By WILLIAM J. WRIGHT
If there’s justification for the continuing existence of physical media, it’s Second Sight Films‘ 4K UHD and Blu-ray releases. The U.K.-based distributor of classic cult and genre films has outdone itself with limited edition 4K UHD and Blu-ray combo releases of the David Cronenberg classics THE BROOD and SCANNERS that exceed even the high standards of the venerable Criterion Collection. Packed with a plethora of special features, commentary tracks and insightful essays, these beautifully packaged and expertly curated sets are must-haves for horror fans and serious cinephiles alike. Exploding heads and mutant rage children have never looked or sounded better.
Released in 1979, Cronenberg’s THE BROOD stars Samantha Eggar as Nola Carveth, a disturbed woman whose mental and emotional trauma physically manifests as murderous, childlike creatures born of her internalized rage. Second Sight’s Cronenberg-approved 4K restoration is crisp and stunning in both the included UHD and Blu-Ray discs – although the former, presented in HDR with Dolby Vision, may have a slight (and probably undiscernible to most) edge. However (and this is also the case with Second Sight’s SCANNERS limited edition set), the feature is almost secondary to the exhaustive special features. Included are:
- An all-new audio commentary by Martyn Conterio and Kat Ellinger
- Audio commentary by William Beard
- Meet the Carveths: an interview with actors Art Hindle and Cindy Hinds
- Producing THE BROOD: an interview with executive producer Pierre David
- The Look of Rage: an interview with cinematographer Mark Irwin
- Scoring THE BROOD: an interview with composer Howard Shore
- Character for Cronenberg: an interview with actor Robert A Silverman
- Anger Management: Cronenberg’s BROOD and the Shapes of Cinematic Rage – a video essay by Leigh Singer
- Cronenberg – The Early Years: an archival interview with David Cronenberg
- A 120-page softcover book of new essays by Jenn Adams, William Beard, Craig Ian Mann, Carolyn Mauricette, Shelagh Rowan-Legg, Amber T, Alexandra West and Scott Wilson
- Six collectors’ art cards featuring the work of cover artist Krishna Shenoi
Croneberg’s tense 1981 sci-fi horror feature SCANNERS stars Stephen Lack as Cameron Vale, a homeless man with incredible psionic powers, recruited to hunt down a sinister group of similarly psychically enhanced individuals led by the psychotic Darryl Revok (Michael Ironside). Boasting the most iconic exploding head in cinematic history, SCANNERS is a brutal and intelligent body horror classic, and Second Sight’s Limited Edition 4K UHD and Blu-ray set gives it its due. As with the limited edition release of THE BROOD, SCANNERS features a magnificent new 4K restoration approved by David Cronenberg. (Gray matter, bone fragments and blood fly in unparalleled detail, so gorehounds take note!) The film looks better than ever, but again, the real star of this show is the set’s extensive collection of bonus features and extras. Here’s the rundown:
- A new audio commentary from They Came From Within: A History of Canadian Horror Cinema author Caelum Vatnsdal
- Audio commentary by Cronenberg scholar William Beard
- My Art Keeps Me Sane: an interview with Stephen Lack
- Method in his Madness: an interview with Michael Ironside
- Bad Guy Dane: an interview with actor Lawrence Dane
- The Eye of SCANNERS: an interview with cinematographer Mark Irwin
- Mind Fragments: an interview with composer Howard Shore
- The Chaos of SCANNERS: an interview with executive producer Pierre David
- Exploding Brains & Popping Veins: an interview with makeup effects artist Stephan Dupuis
- Monster Kid: an interview with makeup effects artist Chris Walas
- Cronenberg’s Tech Babies: a video essay by Tim Coleman
- A 120-page book with new essays by Dr Xavier Aldana Reyes, Eugenio Ercolani and Gian Giacomo Petrone, Kurt Halfyard, Craig Ian Mann, Francesco Massaccesi, Jessica Scott, Emma Westwood and Heather Wixson
- Six art cards by Krishna Shenoi
Overall, Second Sight Films’ SCANNERS and THE BROOD Limited Edition 4K UHD and Blu-ray sets are excellent and nearly essential additions to any horror fan’s collection, and considering the volume and quality of the content, they are steals at $44.84 each. However, if there is a fault to be found with either, it’s the omission of a commentary track by the director, an element that would have really put these releases over the top. Maybe next time…
