Release Date: September 25th 2018
Region: A
Rating: PG
Duration: 84 Minutes
Video: 1080p Widescreen (1.85:1), Full Screen (1.33:1)
Audio: English Uncompressed LPCM Mono 2.0 with Optional English Subtitles
Director: Ted Post
Cast: Anjanette Comer, Ruth Roman, Marianne Hill, Suzanne Zenor, Rod Andrews, Michael Pataki, Beatrice Blau, David Manzy
TOP: Arrow Video Blu-ray 2018
BOTTOM: Severin Films Blu-ray 2014
TOP: Arrow Video Blu-ray Widescreen 2018
MIDDLE: Arrow Video Full Frame Version
BOTTOM: Severin Films Blu-ray 2014
The 1970's unleashed very some strange cinema upon the world and The Baby (1973) is definitely one of the WEIRDEST - it's one of those strange brews you won't soon forget after taking it in. Coming to us from Ted Post, the director of Beneath the Planet of the Apes (1970) and Magnum Force (1973), the plot concerns a social worker named Ann (Anjanette Comer, Night of a Thousand Cats) who's been assigned to the bizarre case of the Wadsworth family. The head of the clan is the intensely creepy Mrs. Wadsworth (Ruth Roman, Strangers on a Train), who along with her two knockout but nutty daughters Germaine (Marianna Hill, Messiah of Evil) and Alba (Susanne Zenor), care for a strange child named only "Baby".
TOP: Arrow Video Blu-ray 2018
BOTTOM: Severin Films Blu-ray 2014
This "Baby" is no ordinary infant, in fact he's a 21 year old young man with what seems to be severe mental retardation. He wears adult sized diapers, has a crib and a playpen, bottle feeds, and of course soils himself. Social worker Anne is concerned by the man-child's lack of development and suspects that years of cruelty and negative reinforcement at the hands of the family have stunted his natural development. Anne tries to teach Baby rudimentary words and to stand and walk on his own, but the family wants nothing to do with furthering his development which leads to a bitter war of words. Eventually Anne becomes more and more obsessed with the child for her own demented reasons and takes Baby from the home which sparks a vicious battle for the infant-minded man.
TOP: Arrow Video Blu-ray 2018
BOTTOM: Severin Films Blu-ray 2014
Not surprisingly there are indeed some odd things happening at the household and it's not just relegated to the women of the house either. One of the oddest moments in a film drenched in oddity is when a teen babysitter gets in on the freaky action in a weird scenario that ends with Baby suckling her breast! Quite a sexually confusing scenario, that babysitter is gonna be fucked-up for life just like everyone else in the film. Ruth Roman's mother character is a mix of Mommy Dearest (1981) intensity and John Waters' Serial Mom (1994) insanity, but not campy, this is played straight, which only makes it weirder. The sisters are an odd pair, Germaine is a creepy beauty - with quite the hair-do - whom lends some implied incestuous overtones to the proceedings by shedding her nightgown and crawling into Baby's crib while Alba is a cruel blond vixen who enjoys punishing Baby with an electric cattle prod while screaming "Baby doesn't talk! Baby doesn't walk!". The film is offbeat from the get-go but only gets weirder, from a bizarre psychedelic birthday party for baby right up to a bizarre crescendo that defies expectations with a series of unexpected ax murders that had me screaming what-the-fuck with demented glee, this is a film that's sure delight seekers of the strange and demented exploitation.
TOP: Arrow Video Blu-ray 2018
BOTTOM: Severin Films Blu-ray 2014
Audio/Video: The Baby (1973) was previously released on Blu-ray from Severin Films in 2014, and now four years later the fucked-up film gets a special edition Blu-ray from Arrow Video, presenting the film in 1080p HD, with the option to view in in 1.85:1 widescreen or 1.33:1, the fullscreen version offering more image on the top and bottom of the frame. The Severin release suffered from weak blacks that were more grey than deep black and colors that seemed muted and soft with poor contrast. Not sure what the lineage of the new Arrow transfer is but it's a marked improvement in all areas. Colors are more vibrant, the blacks are deeper and more natural looking, and contrast is much improved with more detail evident throughout. The lone audio option is English uncompressed LPCM Mono that sounds fine with both the dialogue and the Gerald Fried (Paths of Glory) score coming through with clarity, optional English subtitles are provided.
TOP: Arrow Video Blu-ray 2018
BOTTOM: Severin Films Blu-ray 2014
Along with the improved PQ we get some tasty new goodies from Arrow Video, beginning with a brand new audio commentary from film journalist Travis Crawford who gives a nicely detailed and thorough commentary on the film.
There's also a new interview with actor Marianna Hill who speaks about wanting to work with director Ted Post after her friend Clint Eastwood talked so highly about him, and her willingness to do just about anything on film, aside from sex stuff, and playing her character like she's trapped in a fairytale per the director's suggestion. She also speaks what it was like working with Anjanette Coomer who she felt protective of, and Ruth Roman who she says was a real an Joan Crawford type, and how sweet David Mooney was.
TOP: Arrow Video Blu-ray 2018
BOTTOM: Severin Films Blu-ray 2014
Hippy-artist/set decorator Stanley Dyrector who created the creepy paintings seen in the nursery shows up for a six-minute interview, he talks about his process and how he ended with a screen credit for the film, in addition to saying he felt a lot of tension between Ruth Roman and Anjanette Comer on the set which fueled their character dynamics. He even showcases some of the paintings he kept from the film, he's a real character.
Professor Rebekah McKendry from Blumhouse.Com's awesome Shock Waves Podcast shows up for a fun remembrance of her discovering this bat-shit insane film, walking us through the plot mechanics and bizarreness of the film.
TOP: Arrow Video Blu-ray 2018
BOTTOM: Severin Films Blu-ray 2014
Carried-over from the Severin release are two archival interviews, the first a 20-min audio interview with the director who was 93 years old at the time of the interview and was still quite lucid in respect to the development of and the odd nature of the subject matter. We also get a 15-min archival audio interview with star David Mooney who portrayed the titular baby character, at the time of the interview he was a high school teacher in San Antonio, Texas and fondly recalls his career beginning a a few Disney movies, plus the audition experience for The Baby, and working with the women on the film.
The special edition from Arrow Video is buttoned up with a trailer for the film, for this review we were only sent a "check disc" without artwork or the packaging extras, but retail copies include a sleeve of reversible artwork and a limited edition first-pressing booklet with notes on the film from Kat Ellinger. This is a pretty sweet upgrade from Arrow Video, this is far and away the definitive edition of the movie.
TOP: Arrow Video Blu-ray 2018
BOTTOM: Severin Films Blu-ray 2014
Special Features:
- Family Affair - An interview with actor Marianna Hill, Filmed July 2018 (6 Min)
- Nursery Crimes - An interview with nursery painting creator Stanley Dyrector, filmed in July 2018 (6 min)
- Down Will Come Baby - a new retrospective with film professor Rebekah McKendry (12 min)
- Tales from the Crib - archival audio Interview with director Ted Post
- Baby Talk - Archival audio Interview with Star David Mooney from January 2011 (15 min)
- Theatrical Trailer (3 min)
- Brand new audio commentary by Travis Crawford
- Reversible sleeve featuring artwork by The Twins of Evil
- FIRST PRESSING ONLY: Collector’s booklet featuring new writing by Kat Ellinger
TOP: Arrow Video Blu-ray 2018
BOTTOM: Severin Films Blu-ray 2014
This is one seriously strange slice of 70's exploitation cinema, it will leave you dumbfounded as you wonder just how the Hell did this demented film get a PG rating with all that twisted sexual tension and odd predatory tendencies? You may think you seen it all but you haven't seen it ALL unless you've seen The Baby! The new special edition from Arrow is the best looking version of the film with the most comprehensive set of extras, this is the one to own, highest recommendation to seekers of strange 70's cinema.
