Nightbreed
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Actor: Anne Bobby, Charles Haid, Craig Sheffer, David Cronenberg, Hugh QuarshieBrand: SHEFFER,CRAIG
DVD: Region Code 1
Audio: English (Unknown); English (Subtitled); French (Subtitled); Spanish (Subtitled); English (Original Language)
Format: Closed-captioned, Color, Dolby, DVD, NTSC, Subtitled, Widescreen
Picture Format: 1.85:1
Running Time: 102 minutes
Published: 2004-06-01
DVD Release Date: 2004-06-01
Audience Rating: R (Restricted)
Studio: Warner Home Video
DVD Reviews of Nightbreed
DVD Review: "God's an astronaut, Oz is over the rainbow, and Midian is where the monsters live."
Summary: 4 Stars
Ever feel out of place, like you just don't fit in? A square peg in a round world? Plagued with dreams of fantastic and nightmarish creature who couldn't possibly exist? Ever look at your fellow man with cannibalistic intent? If so, it could mean one of two things...either you're a typical teenager, or your Nightbreed, remnants of shape-shifting race that once thrived on Earth, but has since been hunted down and destroyed, driven to live in secluded secrecy for survival. Written (based on his novel titled "Cabal") and directed horror auteur Clive Barker, Nightbreed (1990) stars Craig Sheffer (Some Kind of Wonderful, A River Runs Through It), Anne Bobby (Born on the Fourth of July, "Cop Rock"), and writer/director/actor/producer David Cronenberg (Videodrome, Naked Lunch, A History of Violence). Also appearing is Hugh Quarshie (Star Wars: Episode I - The Phantom Menace), Hugh Ross (Patriot Games), Doug `Pinhead' Bradley (Hellraiser), and Charles Haid, whom I best remember as Officer Andrew 'Andy' Renko from the hit 80s television series "Hill Street Blues".
After a strange opening sequence (featuring all kinds of crazy looking creatures), we meet Aaron Boone (Sheffer) and his girlfriend Lori Winston (Bobby). Seems Boone, who has a troubled past, has been suffering from frightening nightmares for a while, ones featuring fantastic creatures related to a place called Midian. After this we see the particularly brutal slaying of a family by an oddly masked man and we also learn this isn't an isolated event, as some six families have been murdered in the last ten months, the general consensus being it's the work of a deranged (is there any other kind?) serial killer. Boone's therapist, Dr. Decker (Cronenberg), warns Boone that the authorities have contacted him with regards to the killings, investigating the possibility that one of Decker's patients may be responsible. Due to his uncertainty with his possible involvement, Boone hits the road to find this place called Midian, which turns out to be a sanctuary of sorts, inhabited by bizarre creatures, located under an old, isolated cemetery, with the authorities not far behind. Various events occur, which lead up to Boone's demise, but death doesn't always signify the end, as Boone experiences a rebirth of sorts, indicating he's more than he seems, which results into acceptance into the community (via a ceremony involving magic, glowing juices) that previously rejected him. Lori makes the scene, in search of Boone, as does a familiar, malignant force intent on the destruction of those it sees as an aberration to mankind. This force had been successful for years in dealing with the `disease' in isolated situations, but it desires to uncover the source, perceived as being Midian, and has now enlisted the aide of local authorities to achieve its goal. As all hell is about to break loose, we learn of a prophecy involving Boone, but his role, whether it be savior or destroyer, is unclear...
I have to say, given Midian was supposed to be this highly secretive place, a sanctuary for those of the ancient tribes of the super freaky, it sure didn't seem difficult to find...not that I ever would have wanted to have gone there myself. I did enjoy this movie a lot, but I think it's important to note Barker's original film was something like two and a half hours long before he was forced by the studio (meat) heads and an obviously out of touch ratings board to hack it up considerably. As a result, it does feel like there's quite a bit of integral material missing, much of it probably focusing on character development, which would have elevated this to more than what it was, that being a very glossed over rendition of his original story. The film does seem to hit on most of the main points, but I couldn't help feel that which was removed would have helped fleshed the story out considerably, and would have provided for a more natural flow overall. I thought the performances were all pretty good, although I had a hard time separating Craig Sheffer from his role as the Hardy Jenns from the film Some Kind of Wonderful (1987). It's not that the two characters (here he's a hero of sorts) are similar, but he provided such a convincing performance as the antagonistic a-hole in that previous film that I kept flashing back to it whenever I saw him on the screen, a sort of mental typecasting on my part, I suppose. The two standouts for me were Cronenberg, who played Decker, and Charles Haid, whose character Captain Eigerman was the psuedo-patriotic, some what psychotic, gung-ho, prone to violence leader of the redneck militia who eventually go to war with Midian at the end of the film...and what a battle scene that was, featuring handguns, shotguns, dynamite, a flamethrower, and even a rocket launcher (who the hell has one of those lying around? And where can I get one?). I think my favorite scene occurred around this point, as the Nightbreed, attempting to fight back in their own, unusual ways, realize they need assistance, and let loose their dogs of war, specifically the Berserkers, a group of beings so violent and unpredictable that they must be locked deep within the Nightbreed sanctuary. There was some grisly scenes (the throat cut near the beginning stands out in my mind) along with a decent amount of blood, but I'm betting the more extreme parts got removed...ah well...the upside, I guess, is that the movie does move along well (going into overdrive at near the end). I also thought the freaky character prosthetics, make-up, and special effects were very well done, and helped foster the sense, within the context of the film, that these types of characters really did exist.
The picture on this DVD, presented in anamorphic widescreen (1.85:1), looks very clean and sharp, but I did notice a few, minor dirt specks from time to time. Nothing serious, but perhaps Warner Brothers didn't feel the need to ensure the transfer negative be cleaned prior to using it to encode the DVD. The Dolby Digital Surround 5.1 audio comes through well, and compliments Danny Elfman's wonderful musical score nicely. As far as special features, included is an original theatrical trailer, along with cast & crew filmographies, and that's it...feels a bit skimpy, but the DVD was released way back in 2001, and studios had yet to fully appreciate the value of thoughtful and interesting extras, in my opinion. Will we ever see a full blown, director's cut of Nightbreed, with all the cut footage restored? I doubt it, as I have a feeling much of it was probably discarded...oh well, if anything, we still have the book "Cabal", for those interested in getting the full story.
Cookieman108
Description of Nightbreed
Set in the canadian wilderness, a search is on for a serial killer and an ancient tribe of monsters called the night-breed.Troubled twentysomething Craig Sheffer is haunted by violent dreams of serial killings and nocturnal invitations by misshapen creatures who live in a misty, mysterious land called Midia. Adapted and directed by Clive Barker (Hellraiser) from his novel Cabal, this tribute to the magical creatures of the night plays like a Jungian reinterpretation of classic myths with a modern twist. Nightbreed are the dead reborn as monsters of legend, fantasies, and nightmares who form their own outcast society in an underground city beneath an Alberta graveyard. Visionary horror director David Cronenberg steps in front of the camera to play Sheffer's unscrupulous psychiatrist, an eerie, unsettling character whose dark side is hidden under a soft-spoken manner and an eerily calm and controlled voice.
Barker has a rather unsubtle approach to this fantastical Holocaust metaphor: every human is a victim, a hick, or a bloodthirsty monster, and the climactic witch-hunt is all gore and spectacle. By contrast the bestial society of outcasts has a kind of natural, innocent savagery that turns protective when the tribe is threatened. Cool-looking beings of bright colors, latex masks, and outrageous bodysuits, they band together like some extreme mutant superhero team with anger-management issues. Barker could use more attention to details (what happened to the so-called mystic properties of his shape-shifting monster heroes when the guns were drawn?), but there's an undeniable charge to his modern take on myth and magic. --Sean Axmaker
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