Deadly Spawn [Blu-ray] [2011] [US Import]

Product Information

Directed by Wu Ma (one of Hong Kong cinema’s most beloved multi-hyphenates; writing, directing, producing, and acting in a career spanning over 50 years) in perhaps his best directorial effort, and also starring Sammo Hung – The Dead and the Deadly is a must-see for both horror and action fans. A grotesque creation defined by its cavernous, teeth-filled mouth, the titular menace is memorable, giving the filmmakers something horrible to work with as they stage numerous stalking sequences, with the beast's sperm-like offspring (a direct reference to "Alien") excitedly taking down the locals, including a climatic assault on a lunch party populated with middle-aged women. Thanks to Netflix, many of these movies are now accessible to virtually everyone, whereas many have been sought-after collector’s items in the past—particularly in the early days of DVD when everything was new. With the people in the house now becoming the entrees of an intergalactic monster buffet, a group of teenagers, led by a small boy, decide to take this matter into their own hands to stop the aliens from reproducing and rid the world of THE DEADLY SPAWN once and for all! That means there are plenty of entertaining creature features that have fallen through the cracks over the decades.

They go to investigate the crater, but are suddenly attacked and devoured by alien parasites who have hitched a ride to Earth. Has appeared on PBS series' Monstrum, served on the SXSW Midnighter shorts jury, and moderated horror panels for WonderCon and SeriesFest.The source material is in rough shape, with debris and scratches present throughout the movie, with a few damage points briefly disrupting the action. Much like the very best classic comedies, the characters here are unaware that these situations are supposed to be funny, with Tusk taking itself extremely seriously as Justin Long’s humanity is forcibly stripped from him in increasingly insane manners.

Colors are boosted but clotted, with red making a satisfactory impression from costuming and bloodletting.

For more about The Deadly Spawn and the The Deadly Spawn Blu-ray release, see the The Deadly Spawn Blu-ray Review published by Brian Orndorf on February 15, 2012 where this Blu-ray release scored 2. This creature feature wins entertainment points for its title alone; there are no monkeys here, let alone a blue one. In terms of special features, almost everything here has been ported over from the Synapse release, including some outtakes, audition footage, trailers, and a gallery. Never mind the bizarre premise, in which a group of criminals hijack a plane and wind up seeking refuge on an abandoned farm.