COLLECTOR'S CRYPT - THE RETURN OF SWAMP THING (LIGHTYEAR 4K UHD)
We don’t cover a lot of superhero movies here in the crypt for one main reason, most of them are not horror. And please, miss me with the “mUlTiVeRsE oF mAdNeSs WaS hOrRoR” argument, it was not. While some movies may contain darker elements, few superhero films ever traverse far enough into genre tropes to be confused for anything but blockbuster sci-fi action movies. This is not a rant against superhero movies, rather, this is a testament to the lack of horror superheroes with a cinematic presence. While the 90s and early 00’s gave us some flashes of greatness in BLADE, SPAWN (sue me, it’s a guilty pleasure), HELLBOY, and CONSTANTINE, it was SWAMP THING who carried the genre torch throughout the 80s. WES CRAVEN’s 1982 SWAMP THING is a bit of a mixed bag, and while I enjoy it I also don’t begrudge anyone who doesn’t. And for those elder millennials like me, you probably remember the USA show which was born from THE RETURN OF SWAMP THING. Now, thanks to LIGHTYEAR ENTERTAINMENT we have THE RETURN OF SWAMP THING on 4K UHD, an upgrade in visual quality from the previous MVD REWIND COLLECTION. The question always remains, is this new 4K upgrade worth returning to the swamp, or should you save your bucks for the bayou?
WHAT’S IT ABOUT?
After her mother's mysterious death, Abigail Arcane travels to the Florida swamps to confront her resurrected evil stepfather Dr. Anton Arcane. In an attempt to stave off the effects of aging, Dr. Arcane, assisted by Dr. Lana Zurrell, combines genes from various swamp animals and human beings, creating an army of monsters known as Un-Men. When Abby arrives, Dr. Arcane is hell-bent on taking his own stepdaughter's life in the name of science...
HOW IS IT?
SWAMP THING is hands down one of the best superheroes to ever grace comic book pages, and the run in the 80s, spearheaded by ALAN MOORE’s award-winning writing, is still some of the best writing across the medium. In fact, it was CRAVEN’s film that gave way to a resurgence of everyone’s favorite swampy superhero and in turn the run that ALAN MOORE had from 1984-1987. In 1989, THE RETURN OF SWAMP THING (referred to as TRSW for brevity) was released aiming to shift the focus away from the deeply thoughtful musings of the comic to a more family-friendly fare that would appeal to kids and adults alike. TRSW succeeds in that it straddles both sides nicely, as long as you aren’t scared away by some rough edges due to a shoestring budget.
TRSW is probably the first example of what the modern superhero movie would ultimately become. From the comic book storyboard opening credits to the balance of humor, emotion, and action. What makes TRSW stand out, aside from being a trailblazer in the 80s, is just how much fun the whole affair is. From the rubbery creature effects to the bombastic and explosive set pieces ripped right out of a CANON FILMS feature, no one can claim that TRSW is boring. Much of this can be accredited to the masterful direction and creative pivoting of JIM WYNORSKI. WYNORSKI’s auteurist stamp is all over this thing, and those familiar with his work will pick up on it right away. From the very jump, we get a bumbling group of g-men looking for swamp monsters, only to have them be attacked by one and saved by another, the titular Swamp Thing. The look of the Un-Men and Swamp Thing is far better than what we got in 1982, and a lot of that is thanks to the advancement in practical effects that dominated the 80s. In this way, TRSW shares a lot in common with an early 90s film, THE GUYVER, in that there is an intentional dedication to the use of big rubbery monster costumes. A trend that would slowly come to an end as the new millennium was edging closer. It’s endearing seeing movies that don’t have to rely on CGI and still can give you that pulpy comic feel that feels like cinematic comfort food for the comic-loving soul.
Two things that most critics will pick up on are the acting and the budget. While I can agree to some extent that Locklear’s performance as Abby Arcane is a bit too silly, it fits the tone of the film and only stands out if you’re entirely turned off by that tone from the start. LOUIS JORDAN reprises his role as Dr. Arcane, and you can tell he is enjoying the laissez-faire smugness of his portrayal from the first film. The star of the show is easily DICK DUROCK as Swamp Thing (aka Dr. Alec Holland), and this time around he is in the suit and make-up the entire time. There is a tenderness and sweetness to Durock’s portrayal that shines through the heavy amounts of makeup applied to him. Furthermore, Swamp Thing actually fights people. Before the days of CGI laser beams and faux fighting, we actually get to see Swamp Thing bash some heads. As much as I would love some more swamp-like superpowers, the film is fine without it, even if I do wish it was a tad more gruesome. To be fair, it is far more violent and intense than most other kid-friendly superhero films, and it’s reasonable to say “they just don’t make ‘em like they used to”.
HOW DOES IT LOOK?
The emergence of 4K UHD has been a godsend to films across all decades, but that doesn’t mean that you always get the expected result. For LIGHTYEAR ENTERTAINMENT’s release of TRSW they provide a brand new 4K restoration from the original interpositive with Dolby Vision / HDR mastering. Aside from that, there isn’t much info on the process and materials and the film itself is presented in 16x9 widescreen with a 1.85:1 aspect ratio. The picture quality is marginally better than the previous MVD REWIND release, but the differences aren’t so striking to make this an entirely new viewing experience (like Synape’s SUSPIRIA). I suspect this is no fault of the mastering process and more on account of the film production at the time. Images from this release are used throughout this review and can be seen below:
* Given the limitations of Apple computers playing 4K UHD discs, the images from the 2023 release are taken from the blu ray included with the 4K disc…fix this Apple! *
HOW DOES IT SOUND?
The LIGHTYEAR ENTERTAINMENT release of TRSW has two audio options available. The first is a 5.1 DTS-HD surround sound mix and the other is a 2.0 Stereo track. These seem to be the same from the prior release, and the 5.1 mix is quite lively with lots of scenes that take advantage of the rear and front channels. Specifically during some of the large explosion and shoot-out scenes that occur around the Arcane Mansion. One gripe I have that makes this hard to recommend is the lack of subtitles for any language. I’ve said this before and I’ll say it again, this is a missed opportunity to increase a film’s reach and make the medium more inclusive. In this day and age, it’s still surprising that at the very minimum English subtitles aren’t included.
ANYTHING SPECIAL?
For those who missed out on the previous MVD release, never fear! LIGHTYEAR ENTERTAINMENT has carried over all the previous special features, which were quite stacked, to begin with, and added a couple of new ones for this release. The first is a RiffTrax Music Video for 'Your Ever-Loving Swamp Thing'. If you’re familiar with RiffTrax you know what you’re getting, comedic commentary over pulpy material. This is a cheeky additional feature, but the one that really sets this release above the prior one is the new “Reflections on Swamp Thing 35 Years Later”. This 30 +/- minutes interview with producer Michael E. Uslan is a fascinating, albeit brief, journey through the history of the character from the person who has been there every step of the way.
The topics range from the history of comic books on film, working with Wes on the 1982 film, and how sweet Heather Locklear was while they were filming. It’s an endearing and intimate interview that shows just how much passion Uslan had for the character and the property. One could make the argument that he and the other producers nabbing the rights and kick-starting the movie was the reason why we still know (and love) Swamp Thing today. Had they not, we may have lost Dr. Holland’s Swampy Opus to the abyss of time. The full list of the special features included in this release is listed below:
BONUS MATERIALS
1989 Promo Reel
Photo Gallery (accompanied by Chuck Cirino's film's score)
2 Greenpeace Public Service Announcements
2 TV Spots
6 Promotional TV Clips
Original Theatrical Trailer (HD Transfer from original 35mm materials)
Interview with Lightyear Entertainment Executive Arnie Holland
Interview with Editor Leslie Rosenthal
Interview with Composer Chuck Cirino
Interview with Director Jim Wynorski
Audio commentary from Director Jim Wynorski, Composer Chuck Cirino and Editor Leslie Rosenthal
Audio commentary from Director Jim Wynorski
Brand new 4K restoration from the original interpositive with Dolby Vision / HDR mastering.
Original 2.0 and 5.1 Stereo Audio
BRAND NEW: Reflections on Swamp Thing 35 years later by Michael Uslan, Producer of both Swamp Thing movies and Exec Producer of all the Batman movies.
BRAND NEW: Music Video by the RiffTones: 'Your Ever-Loving Swamp Thing'
Brand new 4K restoration from the original interpositive with Dolby Vision / HDR mastering.
LAST RITES
THE RETURN OF SWAMP THING is one of the most fun, pulpy, and charming macabre superhero films from the late 80s. This release from LIGHTYEAR ENTERTAINMENT is well worth the purchase if you don’t have the previous one, even if it’s missing subtitles.
THE GORY DETAILS
Thank you to the fine fiends at MVD ENTERTAINMENT for providing a review copy of THE RETURN OF SWAMP THING for the crypt. THE RETURN OF SWAMP THING is available NOW via MVD DIRECT!
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