Ben - Blu-ray Review

[Michael Scott]

Ben




Movie:
Video:
Audio:
Extras:
Final Score:


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Movie
1971’s Willard was a film that did decently well at the box office, thus the powers that be decided that the next best thing to do was to create a sequel. Written by the same writer, and given the 1 year time lapse from theatrical release of Willard to theatrical release of Ben there is a distinctly familiar vibe to the sequel. Although it forgoes much of the horror and awkward social issues of Willard Stiles, replacing it with an even MORE family friendly film than the first one was. Ben also did modestly at the box office, but has aged even more than its predecessor has. I remember Ben as being a fairly forgettable sequel to the odd Willard, but it wasn’t until watching it some 20+ years since my last viewing that I realized just HOW badly the film had aged. What was decently entertaining as a young boy turned out to be excruciatingly painful as an adult, and left me wondering just went wrong with the creation of the film!

Ben picks up just as Willard ends, and actually splices in the last 5 minutes or so of final footage to act as the opening scene, allowing us to remember the horrific events that ended the previous film. Right after the demise of Willard Stiles at the hand of his nasty rat friend Ben, the scene is investigated by the police who come upon Willard’s diary describing his fascination with being king of the rats. While the police don’t really believe Willard’s claim to supernaturally controlling the rats, but they do see evidence of rats eating a man alive, and have decided to go around the neighborhood and send out notices that the city is going to be spreading rat poison around all the houses in case there is an infestation of rats in the vicinity.

Simultaneously, Ben has escaped with his horde of rat minions, and has made friends with a new human. This time in the form of young Danny (Lee Montgomery). Danny is a bit of an outcast amongst his peers, as he is suffering from a weak heart. A condition that leaves him inside most of the time, away from the other children, where he plays with his marionettes and keeps his heart rate down. This leaves lots of time for creating imaginary friends, so when Danny proudly announces to his sister and mother that he has made friends with a talking rat, they immediately assume that it’s another one of his imaginary creations at work. Little do they know that the young boy is making friends with the psychic beast, and soon Danny is brought face to face with Ben and all the power he holds.

Ben really is an awful sequel, and even worse, an awful movie in general. Willard wasn’t exactly a horror masterpiece, but it had its moments and was certainly disturbing to a young boy growing up in the 80s and watching late night showings on TV. However, Ben completely forgoes what made the previous film so good, and turns it into a chaste, PG affair that is more reminiscent of Old Yeller than a scary movie. 99% of the time we’re watching Ben and Danny make friends and skitter around the neighborhood making sure that the rat is safe, rather than making a tense and well done story. By the time the rats are being burned out of their cages you really don’t blame Ben like you did in Willard. You’re cheering for the poor innocent rat to make it out alive rather than be scared of the twisted little thing like we were the year before.

Acting is a mixed bag. Arthur O’Connell and Joseph Campanella do a solid job with the minimal screen time they get, but there’s not a whole lot they can do. The rest of the time we’re left with stilted acting that feels much more at home in the 1960s and before than in the 1970s. Danny is a cheeky little child, but his overly cheery and loveable relationship with Ben does nothing for the tension, and even when the film DOES try to get tense, Lee Montgomery feels like a Disney kid out for a jaunt rather than in a truly scary situation. I really wanted to like Ben when I viewed it once more, but time has not been kind to the poor film, and something tells me that time will continue to ravage it’s remains long after I’m gone.




Rating:

Rated PG by the MPAA




Video:

Ben opens up with a title card that states very clearly that the master for the film was taken from the best surviving archive print available, and the image was the best that could be done with the tools at their disposal. As you probably guessed it, the 1.85:1 AVC encoded Blu-ray is a long shot from the fantastic looking Willard that was only released a year previously in theaters. The whites are blooming everywhere, and faces look incredibly washed out (as does much of the picture). There’s a solid amount of fine detail around the house and outside, but it’s plagued by black crush and all sorts of speckles, lines and pieces of print damage that permeate the screen. You can definitely tell that the print was in some rough shape, but form the interviews and information from the director, it seems that before this new scan the archival print was in TERRIBLE condition. I have to commend Shout/Scream for doing what they did to rescue as much of the film’s original presentation as they could.






Audio:

The DTS-HD MA 2.0 Mono track is pretty decent, but suffers much the same way the video did (just not NEARLY as bad). I was actually rather impressed with the fidelity for the most part, with dialog being prevalent in the front and there was nothing to majorly detract from the dialog heavy experience. There is some harshness and crackle to the screams at higher pitches, and the mix feels a little boxy and tiny at times, but it’s an overall pleasant experience to listen to.
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Extras:

• NEW HD transfer of the best surviving archive print (DTS Master Mono)
• NEW audio commentary with actor Lee Montgomery
• NEW interview with actor Lee Montgomery
• Original Theatrical Trailers
• Original TV Spots
• BEN/WILLARD Double Feature Trailer and TV spot
• Original Radio Spot
• Still Gallery

Final Score: ​

Ben is really a film for the completionists. It’s not a good film at all, but having the first movie without the second movie in collector’s edition form is just not good for us OCD collectors. The shape of the video is to be lamented, as it’s nowhere near the quality of the fantastic restoration of Willard, but by all accounts, that’s not something that Shout Factory can help considering the condition of the print. The extras are more than worth digging into if you’re a fan, and the inclusion of the DVD to make a combo pack is a nice touch. Like the first film I have a “first world problem” with the lack of slipcover, but other than that, it’s a pretty impressive package all things considering. Still, not a movie I’d recommend for anyone but completionists.



Technical Specifications:

Starring: Lee Montgomery, Joseph Campanella, Athur O'Connell
Directed by: Phil Carlson
Written by: Gilbert Ralston (Screenplay), Stephen Gilbert (Book)
Aspect Ratio: 1.85:1 AVC
Audio: English: DTS-HD MA 2.0 Mono
Studio: Scream Factory
Rated: PG
Runtime: 95 Minutes
Blu-ray Release Date: May 16th, 2017

Recommendation: Low Rental for Horror Fans

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[1_sufferin_mind]

Thanks for bursting my bubble, buddy! I, too, had fond memories of these two movies. But like others that memory served well, fresh screenings quickly relegate them back to the shelves. I may rent these for nostalgic reasons, so thanks for the heads-up and saving me some coin!

 

[Todd Anderson]

Mike, you're like the Secret Service agent willing to take a bullet for the greater good of society.

And with that I say: Thank You.

 

[Michael Scott]

haha! sorry, my own bubble was burst too. I hadn't seen it since I was a young teenager, so there goes my nostalgia too

 

[Todd Anderson]

You can place it in the Time Crushed HOF

https://www.avnirvana.com/threads/time-crushed-hof-movies-that-have-not-stood-the-test-of-time.359/

Although, I put E.T. in there and had to take cover!

 

[Michael Scott]

whoa whoa whoa!!? You put E.T. in there??? duuuuuuuuuuuuuude, that was a gutsy move lol

 

[Todd Anderson]

Like I said... I was digging a foxhole within minutes of suggesting it.

But, just keeping it real from my eyes. The movie gods aren't happy, though. :-)

 

[Michael Scott]

lol