NIGHTBREED is a film with a troubled production
history. 20th Century
Fox
were trying to market it as a slasher film where it severely compromised this
cult classic. It has taken about almost
5 years for the Director’s Cut to see the light of day after the VHS tapes of
the rough cuts were discovered in 2009 (almost 20 years after NIGHTBREED was
released) and then finally the original cut film elements last year which lead
to the creation of a new cut with forty minutes of new and altered footage
(including a new ending). The director’s
cut show the type of epic that NIGHTBREED was meant to be and it shares a lot
in common with the 1930s horror movies like FRAKENSTEIN and BRIDE OF
FRAKENSTEIN. The Danny Elfman music
score and the tale of love that knows no bounds (mixed in the narrative) will
appeal to fans of Tim Burton. NIGHTBREED
has finally been redeemed with a movie closest to what Clive Barker envisioned
for the film version of his novel CABAL.
NIGHTBREED revolves around the troubled character
of Aaron
Boone (Craig Sheffer) who is having dreams of monsters in a place called Midian
and he ends up being manipulated by the evil Dr. Decker (David
Cronenberg). Boone’s journey takes him
to Midian where he is killed (so Decker can cover up the fact he is the actual
serial killer) and goes beyond death to be resurrected. He is accepted into
the subterranean world of
Boone where the law is set by Baphomet (a powerful figure that judges all
Nightbreed) and Lylesburg (Doug Bradley).
Soon his girlfriend Lori (Anne Bobby) goes searching for Boone and it
could lead to a conflict between the Nightbreen and the humans (aka Naturals).
I liked Nightbreed since I first rented on VHS
and I have
seen the theatrical cut several times. I
was aware of the lost footage and a longer version. I find myself blown away
by the Director’s
Cut and it makes me realize how compromised the theatrical cut was (which now
doesn’t make much sense in places after I see the expanded relationship between
Lori and Boone and other extensions to scenes in addition to new scenes). I
know purists will want the Limited Edition
for the theatrical cut and additional extras (which I wish Scream Factory made
available as a 2 disc set separate from the three disc LE that is limited to 10,000
copies).
SPECIAL FEATURES:
DISC 1-
5 minute intro to the Director’s Cut by
Clive Barker and
restoration producer Mark Miller
Audio commentary with Writer/ Director Clive
Barker and
Restoration Producer Mark Alan Miller
TRIBES OF THE MOON: THE MAKING OF NIGHTBREED
(72 minutes)-
the cast talks about how the movie came about, the production and the things
restored for the director’s cut
MAKING MONSTERS: INTERVIEW WITH MAKEUP EFFECTS
ARTISTS (42
minutes)- interviews with Bob Keen and other makeup effects artists of Image
Animation
FIRE! FIGHTS! STUNTS!: 2ND
UNIT SHOOTING (20:20)-
Theatrical trailer-
DISC 2-
23 minutes of deleted and alternate scenes (including
the
theatrical ending)- the scenes are a combo of recovered film elements and some
scenes are mix of regular footage and VHS footage from the Cabal Cut (or just
footage from VHS elements)
CUTTING COMPROMISE (13:55)- interview with
editor Mark
Goldblatt who came in to re-edit the film into more of a slasher film for 20th
Century Fox (who didn’t get the movie) as he described the process of editing
the film when the original editor Richard Marden walked away from the new
editing requests and talks about the scenes that are in the director’s cut
MONSTER PROSTHETICS MASTERCLASS (11:11)- makeup
effects
artist Bob Keen goes through the process of making and putting on prosthetics
in addition to taking it off
THE PAINT LANDSCAPE- a look at the concept art
and the
necropolis wall painting that legendary concept artist Ralph McQuarrie created
for the movie in addition to poster art he decided to do (for the hell of it
and it seems the Scream Factory cover art of the DC shares some elements with
the McQuarrie poster)
MATTE PAINTING TESTS
MAKE-UP TESTS (4:52)-
a look at the make-up tests for Narcisse, Peloquin, and Boone in addition to
silent footage showing the death of a character (which looks like part of a
deleted scene in neither version of NIGHTBREED)
EXTENDED TORTURE SCENE (3:29)
of what Lori sees in flashback
Still Galleries: EARLY SKETCHES, DELETED SCENE
stills (of a
love scene partially shown in the making-of documentary), POSTER AND
PRE-PRODUCTION ART,
ON THE SET OF NIGHTBREED, and THE CAST AND
CREW
DISC 3 is the theatrical cut of NIGHTBREED with
the
theatrical trailer as an extra.
Also included in this three disc limited edition
box set is
a 36 page booklet of stills, poster art, and the story of the troubled
production history of NIGHTBREED, the CABAL CUT, and the DIRECTOR’S CUT.
FINAL ANALYSIS:
The
Director’s Cut of NIGHTBREED is a classic horror movie that you will love and
you will hate the theatrical cut after seeing it. I wish they had some
input from Clive Barker
and the crew during the making-of featurette (besides the audio commentary and
intro to the DC). Some of these separate
interviews could have been integrated (in part) to make TRIBES OF THE MOON a
better and more complete look at the making and rediscovery of NIGHTBREED. However,
I do like some of the extras like
the deleted scenes and some of the interviews on the editing and make-up
effects. I hope Scream Factory does
release this Limited Edition as a two disc set later minus the theatrical cut
which I wonder if they split some extras so they can cover whatever costs they
need to cover for the licensing agreement they did with Warner Bros to secure
the theatrical cut for the release. I
do hope people check out the film that NIGHTBREED was meant to be by watching the
Director’s Cut.
This review is ©10-21-2014
David Blackwell and cannot be reprinted without permission. Send all comments
to feedback@enterline-media.com
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