Rating summary

Movie		3.5
Video		3.5
Audio		4.0
Extras		4.0
Overall		3.5

Children Shouldn't Play with Dead Things 4K Blu-ray Movie Review

Reviewed by Jeffrey Kauffman December 3, 2022

Bob Clark had one of the more interesting filmographies of directors from his generation, with pretty sizable hits in vastly different genres, including everything from A Christmas Story to Porky's to (probably most saliently in terms of the particular feature currently under discussion) Black Christmas. As with many nascent filmmakers, Clark got his start with horror, and if Black Christmas shows the director with at least a relatively larger budget, some bona fide marquee stars, and a grasp of technique, Children Shouldn't Play with Dead Things , while only two years older than Black Christmas, finds a young "wannabe" working with next to no money, sometimes faltering filmmaking strategies, and a cast comprised at least in part of Clark's college friends.

VCI released Children Shouldn't Play with Dead Things several years ago, and those interested in a plot summary are encouraged to read Stephen Larson's Children Shouldn't Play with Dead Things Blu-ray review of that release.

Children Shouldn't Play with Dead Things 4K Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

Note: Screenshots are sourced from the 1080 disc.

Children Shouldn't Play With Dead Things is presented in 4K UHD courtesy of VCI Entertainment with a 2160p transfer in 1.85:1. The biggest disappointment some fans may have with this 4K UHD presentation is that it's in SDR, and I'm sure there are some videophiles who would understandably assume that some form of HDR could have at least marginally improved the nuance of the many dark scenes, notably some of the outdoor material. As such, this 4K presentation is probably as littered with crush as the 1080 version, and arguably maybe even more noticeably. The good news here is there is a noticeable grain field, at least intermittently, though it's often pretty noisy looking and probably even closer to pixellating than in the 1080 presentation. The palette is rather nicely suffused throughout, but I think the omnipresent darkness of the film probably keeps any huge upticks in detail levels tamped down. My 4K score is 2.75.

Children Shouldn't Play with Dead Things 4K Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

Children Shouldn't Play With Dead Things features an LPCM 2.0 Mono track that can't quite overcome some of the inherent liabilities of the low budget shoot, with amplitudes therefore being somewhat variable, and outdoor material in particular being occasionally hard to fathom. The "cabin in the woods" sequences fare better in terms of audibility. Optional English subtitles are available.

Children Shouldn't Play with Dead Things 4K Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

VCI Sent the 4K UHD release of this film, which also looks like it's getting a standalone 1080 release. I'm frankly uncertain as to whether the standalone 1080 release has two 1080 discs. It appears it doesn't according to both Amazon and MVD's sites, though both places list the supplements that are included on the second disc, hence my confusion. Making this all the odder is that the first VCI release stuffed not just the following supplements but a whole second version of the film on one BD-50 in its original release. One way or the other, this package does include two 1080 discs, in addition to the 4K UHD disc.

4K UHD Disc

• Dreaming of Death: Bob Clark's Horror Films (HD; 1:12:50) is a really sweet reminiscence of Clark with a number of sometimes funny interviews with people who worked with him.


• Original Theatrical Trailer (UHD; 3:13)


• Commentary by Alan Ormsby, Jane Daly and Anya Cronin is accessible under the Setup Menu.

1080 Disc 1 (Feature)

• Dreaming of Death: Bob Clark's Horror Films (HD; 1:12:50)


• Original Theatrical Trailer (HD; 3:13)


• Commentary by Alan Ormsby, Jane Daly and Anya Cronin is accessible under the Setup Menu.

1080 Disc 2 (Special Features)

• New 2022 Interview with Alan Ormsby (HD; 33:32) kind of hilariously comes with an apology that "we (one assumes VCI) blew it" with the technical aspects of the interview, and so subtitles are available to overcome any difficulties with the audio presentation.


• Confessions of a Grave Digger (HD; 9:08) is an interview with Ken Goch.


• Grindhouse Q & A (HD; 11:27) took place after a screening of two Bob Clark films. This features Alan Ormsby and others. This appears to be kind of weirdly anamorphically squeezed for some reason.


• Memories of Bob Clark: A Tribute to the Late Director (HD; 10:08) is basically an audio supplement with some more interviews that play to stills.


• Photo Gallery (HD; 4:54)


• "Dead Girls Don't Say No" Music Video by The Deadthings (HD; 3:50)


• "Cemetery Mary" Music Video by The Deadthings (HD; 3:55)


• Tribute Video (HD; 2:00)


• Radio Spots (HD; 4:25) come courtesy of Alan Ormsby.

Additionally, an insert booklet contains writing by Patrick McCabe, and packaging features a slipcover.

Children Shouldn't Play with Dead Things 4K Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

Children Shouldn't Play With Dead Things is just flat out goofy fun, and if it's accepted as basically a lark that a bunch of college friends did together, it provides a few spooky moments and a kind of blatantly theatrical flair, especially with Alan Ormsby's over the top performance. I'm frankly not sure this 4K UHD version ups the ante in any considerable way, and if it turns out the 1080 release of the 50th Anniversary Edition has all of the supplements listed above, my recommendation would be for fans to pick up that version.