FLATLINERS (1990) (Special SteelBook® Edition Blu-ray Review)

FLATLINERS (1990)

2-Disc SteelBook® Special Edition 

Label: Mill Creek Entertainment
Region Code: A/1
Duration: 114 Minutes
Rating: R
Audio: English DTS-HD MA 5.1 with Optional English Subtitles 
Video: 1080p Widescreen (2.35:1)
Director: Joel Schumacher
Cast: Kiefer Sutherland, Julia Roberts, Kevin Bacon, William Baldwin, Oliver Platt

Synopsis: Arrogant med school student Nelson Wright (Kiefer Sutherland), convinces four of his medical school classmates — Joe Hurley (William Baldwin), Dave Labraccio (Kevin Bacon), Randy Steckle (Oliver Platt) and Rachel Manus (Julia Roberts) — to help him discover what lies beyond this mortal coil by medically inducing death. As Nelson drift into a sort of afterlife once his heart and brain activity seek he experiences a vision of a child he bullied to death years earlier. Once resuscitated he continues to experience vivid waking nightmares of Billy who not only haunts him but causes him bodily injury. Nelson does not share the strange experience  at first - other than to say there's something out there - and soon four of the five have flatlined and are experiencing they're own waking nightmares which seem to have followed them from the afterlife, 

I caught this sci-fi thriller in in theaters in the Summer of 1999, having been drawn in by the trailers and the inclusion of Keifer Sutherland who I was a huge fan of from his turn in The Lost Boys  (1987) and thought was the coolest dude ever. I also recognized Kevin Bacon from White Water Summer (1987), so I was in right away. Now 25 years later watching it I was sucked right back into the story such as it is - med students risking it all to answer that eternal question - is there an afterlife? 

Set at a strangely Gothic looking medical school with high vaulted ceiling and apparently undergoing a remodel - there's plastic and sheeting draped everywhere and it's one Hell of a drafty space. The classrooms where the students dissect medical cadavers are so dark they appear lit by candles with the Mario Bava-esque lighting casting a blue, green and red pallor on everything - whether it makes sense or not! Obviously director Joel Schumacher is going for a slightly surreal, nightmarish quality, so abandon all sense of realism at the front door, you can always count of Schumacher ti make a visually pleasing film, even if the story seem underdeveloped/fleshed out. 

The all-star 90's cast is quite good - we have Sutherland as the arrogant God-complex afflicted genius and Julia Roberts (Mystic Pizza) as a young woman obsessed with the afterlife following a childhood tragedy involving her father. Bacon is a doc with the an uncanny knack of resuscitation while Baldwin is a sex-obsessed voyeur, and each of them join in on discovering once and for all if there is an afterlife, some for fame, others notoriety and their own edification. Well, everyone except Platt who is the literally the fifth wheel in this death-obsessed journey, the only one opting not to "flatline", proving to be the annoying voice of reason choosing to remain an observer while wondering just what-the-fuck is wrong with these people?

My enjoyment of this one survived yet another revisit with the release of this Blu-ray. Sure, a lot of things that happen here are just unlikely and no reasonable person in the medical professional would probably cross these ethical lines, but this group does but just soaking it in on it's own terms this is probably my favorite post-The Lost Boys Schumacher movie - though those camp-drenched Batman entries are fun in a shit-movie sort of way. 

Flatliners is more a surreal medical nightmare than a true horror film but it's a fun 90's entry with some inspired sets and design elements and a strong star-studded cast. My one complaint would be that the film does not actually answer the question it sets up - is there an afterlife - or maybe it does and I just didn't care for the answer, either way it didn't stop me from enjoying it. 

Audio/Video: Flatliners (1990) arrives as 1 2-disc DVD/Blu-ray combo from Mill Creek Entertainment touting a new HD Transfer with "greater clarity and significant touch-ups throughout the film". Presented inthe original 2.35:1 OAR in 1080p HD with an AVC encode. To my eyes this is an certainly an improvement over their previous 2014 Blu-ray, the grain seems better managed, the image and colors are brighter, and true to the advertising the image does have better clarity and depth, they did good here with the new transfer, very pleasing. 

Despite the packaging indicating that the audio track is PCM 5.1 what we do get s a DTS-HD MA 5.1 Surround track with optional English subtitles. The surround presentation is nicely immersive with the score coming through in the rear channels more so than anything else, but everything is crisp, clean, and well-balanced. Optional English Subtitles are provided. 

There are no extras on this release, I was sort hoping that MCE would have opted for new extras such as with their recent release of Shakes The Clown (1991) on Blu-ray, though I feel that was more of a director driven inclusion, but at least this one has a start-up menu as where the 2014 release did not - it features just a play and subtitles option. 

This is Mill Creek's first foray into the world of Steelbook as far as I can find, the 2-disc set features the 'creation of Adam' artwork with a clear plastic slip box cover. The plastic slip features the front cover credits and logo with the heart monitor blip design, the reverse side features a synopsis, credit, Blu-ray specifications, and thumbnail images from the film. The Steelbook itself features no text except for the logo on the spine. Opening up the steelbook you will find the 2-disc DVD/Blu-ray, plus an illustration on the inside of the Steelbook case that spreads across both sides. 

If you're a fan of this ethereal 90's thriller and crave desirable Steelbook packaging the new release from Mill Creek Entertainment is sure to satisfy, if you crave extras then this might be a flatline for you, but either way, this is the best looking Blu-ray of the film on home video right now, and it can be found for fairly cheap online. I hope it moves a bunch of units, because I'd like to see more Steelbooks coming from MCE - would love to see their Hammer and William Castle releases get a Steelbook upgrade. 

FLATLINERS (1990)

FLATLINERS (1990)

Label: Mill Creek Entertainment
Region Code: 1
Duration: 114 Minutes
Rating: R
Audio: DTS-HD Master Audio 
Video: 1080p Widescreen (2.35:1)
Director: Joel Schumacher
Cast: Kiefer Sutherland, Julia Roberts, Kevin Bacon, William Baldwin, Oliver Platt

Arrogant med school student Nelson Wright (Kiefer Sutherland), convinces four of his medical school classmates — Joe Hurley (William Baldwin), Dave Labraccio (Kevin Bacon), Randy Steckle (Oliver Platt) and Rachel Manus (Julia Roberts) — to help him discover what lies beyond this mortal coil by medically inducing death. As Nelson drift into a sort of afterlife once his heart and brain activity seek he experiences a vision of a child he bullied to death years earlier. Once resuscitated he continues to experience vivid waking nightmares of Billy who not only haunts him but causes him bodily injury. Nelson does not share the strange experience  at first - other than to say there's something out there - and soon four of the five have flatlined and are experiencing they're own waking nightmares which seem to have followed them from the afterlife, 

I caught this sci-fi thriller in in theaters in the Summer of 1999 drawn in by the trailers and the inclusion of Keifer Sutherland who I loved to death in Lost Boys and thought was the coolest dude ever. I also recognized Kevin Bacon from Friday the 13th but it was the adverts that caught my attention. Now 25 years later watching it I was sucked right back into the story such as it is - med students risking it all to answer that eternal question - is there an afterlife. 

Set at a strange looking med school which looks more like a mansion with high vaulted ceiling and apparently undergoing a remodel - there's plastic and sheeting draped everywhere and it's one Hell of a drafty space. The classrooms where the students dissect cadavers are so dark they appear lit by candles and the Mario Bava-esque  light gels casting a blue, green and red pallor on everything - whether it makes sense or not! Obviously Schumacher is going for a slightly surreal nightmarish quality to the film which I accept right away - abandon all sense of realism at the front door or you are gonna have some serious issues

The cast is firing on all cylinders - we have Sutherland as the arrogant God-complex afflicted genius and Julia Roberts as a young woman obsessed with the afterlife following a childhood trauma. Bacon is a doc with the an uncanny knack resuscitation while Baldwin is a sex-obsessed douche and all want in on discovering once and for all if there  is an afterlife for fame, notoriety and their own edification. Everyone except Platt who is the literally the fifth wheel in this death-obsessed journey.who opts not to flatline and is pretty much the voice of reason and who observes while wondering just what-the-fuck is wrong with you people?

I enjoyed this one quite a bit upon revisit - a few things are just unlikely and no sane person let alone a medical professional would cross the ethical lines this group does but just soaking it in on it's own terms this is probably my favorite Schumacher movie - who directed several notably camp-drenched Batman entries - after The Lost Boys (1987) also starring Sutherland. 

More a surreal nightmare than a horror film but this one is a decent watch you can thrown anytime and enjoy with some inspired sets and design elements plus a strong cast. My one complaint would be that the film does not actually answer the question it sets up - the afterlife - or maybe it does and I just didn't care for it. 

LAKE PLACID (1999)

LAKE PLACID (1999) 

Label: Scream Factory
Region Code: A
Duration: 82 Minutes 
Rating: R
Audio: English DTS-HD Master Audio 2.0,  English DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 with Optional English Subtitles
Video: 1080p Widescreen (2.35:1) 
Director: Steve Miner
Cast: Bill Pullman, Bridget Fonda, Brendan Gleeson, Oliver Platt

LAKE PLACID (1999) is a damn fun creature feature, more a comedy than straight-up horror but it's loaded with some sweet gore and genuine moments of suspense but make no mistake about it though for sarcasm and wit are the cold-blooded heart of this reptilian beast. We begin with a great scene as a deputy is chomped in half while inspecting a beaver dam - no that's not a euphemism. At first it it theorized that it could have been one of those underwater grizzly bears stalking the depths of Black Lake. The sheriff  dismisses this retarded thought and it's soon quite clear that a man-eating monster crocodile is terrorizing the calm waters but no one has any idea just how massive this beast actually is.

A small group set out to track and capture the beast, we have Sheriff Hank Keough (Brendan Gleeson, IN BRUGES), Fish and Game officer Jack Wells (Bill Pullman, ID4) and American Museum of Natural History paleontologist Kelly Scott (Bridget Fonda, JACKIE BROWN) who is woefully and hilariously out of her element among the mosquito and worms. Also joining in on the croc crusade is a pompous mythology professor who moonlights as a weird crocodile whisperer Hector Cyr (Oliver Platt, X-MEN:FIRST CLASS) plus various red-shirt types who end up as headless croc-chum. The secret weapon of the cast is the foul-mouthed Betty White (TV's GOLDEN GIRLS) who made a name for herself in the past few years as a nasty granny but this was the first time we saw her turn blue in a hilarious turn as a nutty blue hair who turns out to be at fault for the reptilian plague.

The humor elements works for me, much of it derived from the interactions of the characters ore so than clumsy prat falls - it makes for a fun watch. The pompous Hector constantly talks down to the small town sheriff who is no fan of the sarcasm that routinely falls out of the mouth of just about everyone who's not him. Pullman's a bit dry compared to the rest of the cast - maybe a bit miscast - but he does just fine as the straight man with a wry sense of humor. Platt and Gleeson are a fun adversarial duo regularly trading barbs and one line stingers. 

The now 15 year-old special effects hold-up surprisingly well including some early stage digital effects. Miner went with a mix of digital and practical effects with the vast majority being old school physical in-camera stuff much to the benefit of the film. None other than Stan Winston (JURASSIC PARK) created the 30 ft. animation croc used in the film and it's a stunner of a beast. Watching the extras I was surprised to learn the cow on the helicopter sling was animatronic which blew my mind - I thought that was a real heifer! The are some great moments of gore -   they start off strong with the initial kill as the deputy is torn in half and lifted from the water into a boat - his entrails hanging from his torso - this is some good stuff. 

The film failed to find audiences in theaters back in 1999 with it's odd mix of comedy and horror - the studio just didn't know how to market such a film - they seem to have a hard time with these genre benders. Not horror enough for the gore-hounds and not comedic enough for the comedy lovers but as I sat in my seat watching this fifteen years ago I was quite a happy camper and revisiting again over a decade later it holds-up just fine. 

The Blu-ray from Scream Factory looks quite nice which is not too surprising given this is one of the more recent films they've given the Collector's Edition treatment to. The source element used for the HD master looks great with only the most minimal of white specks. The grain structure is intact but the fine detail is not as strong I would have hoped for from a newer film. We do get some moderate depth and clarity to the image and the color reproduction is strong, the black levels are pleasing and the contrast is fine - overall a solid 1080p transfer in the original widescreen aspect ratio. . 

Audio options include the choice of English DTS-HD Master Audio 2.0 stereo or 5.1 surround. The surround track is quite nice with a good dynamic range and some good use of the surrounds. The score seems a little high in the mix from time to time and I  found myself adjusting the volume quite a bit throughout - optional English subtitles are provided. 

Onto the extras we have a half-hour making of  featurette with new interviews from director Steve Miner, actor Bill Pullman, director of photography Daryn Okada, editor Marshall Harvey, Production Designer John Willett, Effects supervisor Nick Marra and Puppeteer Toby Lindala mixed in with clips from the film, quite a decent watch with lots of production notes and fun anecdotes. My favorite stories are of the foul-mouthed Betty White and the story of the trained bear on-set who spotted the 30 ft. animatronic croc and turned tail -- scared to death of the behemoth -- haha. 

We also have a 5-minute vintage featurette, animatronic test footage, trailer and TV spots. A very nice set of features and the disc comes with slip cover and reversible artwork with the option of the original poster art or a new illustration from R.P. "Kung Fu" O'Brien.

Special Features:

- The Making of LAKE PLACID featuring new interviews with director Steve Miner, actor Bill Pullman, director of photography Daryn Okada, editor Marshall Harvey, Production Designer John Willett, Effects supervisor Nick Marra and Puppeteer Toby Lindala (31:20) 
- Vintage Featurette featuring interviews with actors Bridget Fonda, Bill Pullman, Oliver Platt, Brendon Gleason, Bette White and director Steve Miner (5:38) 
- Behind the Scenes Still Gallery - 40 Images  (5:41) 
- Animatronic Croc Test Footage (7:21) 
- 3 TV Spots (1:34) 
- Theatrical Trailer (1:58) 

Glad to see LAKE PLACID get the Scream Factory treatment with a definitive Blu-ray. Director Steve Miner (HOUSE) crafted a fun piece of popcorn entertainment loaded with gore and some decent suspense plus a ton of sarcastic wit. This is the comfort food of creature features and it hangs quite comfortably with ARACHNOPHOBIA and DEEP BLUE SEA which tread the same water but LAKE PLACID does it way better.