Enough Is Never Enough Of the Stuff!

Larry Cohen's extremely eccentric masterpiece The Stuff has been available on DVD since Anchor Bay released it in 2000. It was certainly a must-have for fans at the time, but it finally received a much needed HD upgrade in 2014, and man is it an improvement.

Update 1/5/15 - 7/29/25: "Update?"  More like a complete overhaul.  This is one of my earliest posts that didn't adhere to my now adopted format.  And it turns out I still had a page where the screenshots were all jpgs, so I had to replace everything.  But that's appropriate, because a complete overhaul is what Arrow's given The Stuff with their brand new, UHD/ BD release!

Admittedly, if I was a film producer and Mr. Cohen came to me with this script, I'd never back it. I'd be like, I loved your past work and you've proven yourself commercially for decades, but you've clearly dived far too deep into self indulgence with this one. You've taken the balance you usually strike of an underlying wit in your traditional genre films and pushed it way out of whack, becoming down right silly and bizarre. But I'm so glad he didn't listen to the profit protecting producers of this world, and made this movie anyway.

Superficially, The Stuff is a spin on the already off-beat cult flick, The Blob. That film starts off with an old man wandering off in the woods at night and finding a small, crashed meteorite. He touches it and a pink slime gets on his hand, which oozes up his arm and kills him by dissolving him. Well, in this film an old man is wandering out and finds a bubbling pile of white ooze on the ground in the snow. He touches it and... tastes it and it's wonderful. Suddenly, it's the new dessert sensation that's sweeping the nation. But it turns out to have a horrible secret. Soon, only a corporate saboteur played delightfully by Michael Moriarty, along with a small boy and Saturday Night Live's Garrett Morris wind up the only people who can save the world from a zero calorie doom.

If anything, it turns out to be more of a spin on Invasion Of the Body Snatchers, but it's a pretty broad spin.  This film has a terrific cast, including not only the names above but Danny Aiello, Paul Sorvino, Cohen regular James Dixon and even the original Where's the Beef lady reprising her role for an in-film ad campaign.  The special effects are mixed... some look great, some pretty poor.  But it all somehow works in this service of this story that's constantly veering off in new and entertaining directions.  This is a film that takes a specific mind set to really appreciate, but if that's you, you're going to love this movie.

This entire police station sequence is absent from the final cut.

Now, if you've heard any Larry Cohen interviews (including all of the ones on these discs), you know he's been unhappy with the final cut, regarding changes the distributors imposed on him.  He's talked about various scenes that were in the original cut but were now lost to the world, because he had no idea where that footage was.  Well, Arrow found it!  They've got a 35mm print of his original pre-release version, which turns out to be over half an hour longer.  It's also got a completely different score.

Is it better?  Well, yes and no.  There's some material I think they should've left in that I had a great time with, and other material that was better cut but still enjoyed.  The shorter run time does give the film a tighter pace, and some stuff, like the romance and extra Stuff commercials add some lag.  But any fan of The Stuff should be delighted to see this alternate version.  There are some great lines and weird moments (including a scene where the older brother performs The Telltale Heart for a for a perturbed cop).  And if you notice, the closing credits list five celebrity "special guest stars," but only four appeared in the film.  Well, now we've found that fifth one: Laurene Landon.  And the original score is pretty good, too.  It's definitely an alternate cut I'll return to for future watches.

Anchor Bay released the initial DVD in 2000, and it was pretty great for its time.  Then Image reissued it as a very skippable barebones edition in 2011.  But the next noteworthy release was Arrow's UK special edition blu-ray, first released as a BD/ DVD combo pack in 2014.  For the record, they went on to release it in the US in 2016, then they reissued it in the UK in 2017 and the US in 2019, but the only significant difference is that they were single disc BD releases.  It felt like the final word on the film, with its 2k restoration and all new special features, but 2025 has proven that wrong.  Now Arrow has restored the film in 4k on a proper UHD cooked up some more new extras, and of course unearthed that pre-release cut (on BD only, since it's taken from a print).

1) 2000 AB DVD; 2) 2014 Arrow DVD; 3) 2014 Arrow BD;
4) 2025 Arrow UHD; 5) 2025 Arrow BD (pre-release cut).

So they're all anamorphic widescreen, but the aspect ratio is shifting around here, which Arrow initially corrects from AB's 1.82:1 to 1.83:1, but as you can see, they also uncover a lot more information on the left side and along the top.  1.82 to 1.83 may not sound like much, but in this case, it's a big difference.  The UHD tweaks it a little further, to a proper 1.85:1, but it's a much more subtle fix.  Interestingly, the pre-release cut is also 1.85:1, but cropped back down the way the original DVD was.  Arrow's 2014 scan is a much cleaner, more natural image than AB's disc, though admittedly, the colors look a little faded. This was right around the time of Arrow's infamous Demons blu, though, and it's nowhere near as bad as that.  Especially since, in comparison, the DVD looks over-saturated and contrast-y.  But the film definitely looks its best in the new 4k scan.  The old blu has really nicely rendered film grain already, and there's not really anymore detail to add to the picture, but the colors are much more vibrant and absorbing.  The pre-release cut, meanwhile, is much more contrast-y and washed, but that's to be expected given the source elements.

All five versions have the original mono in 2.0, and the blus bump it up to LPCM.  Anchor Bay did not include subtitles, but all the Arrow discs include removable English ones, even the pre-release cut.

So Anchor Bay started us off with a Larry Cohen commentary, and if you've heard any of his, you know there's always great.  He has a fun attitude and is happy to share all his secrets.  They also threw in the theatrical trailer and an insert.  But disappointingly, Arrow's 2014 dropped the commentary!  They just about made up for it, though, with their original retrospective documentary, which runs almost an hour long, featuring interviews with Larry Cohen, producer Paul Kurta, special effects creator Steve Neill, female lead Andrea Marcovicci, and film critic Kim Newman.  It also featured the original theatrical trailer and an extra fun bonus: The Stuff's Trailers From Hell episode (more DVDs should include these!), featuring the director of Saw 2 & 3, Darren Bousman.  It also has reversible artwork and a 24-page booklet by Joel Harley.

The good news now is: the commentary is back!  Arrow's 2025 release has both the 2000 commentary and the 2014 doc.  And they have new stuff!  There's a lost interview with Cohen and Kurta (or technically two, edited together) that was shot but not used for the King Cohen documentary.  Unfortunately, they don't say anything they didn't already say, practically verbatim, in the doc and commentary.  But since Cohen's no longer with us, it's nice to get any piece of lost footage back.  Arrow's also recorded a new commentary, by two experts, who spend most of their time repeating what Larry said in his own commentary, along with reading peoples' filmographies and discussing other films.  In other words, thanks for making the effort, Arrow, but this one should absolutely be skipped.

Oh, and surprisingly, Arrow has also slapped the 2015 42nd Street Memories documentary (which I've written about here) on this disc.  It's already been included as an extra on multiple different releases of various films over the years, and it doesn't have much to do with The Stuff.  But if you don't already have it (I think this is the third time it's entered my collection), it's nice to have.  They've added a couple more trailers and TV spots, but disappointingly, they dropped the Trailers From Hell.  Honestly, I'd rather have that then all the new stuff, but just getting the documentary and Cohen commentary together on this release is already a win.  And hey, more is always better than less.  This one also has reversible artwork and comes in a slipcover, with a 32-page booklet with everything Harley wrote for the previous book, plus a new essay by  Daniel Burnett.

I know everybody's excited about Scream Factory's Day Of the Dead announcement (so am I!!), but I don't see anything toppling this release as disc of the year for me.  An underrated film I love getting a 4k remaster on UHD, an alternate version I never thought we'd get to see, the old commentary back with all new stuff?  This is the one I've been obsessively monitoring the mailbox for, and now that it's hear, it's everything I was hoping for.

Grindhouse's The Beyond Truly Goes Beyond

There have been a few delays and push backs, but Grindhouse's new blu-ray special edition set of Lucio Fulci's The Beyond has finally reached my doorstep. But it's been worth it, because you know what they say about rushing greatness. Grindhouse originally released this on DVD through Anchor Bay in a very cool, special edition collector's tin in 2000. But now, fifteen years later, it's time to see how they've topped themselves.

Update 3/31/15 - 4/30/25: Wow, my first update to span a full decade.  I can't believe I've been at this that long already; it doesn't feel like it.  Anyway, y'all know what this is; we're taking a look at Grindhouse's new 4k restoration 6-disc UHD/ BD/ DVD/ CD mega-set.

The Beyond, of course, is pretty much THE Lucio Fulci film. I mean, hardcore zombie or giallo fans might prefer Zombi or Don't Torture a Duckling. And serious long-term fans who've watched all his classics a dozen or more times might have slowly edged City Of the Living Dead up over this through the years. But by and large, The Beyond is generally considered his masterpiece. Set in New Orleans, the plot is practically indescribable. Hell just literally breaks loose and every horrific supernatural thing that can go wrong does go wrong, from spider attacks to psychics to zombies. It's very gruesome and thankfully takes itself entirely seriously; but it's still got a very colorful, fantastic tone that gives the proceedings a soft, inoffensive edge. It's just great music and great lighting capturing one captivating set-piece after another. And giving this film almost an action here with David Warbeck gives the film a bit of adventure film flavor.  It's pretty much the ultimate.

1) 2000 Grindhouse DVD; 2) 2011 Arrow DVD; 3) 2015 Grindhouse BD;
4) 2025 Grindhouse BD; 5) 2025 Grindhouse UHD; 6) 2025 Grindhouse DVD.

The 2.32:1 anamorphic DVD looked pretty fantastic when it was released in 2000, but as time passed and technology improved, it was starting to look a little stiff. There's no denying us fans were hoping for a new 2k or 4k scan in 2015, since it's pretty much the crown jewel in Grindhouse's catalog. But even using the old HD master, their first blu showed us how much better the film could look. A color re-balance certainly helps a lot here, but it's just a cleaner, more natural and detailed image all around. With a wider, 2.41:1 AR, we also seem to have a little extra picture information on all four sides.  Oh, and Arrow's 2.35:1 DVD (which, for the record, is the corrected version, not the original recalled one with the black & white intro) leans more towards the red, closer to Anchor Bay, but milder, and keeps that extra info around the edges.

On this new 4k version, which you can watch with the intro properly sepia-toned or in full color, Grindhouse has settled on 2.39:1, and it's clearly the most colorful version.  Even if we just compare the 1080p blus, rather than the Dolby Vision/ HDR UHD, The Beyond has a bolder, more saturated look.  Just look how blue that morgue is now.  Grain is much better captured here than on the old blu, which was far ahead of the DVDs, but still somewhat patchy and pixelated.  Also, just for fun, and perhaps to show off how impressive their new restoration is by comparison, Grindhouse has included an SD/ DVD transfer of the 7 Doors of Death cut, too.  It's 1.50:1, with the sides lopped off.  Even for DVD, it's soft, with grain only represented by vague lumpiness, and presumably taken from an old tape master, with color timing closest to the AB disc.  It's a fun curiosity piece.  But the UHD is gorgeous.

A lot of times, Italian horror has been given to us in English dub only, and we had to wait for fancier re-releases to get our choice of the English or  Italian tracks.  But Anchor Bay gave us both right away, including the original English mono, a stereo and a 5.1 mix, plus the Italian mono with optional English subtitles.  What can I say, The Beyond's always been recognized as special.  Interestingly, Arrow kept all three versions of the English audio, and the subs, but ditched the Italian track.

In 2015, Grindhouse brought it back, bumping up the English mono and 5.1 mixes to DTS-HD, but keeping the Italian lossy.  There was also some discussion on the blu-ray.com forums of little pops in the audio of the original English mono track. I've listened for myself and yup, I do hear them. And I can also confirm that they're not there on Anchor Bay's mono track. It's a little disappointing, and I do wish they weren't there; but it feels very minor especially within the context of the audio track generally feeling much fuller and stronger overall.  And anyway, it's been cleaned up on the new 2025 set, so forget about it!  Now we have the original mono, stereo, 5.1 and Italian mono all in DTS-HD, and the English subtitles.  Some online listings mention two sets of English subs - standard and SDH - but the SDH are not actually on here.  It's just the one set of "dubtitles" that match the English audio, plus subtitle tracks for two of the audio commentaries.

...And perhaps most notably (although I don't want to under0state just how excited I am to finally get both mono tracks lossless), Grindhouse has included The Composer's Cut!  Strictly speaking, it's the same cut of the film, but it's been entirely re-scored by original composer Fabio Frizzi with all new music.  It's a little calmer and more noodley - I prefer the original myself - but it's interesting to hear the variations.  Fans should be excited to at least check it out once.  And Grindhouse gives us the best of both worlds, because we get the choice, with the new track also in DTS-HD 5.1.

But let's talk about extras! If you weren't already bowled over by Grindhouse's updated presentation of the film itself, you certainly will be by the massive amount and quality of features they've delivered. There's so much, in fact, I've decided to itemize everything on the original DVD and each subsequent set:

Anchor Bay DVD extras:

• Commentary by David Warbeck and Catriona MacColl
• Images From the Beyond: a collection of stills galleries (less interesting) and video (more interesting), including a short interview with Fulci, a short clip of David Warbeck and Catriona MacColl at a convention, Darvid Warbeck speaking at a convention, and Lucio and Warbeck doing a Q&A
• US, International and German trailers
• The opening sequence in color
• Necrophagia music video
• Easter Eggs) 7 Doors of Death trailer and a trailer for Cat In the Brain (there also seems to be another highlight-able link for a third easter egg on the second page of special features that doesn't actually work)

Grindhouse BD extras:

• Commentary by David Warbeck and Catriona MacColl
• Intro by Catriona MacColl
• 48 minute documentary on the making of The Beyond
• A 2-part phone interview with Fulci
• Interview with Larry Ray
• Interview with Catrina MacColl
• Interview with Cinzea Monreale
• Interview with Gianetto De Rossi and Manrizio Trani
• Footage of Catriona MacColl speaking at a convention
• Footage of David Warbeck speaking at a convention
• Interview with Terry Levene
• The opening sequence in color
• US, International and German trailers + US rerelease trailer
• US TV spots
• US re-release radio spot
• An overwhelming number of stills galleries
• 14 bonus trailers for Grindhouse's other titles
  
• Easter Eggs: the full set of Images From the Beyond extras (some of which are duplicated on disc 2 of this blu as well), a series of brief interviews (23 minutes worth) from Paura, the 7 Doors of Death trailer, a 10+ minute audio track of whispering and moaning(?), the Necrophagia music video, and a brief but nice featurette comparing location shots from the films to footage of them as they look now

Grindhouse UHD extras:

• Commentary by David Warbeck and Catriona MacColl
• Commentary by Sergio Salvati
• Commentary by Gianetto De Rossi
• Intro by Catriona MacColl
• Intro to the Composer's Cut by Fabio Frizzi
  
• Interview with scholar/ director of Fulci for Fake Simone Scafidi (over an hour long!)
  
• Interview with Fabio Frizzi about the new Composer's Cut
• Footage of Frizzi and his band performing the Composer's Cut live, with an introduction by Bruce Campbell(!)
  
• 48 minute documentary on the making of The Beyond
• A 2-part phone interview with Fulci
• Interview with Larry Ray
• Interview with Al Cliver
  
• Interview with Catrina MacColl
• Interview with Cinzea Monreale
• Newer interview with Cinzea Monreale
• Interview with Michele Mirabella 
• Interview with Dardano Sacchetti
• Interview with Giorgo Mariuzzo
• Interview with stuntmen Ottaviano Dell'Acqua & Massimo Vanni
• Interview with Ugo Celani
• Ugo Celani outtake
  
• Interview with Pino Colizzi
• Interview with Michele Romagnoli (Fulci's biographer, who worked on a draft of The Beyond 2 with Fulci)
  
• Interview with poster artist Emanuele Taglietti (though for the record, he just made the new poster on the cover of this box, not the original movie poster)
  
• Interview with Gianetto De Rossi and Manrizio Trani
• Footage of Catriona MacColl speaking at a convention
• Footage of David Warbeck speaking at a convention
• Footage of Catriona MacColl and David Warbeck speaking together at a convention
• Footage of Lucio Fulci and David Warbeck speaking at a convention (a separate, 46 minute video, not the short one from Images From the Beyond)
  
• Brief footage of Catriona MacColl and David Warbeck at yet another a convention
• Interview with Terry Levene
• The Beyond In the Age of Aquarius, a new 40-minute featurette talking to Terry Levene and editor Jim Markovic on the 7 Doors of Death cut
• Terry Levene outtake 
• Jim Markovic outtake
• US, International and German trailers + US rerelease trailer
• US TV spots
• US re-release radio spot
• More 7 Doors of Death spots
  
• An overwhelming number of stills galleries
• The bonus trailers for Grindhouse's other titles
• All the old Easter Eggs: the full set of Images From the Beyond extras, the interviews from Paura, the 7 Doors of Death trailer, that 10+ minute audio track of whispering and moaning (yes, it's back), the Necrophagia music video, and the location featurette

Everything in purple is new to the blu-ray and everything in red is new to the UHD.  That is an increasingly massive and impressive load of features. You might even say overwhelming. Many of the interviews are quite lengthy and they're all substantial. Grindhouse has linked up with Freak-O-Rama, who've done a bunch of excellent features for high profile Italian horror titles from Scorpion and Code Red, among others.  And you might recall that UK's Shameless Screen Entertainment released a blu-ray of The Beyond in 2020 with a bunch of exclusive extras, including a Salvati commentary (actually recorded for a French DVD back in 2004, but Shameless were the first to translate it to English) and an interview with actor Michele Mirabella, who had never been on a Beyond disc before.  Well, Grindhouse licensed those and they're all here on the new 2025 set.  The only extras of note they didn't snag are Arrow's, so let's look at those.

Arrow DVD extras:

• Commentary by David Warbeck and Catriona MacColl
• A second commentary by Antonella Fulci (Fulci's daughter) and moderator Callum Waddell, which I'd recommend to hardcore fans only.
• Intro by Cinzea Monreale
• Interview with Cinzea Monreale
• Q&A session with Catriona MacColl
• Interview with Terry Levene (perhaps it's worth noting that Grindhouse trimmed over a minute out of Naomi Holwill's opening animation, so theirs is technically shorter, though the actual interview length is the same)
  
• Interview with Gianetto Di Rossi
• 25 minute featurette where Roberto Forges Davanzati, Daria Nicolodi, Antonella Fulci, Dario Argento, Giannetto De Rossi and Sergio Stivaletti remember Fulci (not the same as the one on GH's disc; this set of different interviews purports to come from a future Paura part 2).
  
• Interview with Catriona MacColl
• The opening sequence in color
• International trailer
• Easter Egg: Darren Ward remembering David Warbeck - a brief (4+ minutes) interview with the director of Warbeck's final film, Sudden Fury

Their collection is pretty impressive in its own right. Some of what's here stems from the old Anchor Bay release, and a little of what originated here got ported to the Grindhouse set. But still everything in blue is exclusive to the Arrow release, which as you can see, is most of it. Admittedly, some of it is pretty redundant. Both discs interview Cinzae Monreale, for example, the actress who played the blind woman. They're different interviews, filmed at different times in different locations; but naturally she winds up saying most of the same stuff in both. You'll hear some of the same anecdotes almost word for word from Catriona MacColl - her stuff was already getting redundant on the Grindhouse disc, now it's more. But other features, like the exclusive interviews with cameraman Roberto Forges Davanzati or the Darren Ward easter egg, are more original and rewarding even if you've already got the Grindhouse set.

Here's how it looks in the dark.

And usually I don't devote too much space to the packaging, but how can I not here? The original DVD release came in a very cool tin case. Inside, it also had six international poster replicas and a chapter insert of cardstock, and a fat, 48-page booklet. And it was a numbered limited edition of 20,000 copies. Holy cow, it's crazy to think 20,000 was a tight limited pressing in the days of Twilight Time making 3000 of even their Oscar-winning titles, and Code Red still shifting units of a blu they only made 1000 editions of two years prior.

Anyway, it might seem hard to top that DVD tin, but I think Grindhouse at least equaled it. Their blu-ray set comes in a very cool, glow in the dark slipcover. You've gotta charge it up under some strong light; but when you do, it looks pretty great. It also comes with a slimmer booklet and a bonus CD of the film's soundtrack, which has also been remastered. That's something a lot of fans would pay the cost of this blu for all on its own.

Meanwhile, the Arrow set comes in their usual (in those days) windowpane slipcover with reversible artwork inside, a substantial, 32-page blu-ray sized booklet and a fold-out poster.

And now Grindhouse's UHD set is a thick, side-loading slipbox housing a fancy book designed to resemble the book of Eibon, which looks really cool, but unfortunately houses all the discs in cardboard sleeve pages.  Pray you don't get any scratched!  Anyway, there's also a 100-page full-color book, which includes multiple essays and gallery pages, but also Sacchetti's complete, original treatment.  And they include another soundtrack CD, this time of the new  Composer's Cut score (hang on to your previous soundtrack CD for the original score, which thankfully came in its own separate sleeve, so you can just slot it into this box).  And if you ordered one of the first 3,500 copies direct from Grindhouse you got a fun bit of swag: the Eye of Eibon(!), a creepy little eyeball that always looks up no matter how you turn it.

The new set's a little pricey ($66.66), but with all its versions (with the intro in color or sepia, the Composer's Cut, your choice of English or Italian, the 7 Doors of Death cut), this massive 6-disc set looks like it'll be the definitive release of this true horror classic for a long time to come.  And you can't say it doesn't include enough content to justify the expense.  Before the update, I used to recommend picking up the Arrow, too, for their exclusive extras; and you still might want to if you're a die-hard collector, or the sort of hardcore fan who has the mark of Eibon tattooed somewhere on your body.  But at this point, Grindhouse's edition is so exhaustive, it would take the dedication of a druidic scholar to come away from it wanting to watch any more special features.

The One and Only Silent Night, Deadly Night Is Back

Silent Night, Deadly Night is one of the most famous and infamous slasher films out there. I mean, under Friday the 13th and Halloween, but it's pretty much right at the top of the tier under those. The fact that it spawned four sequels and a remake surely helped, but the fact that it wound up generating such a huge controversy that it got pulled out of the theaters is probably a bigger reason. But it's not just the film that's been controversial over the years, the recent blu-ray release from Anchor Bay has generated a lot of ire among collectors for its own reasons.

Update 4/28/15 - 12/8/17: Happy Ho-Ho-Holidays! Updating with the brand spankin' new, Scream Factory 2-disc blu-ray Collector's Edition. Oh, and Code Red Catch-Up isn't actually finished.  I just got busy this week and then had to do this update.  But I've got 3 more CR's sitting here on my desk, ready to go after this post. 🎅

Update 12/25/24: It's Christmas - time to celebrate with an all new, UHD upgrade of horror's most notorious seasonal slasher!  Let's just hope we won't be disappointed once we unwrap it, right?

The iconic imagery of a killer Santa Claus is a huge part of this movie's success, which is interesting because it's far from the Christmas themed horror movie... or even the first one to specifically feature a killer in a Santa suit.  Black Christmas, To All a Good Night, the classic segment from Tales From the Crypt, and even the similarly titled Silent Night, Bloody Night all precede it; and Don't Open Till Christmas was playing in theaters the very same year. But I guess this one's television ads played before the wrong angsty parents, because they protested and got the film pulled. Curiously, longtime Hollywood star Mickey Rooney got on board with the movement, saying, "How dare they! ...The scum who made that movie should be run out of town."¹ But then he later wound up starring in Silent Night, Deadly Night part 5.

At any rate, it's a pretty good, little movie. It is also a very pure slasher film, in that it follows all the "rules" and stays very true to the elements of a traditional 80s slasher film. It's got a simple but effective concept, good lines, a nice look, some creative kills and Linnea Quigley, But one thing it does a little different than the norm is follow the killer for the entire film, rather than giving us the standard "good girl" protagonist. Eventually, our heroes turn out to be a pair of nuns who've known the killer since he was a little boy, including the very stern and downright frightening Mother Superior, excellently played by Lilyan Chauvin. Most of the film plays it pretty safe, and while well executed, doesn't try to stand out from its peers; and in the long run it's a little too much of a generic slasher to be really great. But the fact that it's so well crafted from at least some of the performances to the music that have kept it popular among horror fans for decades.

So Anchor Bay, when they were the reigning kings of horror DVDs, first released Silent Night, Deadly Night as a double-sided "flipper" disc with Part 2 in 2003. They later reissued it as a 2-disc set, and Arrow released it in the UK. All of these releases were a little disappointing though, because they were light on extras compared to how beloved and anticipated this particular film has always been, and because their transfers were based on an edited print, with most of the violence reinstated from a much lower quality source. It was murky and grungy, but it was the best they could do. So when Anchor Bay announced an uncut blu-ray special edition taken from a high quality source, people got excited. But... they never technically said it wasn't going to be another composite cut, which it was. And then when Scream Factory announced their uncut blu-ray special edition taken from an brand new 4k scan done by Sony with the original camera negative, people got excited again. But... they never technically said it wasn't going to be another composite cut either, and, well:

Scream also made the interesting decision to give us two discs with both cuts.  That way, you can watch the edited theatrical cut in 4k quality without the seams and dupey inserts.  But the theatrical cut is really gutted.  It's about six minutes difference, and frankly, more than half of the movie's highlights.  So if you really wanna watch the theatrical cut, you do you.  But for me and most fans, Silent Night, Deadly Night is likely going to be a composite cut for now and forever... something only further reiterated by Scream's latest 2024 release, which gives the film an updated 4k scan on a proper UHD disc.  But more frustratingly, not only do they still not have the elements to restore the unrated footage - which fair enough, I think we all expected - but they haven't even put the composite cut on UHD, only the theatrical!  So, basically, we're expected to buy a UHD and only watch the included unrated BD (which does, for the record, utilize the new scan), or the crap censored version.  Why, Scream Factory, why?!?

1) Anchor Bay 2003 DVD; 2) Anchor Bay 2014 BD; 3) Scream Factory 2017 theatrical BD;
4) Scream Factory 2017 uncut BD; 5) Scream Factory 2024 theatrical BD;
6) Scream Factory 2024 uncut BD; 7) Scream Factory 2024 theatrical UHD.

4) There's no theatrical shot of this scene, 'cause it's not in the theatrical cut.
5) ibid.

7) This shot's not on the UHD either, again, because it's not in the theatrical cut.

So, right off the bat, the two Anchor Bays are a little different. Their BD has been accused of being an upconvert, but seeing them right up against each other, I'm relieved to say that this isn't the case. In other words, Anchor Bay didn't just take the files they made the DVD with and slap them onto a BD. It's not a lovingly restored new scan, but someone's done something to try and make it look a little better, at least.  The main difference you'll note is the color. In the top shot, the whites and reds look crisper on the blu, while the DVD's still a bit green.  But the difference is especially apparent in the low quality composite footage.  Look how Anchor Bay nicely white balanced that second shot. Sure, it still looks like the kind of crap that you should never find on a blu-ray; but it's better than the DVD.  Scream Factory mentions that they spent time matching the colors of the inserts to match the rest of the film, and I don't disbelieve them.  But Anchor Bay already did that for their blu, and Scream seems to have just essentially replicated their work.

But where does Scream Factory's new disc stand out?  In all of the 79 other minutes!  AB's blu was a mild upgrade on their DVD, they dialed down those nasty compression splotches and all; but Scream is playing in a whole other ballpark.  Their 2017 1.85:1 framing is basically the same, but otherwise, it's like a brand new film with so much more photo realism than we've see before.  And yes, the uncut and theatrical cuts are essentially identical (except for those dang inserts, of course).  They didn't leave themselves a ton of room for improvement on their new 2024 scan, but one thing you'll notice right away is that, while it's still perfectly framed at 1.85, it's clearly pulled back to reveal a little more along all four sides.  Besides that, the only noteworthy difference between the 2017 and 2024 BDs is the color timing.  Like in these sets of shots, Santa's suit is decidedly more orange in the new transfer.  But it's a tough judgement call to say which version is better.

It does look best on the UHD, though.  The suit still looks brighter red than the 2017 edition, but more red than orange.  It's essentially the best of both worlds.  Resolution is also naturally improved.  Comparing the two BD transfers again, it's really a tie.  One speck of grain will be clearer on one disc, and another will be on the other.  But it's all much better resolved, with smoother, less pixelated edges on the true, 4k disc.  It's just a shame I'll never have cause to watch it because it's heavily cut.

Maybe the only reason I can think of to hang onto the AB blu-ray is if you're a big surround mix lover, because they bumped the DVD's old mono track up to a Dolby TrueHD 5.1.  But frankly, it wasn't much.  It was still kind of flat and basically like the movie's always sounded.  And, of course, it's revisionist.  Scream Factory has dumped the 5.1 and gone back to a purist DTS-HD mono (in 2.0, of course) on both the 2017 and 2024 releases.  I'm a little surprised they didn't throw in both for those fans who've gotta have that 5.1; but I don't miss it and far more pleased to have the mono back, now in HD, the best audio option yet.  Oh, and every release except the DVD does have optional subs (AB even has Spanish, too).

But if you're on the fence about double-dipping with the same old SD insert footage, consider the extras. Like I said, the DVDs came up short: essentially just an audio interview with director Charles E. Sellier, Jr. It was good, but just one non-video interview. Well, there was also an insert/ booklet with notes, a stills gallery and "Santa's Stocking of Outrage" which sounds awesome but was really just another gallery, this time of quotes from protestors. Even the trailer or the notorious TV commercial would've been nice, but nope.  Just coal in that stocking.

Now, the AB blu-ray still wasn't the loaded special edition fans want, but in addition to porting over all the DVD extras, they did get an audio commentary. It features writer Michael Hickey, composer Perry Botkin, editor/ second unit director Michael Spence and co-executive producer Scott J. Schneid. And it's pretty good. I saw some people knock it, but I think they were just salty over their other disappointments with the disc. It's not one of the great commentaries like the ones by John Carpenter or Bruce Campbell; but between the four of them they keep it pretty lively and informative.

 

But count on Scream Factory to seize the special features day!  Yes, they have all the old extras from both the DVD and the newer AB commentary.  Even that dumb "Santa's Stocking of Outrage." But oh yeah, also a whole bunch of new stuff.  We have a brand new commentary by Billy himself, Robert Brian Wilson, along with producer Schneid, back for more.  Then all those guys - Hickey, Schneid, Spence, Botkin and Wilson come back for a great little 45 minute documentary, with co-producer Dennis Whitehead, too.  My only complaint is that some of these do incorporate some repetition.

You know what's less repetitious, though?  All the other new extras with different people.  How about a 20+ minute on-camera interview with Linnea Quigley?  Okay, it looks like it was shot with a cellphone before cellphone cameras were invented.  But still, it's great to finally get her on disc with this film.  And I love when they go back and track down the old locations now.  This one's no Horror's Hallowed Ground, but it's still a treat.  And finally - finally! - the infamous TV ads that cause all the uproar are here.  In fact, we get the theatrical trailer, two TV spots, a radio ad and even a VHS trailer.  Plus Scream's set comes in a slip cover, and I usually hate their comic book style revisionist artwork, but this is one of their best.  But of course I prefer the reversible cover with the original art that we also get.  Oh, and if you ordered the "deluxe" version directly from Scream's site, you didn't just get an 18"x24" poster (they roll them now!) but an 8" Billy figure - holy crap!  I didn't spring for it, but that's pretty wild.

2024 did net us some additional extras, in addition to carrying everything from the previous editions forward, but it's a little underwhelming.  The Hysteria Continues join up with expert Amanda Reyes for an expert commentary on the theatrical cut, in an effort to give us some reason to watch their new UHD.  They do come up with some new informative details, but I wish we could've gotten those in a brief interview/ visual essay rather than having to sift through a whole feature commentary to hear them.  And we get two more interviews with Schneid and Spence, who've already been featured heavily on previous editions and repeat almost all the same anecdotes they've already shared on their previous extras.  The most fun/ rewarding of the new lot is probably a short featurette, which again talks to Schneid and Whitehead (look, nothing against these guys; in fact, it's great to have them on these discs, but how many times can we dip back into the same well?), but this time they tackle a fresher topic, looking at merch from the film, including comic books, soundtrack albums, and the board game.  By the way, I've played that game, and it's too simple/ easy (we won it in like 10 minutes on the first try), so it probably needs some additional house rules to make it interesting.  But they did a good job with the art and all the little pieces and everything, so fans should get a kick out of it.  But anyway, back to Scream's release, that's it for new content, but it does come in a nice slipcover with the beloved traditional artwork.

And since Part 2 comes in the Anchor Bay set, let's take a quick look at that, too; not that the film's any good really. An unbelievable bulk of the film - a good, solid half! - is just footage from Part 1. It basically goes through the entire first film again, using the exact same film, from beginning to end. The only difference is that this time, we keep cutting away every so often to Ricky, the younger brother of the killer in the first film, who's now grown up and recounting the tale to a psychiatrist. Finally, at the end, he gets out and goes on a killing rampage just like his big brother. And none of that new story is anywhere near the quality of the original. But at least it's a direct continuation of the story, unlike subsequent films, which wound up being pretty disconnected.  And some of the crazy line deliveries ("garbage day!") have earned this one its own, distinct cult following, so there's that.

Yes, this IS a screencap from Part 2.
I told ya, a huge, huge chunk of it is just footage from Part 1.

Like the first one, AB gave this an anamorphic widescreen image, slightly letterboxed to 1.85:1. So that's good news.  It's got the trailer, a stills gallery, and best of all, an audio commentary by writer/ director Lee Harry, co-writer Joseph H. Earle and actor James Newman. They're actually quite plugged into their movie, even though so much of it isn't theirs. I daresay, in fact, I'd rather watch the movie with the commentary on than off anytime.  But for those who are more appreciative of this film, it's worth noting that Part 2 has since been released as its own Collector's Edition blu-ray from Scream Factory, and as a double-feature BD, still paired with the first one, from 101 Films in the UK.

Silent Night, Deadly Night may not be the best yuletide horror movie ever (Christmas Evil, anyone?), but it's one of the most popular, and it sure is fun to watch with the family gathered together on Christmas Eve night.  But this latest edition is annoying.  Scream continues their tradition of only wanting to pay for a single cut of a film onto UHD, and relegating other versions to BD only (see also: Lifeforce, Army of Darkness, Exorcist 3, etc).  That's especially frustrating in cases like this one or Nightbreed, where the cuts they leave off are the most desirable versions.  scream used to impress by including multiple cuts even when barely warranted; now it seems the pendulum has swung in the other direction, and some of these 4ks are starting to feel like quick cash-ins on the excellent work they did before.

But, now I'm starting to get a little too negative, because no matter how you slice it, their new 3-disc release is easily the best edition of Silent Night, Deadly Night going.  If you've already got the 2017 edition, I'd consider this a very low priority to replace.  But if you don't already own this film, yeah, there's no reasonable argument to be made that the 2024 isn't the one to buy.


¹Schanie, A. (2010) Movie Confidential: Sex, Scandal, Murder and Mayhem In the Film Industry. Clerisy Press, p 108.