliam's original cut of Brazil - the studio decided they didn't like the overall tone of the film and hacked it to pieces for release. If you've watched the theatrical cut - the only one previously available on DVD or VHS - you may have noticed some weird tonal shifts and plot holes - not to mention how different the story felt compared to the original novella it was based on - "Cabal."
Quite simply, this story is an examination of monsters...the ones we fear, the ones that fear us..and in some cases, the ones we wish we could join. As one character expounds to another. (paraphrasing)
"What we envy, we fear. What we fear, we hate. What we hate, we kill."
So at it's most basic, a man - Boone - is drawn through his nightmares - and the fears that he may be an unconscious murderer to the necropolis of Midian in the barren northwest of Canada - a haunting location if ever there was one. If he is a monster...better to live as an outcast among the monsters, than with men. He finds himself hunted by his psychiatrist...played to a chilling T by [another Canadian horror director] David Cronenberg ("The Fly").
At the same time, his girlfriend Lori really acts as the catalyst, doing all she can to save him - at the potential cost of Midian itself. It turns out that for a hidden world of monsters (not unlike aspects of worlds seen more recently in Hellboy) most of them are pretty normal folks - they just want to live alone, away from the world and the threats therein. But they aren't afraid to defend themselves or their children if it becomes necessary.
I don't really want to try and get any more into the plot here - suffice to say that if you enjoy weird monster flicks, seeing bizarre (and gory) creature designs (all practical) and sympathetic characters, this is definitely worth checking out...particularly if you ever feel a little different from the rest of the folks around you.
Now...as a blu-ray this is a stunning package (also available in a not-quite-so-special edition. The sound and video quality is far above the previous DVD - and best of all - despite the fact that large elements of the restored film were thought lost for over 20 years, all the footage has been beautifully restored and is essentially unrecognizable from print elements of the theatrical cut. As Barker notes in the intro - with digital restoration, the entire picture looks at least as good if not better than it did at the time the master print was cut in 1990.
With the Director's Cut - we have the addition of about 40 minutes total, but the full film is only about 20 minutes longer due to moving/editing scenes from the theatrical cut to match the Director's vision. We get a better intro for all the characters, clearer delineation of motivations for several, more different creatures and characters and plot developments that make the entire plot run much more effectively. (And a better ending).
I was very happy to see a commentary by Barker in the special features as well - but to be perfectly honest...it's not quite what I had in mind. I was hoping for some more explorations on the creature design and plot points/descriptions, but most of the commentary focuses on aspects of the restoration.
As a big monster movie fan - I've got to recommend this very strongly. If you've only ever seen the theatrical cut - and found it wanting - you owe it to yourself to check out this remastered, rebuilt film. (Unfortunately not available on netflix yet). If you've never seen it - please check it out!
Highly Recommended!
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