Michael Scott
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The Resurrected
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Movie:

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Final Score:

The Resurrected is one of the strange few DTV films that really rises above the stereotypes of the films that came after it. Right around the late 1980s and early 90s we had a blossoming market for films that DIDN’T make the theatrical rounds, and studios were getting used to producing a film meant straight for the VHS rental market. A few experiments came out in the 1980s, but The Resurrected is ONE of the first few to really get some good success with the efforts. Well, I can’t say it was COMPLETELY a DTV film, as it did make the rounds in a few of the film festivals and circuit theaters, but it was a 90% effort being that only a few one night showings of the movie ever made it out to the public before hitting VHS and cable. What made it unique was that it was based off of one of H.P. Lovecraft’s short stories, giving it a distinctly spooky and disturbing vibe for a genre that was just coming off of the big slasher trend. It was gory, gruesome, visually disturbing and a great bit of hammy fun back when I was a terrified 11 year old, and it still maintains a goodly portion of that disturbing feeling to this day.
Death has always been the bane of man’s existence. No matter how good you are, successful you are, or much fun you’re having, death comes to us all. Mankind has dabbled and toiled to try and cheat death as much as possible, but it must come sooner or later. Well, supposedly not ALL of us are destined to be mortals, as the horror world loves to fantasize about what would happen to someone who cheated death. Everything from vampires, immortal gods, and mad scientists tantalize the imagination, but none were so prolific as H.P. Lovecraft. He had a knack for making disturbing material that made you sick to your stomach, and he had a fascination with the process of death and cheating the mortal coil in his personal life as well as his stories (some theorize he had a few mental issues).
The Resurrected teases us with exactly that scenario. Charles Dexter Ward (Chris Sarandon), a wealthy scientist, may have found just a way to do that. His wife Claire (Jane Sibbett, most famous for being Ross’s lesbian ex-wife in Friends) is worried about the constant mysterious experiments that he keeps from her, and finally hires private detective John March (John Terry) to find out what her husband is up to. However, John may find out a little more than he expected, and by the time that he is able to come to the truth, it may be too late, as the dead have incredible powers, but also an incredible curse that will stop at nothing to feed and satiate it’s unmitigated hunger.
Acting wise, this is a horror film, and one using only a single well known actor at the time. Chris Sarandon was famous enough at the time and the big draw of the film, and he hams it up as the stoic and aristocratic scientist easily enough. Jane was pretty much a nobody at that time (friends wouldn’t start till 3 years later), and John Terry was just starting off his career. With that being said, everyone does a great job, and if you didn’t know better, one might assume it was actually a theatrical level film.
Rating:
Rated R for violence and language
Video:

Audio:

Extras:

• NEW Claire's Conundrum – an interview with actress Jane Sibbett
• NEW The Strange Case of Charles Dexter Ward – an interview with S.T. Joshi, author of I Am Providence: The Life and Times of H.P. Lovecraft
• Audio Commentary with producers Mark Borde and Kenneth Raich, screenwriter Brent V. Friedman, actor Richard Romanus and make-up effects artist Todd Masters
• The Resurrected Man – an interview with Chris Sarandon
• Abominations & Adaptations – an interview with screenwriter Brent Friedman
• Grotesque Melodies - an interview with composer Richard Band
• Lovecraftian Landscapes – an interview with production designer Brent Thomas
• Human Experiments – an interview with special effects artist Todd Masters
• Deleted and Extended Scenes from the workprint
• Home Video Trailer & Japanese Trailer
• Photo Gallery
Final Score:

The Resurrected may not be billed as a collector’s edition, but it comes with all the trappings of one (well, except for the famed collector’s edition slipcovers that Scream/Shout Factory is famous for). There’s a brand new master from the Interpositive, a TON of great special features, and the benefit of being a horror flick. The movie isn’t the single greatest horror gem out there, but it most certainly is a fun film, and one of the better DTV movies in the genre. The old film has been dusted off and spruced up nicely, and I had a blast revisiting it. Definitely worth checking out.
Technical Specifications:
Starring: John Terry, Jane Sibbett, Chris Sarandon
Directed by: Dan O'Bannon
Written by: Brent V. Friedman (Screenplay), H.P. Lovecraft (Story)
Aspect Ratio: 1.85:1 AVC
Audio: English: DTS-HD MA 2.0
Studio: Scream Factory
Rated: R
Runtime: 108 Minutes
Blu-ray Release Date: September 12th, 2017
Recommendation: Fun Watch
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