Rating summary

Movie		3.5
Video		5.0
Audio		5.0
Extras		5.0
Overall		4.5

Body Melt Blu-ray Movie Review

Reviewed by Brian Orndorf September 21, 2018

1993’s “Body Melt” is one of Australia’s rare forays into gross-out territory during the decade, with co-writer/director Philip Brophy aiming to generate is own swirling brew of liquefied body parts, social commentary, and regional extremity. Brophy’s backed by quite a varied cast and a solid team of energized tech departments, aiming to make the feature appropriately disgusting and slick for a B-movie, with the effort retaining all sorts of disgusting visuals while maintaining a professional edge, missing the questionable grunginess this type of entertainment usually provides. “Body Melt” isn’t big on story or connective tissue between subplots, but it does maintain menace, often the cheeky sort, giving the viewer exactly what the title promises, tricked out some with a defined Aussie sensibility.

The Vimuville Corporation is dedicated to the evolution of human development, distributing a new line of vitamins able to help the Average Joe achieve their best after ingesting pills and powders. A test market is found in Homesville, outside of Melbourne, finding executive Shaan (Regina Gaigalas) sending free samples to the locals, with Bronto (Matthew Newton) hoping to enjoy the benefits of the mystery substance. All hell breaks loose when a rogue Vimuville scientist dies while trying to warn others of deadly side effects, but the loss is too late, with bodily changes beginning to spread around the housing development. With citizens losing their minds before losing their skin, Detective Phillips (Gerard Kennedy) is brought in to investigate, baffled by what he’s finding. And in the outback, a critical clue to Vimuville’s origins is found with Pud (Vincent Gill) and his family of mutants, who offer hospitality for two Homesville residents, teens Gino (Maurie Annese) and Sal (Nicholas Politis), who make the mistake of stopping for a bite during a road trip.

Originally envisioned as an anthology film, “Body Melt” retains distance between subplots. Brophy takes on one set of characters at a time, failing to braid together a cohesive display of suburban panic, instead dishing up horrors one spoonful at a time. It’s not the most dramatically involving feature, with a nagging disconnect between characters as the hunt for Vimuville’s modus operandi continues. “Body Melt” isn’t gripping, but it’s visually arresting, following the path of the vitamins as they claim victims through phases of psychological and corporeal domination, with Bronto the most defined of the chosen few, tracking his symptoms, which including hallucinations featuring a demonic woman who volleys between terror and seduction, after a unique prize from the woozy man to add to her special collection of body parts.

There are inspired detours along the way, including the outback encounter with Pud and his clan of corrupted human beings. Just why they are who they are is the mystery of “Body Melt,” but Brophy has fun with the segment, which takes on a “Texas Chain Saw Massacre” level of craziness, especially with the “kids,” who enjoy killing kangaroos and feasting on adrenal glands, which, in the grand scheme of things, is a fairly tame sight for Sal and Gino, who are forced to fight for their lives. Brophy even manages to juggle potentially distasteful additions, with Vimuville aiming to test their goods on a pregnant woman, which results in the creation of a killer placenta, adding a wily villain to a collection of fleshy horrors.

Body Melt Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

The AVC encoded image (1.78:1 aspect ratio) presentation is sourced from a 2K transfer of the 16mm camera negative, and the Blu-ray really brings "Body Melt" to life. There's encouraging clarity throughout the viewing experience, with the most compelling scenes being most makeup intensive, getting into the goopy muck of human innards and dissolving skin. Facial textures are spot-on, supporting evidence of decay, and mutant particulars are vividly retained here. Color is vibrant, with bright primaries playing up the strangeness of it all, also securing sharp greenery. More stylish, blown- out toxic hues that express corporate shenanigans are equally confident, and skintones are natural. Delineation is healthy, making sense of some shadow play and darker costuming. Source is in good shape, without major elements of damage.

Body Melt Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

"Body Melt" looks terrific, and the 5.1 DTS-HD MA sound mix only broadens the entire viewing experience, providing an intense overview of the feature's detailed decent into techno music and pronounced sound effects. Surrounds are active, with some appealing directional effects and general ambiance. Scoring offerings are full and heavier, with a rich electro throb to help sell the strangeness of the picture. Dialogue exchanges are louder and securely frontal, allowing for a full understanding of accents and monstrous events. Atmospherics are engaging, providing a feel for the open land and tighter interiors. Gushy skin tearing and general weight of human dissolve clearly registers.

Body Melt Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

• Commentary #1 features writer/director Philip Brophy, with writer/producer Rod Bishop and producer Daniel Scharf.

• Commentary #2 with Brophy, with focus on the sound design and film score.

• "Melting Away: The Deconstruction of 'Body Melt'" (38:36, HD) sits down with Brophy and Bishop, who dig into the early inspiration for the picture, which was originally conceived as an anthology movie, with the separate storylines eventually merged into a single tale during creative refinement. There's a lot of time spent deconstructing the funding for "Body Melt," which was partially paid for by the Australian Film Commission, giving Brophy a chance to make something very strange for the local marketplace. The creator explores his inspirations, using television advertisements as the visual reference for the feature, and he celebrates casting, with the performers taking the material with the upmost seriousness. While Brophy details sound design and musical choices, he's most animated talking up the reaction to "Body Melt," with polarizing reviews from fans fueling its cult appeal (along with the seal of approval from Quentin Tarantino) after it tanked during its initial run in Australia.

• "Body Building: The Making of 'Body Melt'" (8:06, HD) is a more specific financial conversation with producer Scharf, who returns the Australian Film Commission origin of the movie, with the organization also funding "Romper Stomper" during this time period. Scharf explains how the package was put together, and he describes his adventures in self-distribution when studios passed on "Body Melt," quickly realizing the tremendous labor involved with such an endeavor.

• "Adrenal Glands" (10:32, HD) is a brief chat with actor Mel Foley, who portrays one of the kangaroo-killing mutants in "Body Melt." Foley talks about his early career ambitions and his co-stars from the shoot, paying reverence to Vincent Gil. Foley also marvels over the lasting legacy of the film.

• "Making Bodies Melt: The Making of 'Body Melt'" (33:55, SD) takes viewers to the shoot, with extensive BTS footage covering daily life on the production. Key cast and crew members discuss the material, but more interesting is a breakdown of makeup achievements, showcasing how a few messes were created.

• Still Gallery (12:10) covers BTS snaps, stills, props, the initial anthology outline, and poster concepts.

• Storyboard Gallery (8:20) collects production drawings.

• And a Theatrical Trailer (1:40, SD) is included.

Body Melt Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

"Body Melt" has an amusing take on the quick fix health craze of the era, and Brophy is strong with suspense, creating a driving techno score that summons terrific atmosphere to go along with the feature's gradual rise to insanity as wounds come alive and the fine folks at Vimuville start sampling their own product. "Body Melt" has some issues with character management, but Brophy lives to disgust, crafting a truly Australian take on a subgenre that's not always easy to execute.