Cujo Blu-ray Movie

Rating summary

Movie		3.0
Video		3.5
Audio		5.0
Extras		5.0
Overall		4.0

Cujo Blu-ray Movie Review

Reviewed by Dr. Svet Atanasov April 8, 2019

Lewis Teague's "Cujo" (1983) arrives on Blu-ray courtesy of Eureka Entertainment. The supplemental features on the release include vintage promotional trailers for the film; various exclusive new video interviews with cast and crew members; archival documentary; and more. The release also arrives with a collector's booklet featuring new writing on the film by Lee Gambin, author Scott Harrison, and Craig Ian Mann; illustrated with archival imagery from the film's production. In English, with optional English SDH subtitles for the main feature. Region-B"locked".

In the United States, Cujo was initially released on Blu-ray by independent distributors Olive Films. To read an in-depth analysis of the film, please see Jeff Kauffman's review of this release here.

Cujo Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

Presented in its original aspect ratio of 1.85:1, encoded with MPEG-4 AVC and granted a 1080p transfer, Lewis Teague's Cujo arrives on Blu-ray courtesy of Eureka Entertainment.

The release is sourced from an older master that reveals a fair share of obvious limitations. (I don't own the U.S. release of the film that Olive Films produced and cannot confirm if it is the same master). On the positive side, there are no traces of recent digital work, so at least there are some organic qualities that are still easy to appreciate. For example, some close-ups boast average to decent delineation, and for the most part density levels are acceptable. There no traces of edge-enhancement either. So, if you view your films on a larger screen, you will notice an uptick in quality from any previous DVD release of Cujo (see examples in screencaptures #5 and 6). Unfortunately, there are other close-ups where it is very easy to see that finer details and nuances are either struggling or missing; black crush further flattens the visuals as well (see screencapture #10). Larger panoramic footage also struggles with variable clarity and depth (see screencaptures #3 and 13). Predictably, grain is not exposed or resolved as well as it should be, and whenever light is restricted it actually can appears noisy. Generally speaking, colors are remain stable, but like most old masters this one has some accuracy issues that affect the primaries and many of the supporting nuances. Image stability is good. Finally, there are no large debris, cuts, or damage marks to report. Ultimately, it is pretty easy to see that the film deserves a much healthier organic master so that it looks as it should, but at the moment this is the best presentation of it on the market. My score is 3.25/5.00. (Note: This is a Region-B "locked" Blu-ray release. Therefore, you must have a native Region-B or Region-Free player in order to access its content).

Cujo Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

There are two standard audio tracks on this Blu-ray release: English LPCM 2.0 and English DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1. Optional English SDH subtitles are provided for the main feature.

I viewed the film with the LPCM 2.0 track and only tested a few segments with the 5.1 track. All of its basics are solid. In fact, the manner in which the music supports the tense atmosphere is quite impressive. Dynamic movement is very good and all of the different registers never reveal signs of unevenness or deterioration. Overall stability and fluidity are also very good. This leads me to believe that when the master was prepared years ago proper work was done to ensure optimal quality. The dialog is clean and easy to follow as well.

Cujo Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

BLU-RAY DISC ONE

• Trailers and TV Spots -
  
  1. Original trailer. In English, not subtitled. (2 min, 1080p).
  2. TV Spot One. In English, not subtitled. (2 min, 1080i).
  3. TV Spot Two. In English, not subtitled. (2 min, 1080i).

• Interviews -
  
  1. Marcia Ross - in this new video interview, casting director Marcia Ross discusses the early stages of the production process, the adjustments that were made after Peter Medak left and Lewis Teague took over (at this point the entire film was cast), Dee Wallace's involvement with the production, the film's final look, etc. In English, not subtitled. (20 min, 1080p).
  
  2. Dee Wallace - in this new video interview, actress Dee Wallace recalls her initial impressions of the part that she played in Cujo, her interactions with the film's three producers -- Daniel H. Blatt, Robert Singer, and Neil A. Machlis -- Peter Medak's take on the material and his departure, her work with director Lewis Teague, the shooting of some of the most dramatic sequences, etc. In English, not subtitled. (42 min, 1080p).
  
  3. Charles Bernstein - in this new video interview, composer Charles Bernstein discusses in great detail the scoring of Cujo, the specific feelings and emotions that he wanted the music to convey and the three major themes that he used to accomplish his goal, the origin(s) of Cujo's theme, the nature of the relationship between the music and the sound effects that enhance the film's tense atmosphere, etc. In English, not subtitled. (36 min, 1080p).
  
  4. Gary Morgan - in this new video interview, stuntman Gary Morgan recalls how he was contacted and asked to contribute to Cujo, the type of preparation work he did before shooting began, how he did some of the most challenging stunts, his interactions with Lewis Teague, etc. In English, not subtitled. (27 min, 1080p).
  
  5. Jean Coulter - in this new video interview, stuntwoman Jean Coulter explains how she was contacted and asked to contribute to Cujo, and recalls her work with dog trainer Karl Lewis Miller, the comments she received from Lewis Teague, hew work with Dee Wallace, etc. In English, not subtitled. (27 min, 1080p).
  
  6. Kathie Lawrence - in this new video interview, visual effects artist Kathie Lawrence recalls her preparation for Cujo, how the 'smaller' dog was placed in the costume that she worked on, the type of materials that were used to create the bodies of the dogs, the prosthetic pieces that were used, etc. In English, not subtitled. (27 min, 1080p).
  
  7. Robert Clark - in this new video interview, special effects designer Robert Clark discusses his preparation and work with dog trainer Karl Lewis Miller, the shooting of the big fight at the end between Dee Wallace and Cujo, the sculpting of the dog's face and head, etc. In English, not subtitled. (13 min, 1080p).
  
  8. Teresa Miller - in this new video interview, dog trainer Teresa Miller, daughter of Karl Lewis Miller, recalls how her father prepared for Cujo, the specific work he did to get specific reactions from the dogs (four were used), the work that the stuntman had to do, what it was like to live with St. Bernards, etc. In English, not subtitled. (29 min, 1080p).

• Dog Days: The Making of Cujo - this archival documentary examines the genesis of Cujo as well as its cult status. Included in it are interviews with director Lewis Teague, Stephen King biographer Douglas E. Winter, producers Daniel H. Blatt and Robert Singer, and actress Dee Wallace, amongst others. In English, not subtitled. (43 min, 480/60i).

• Commentary - Lee Gambin, a big fan of Cujo and author of Nope, Nothing Wrong Here: The Making of Cujo, highlights various small details that make the film memorable, and discusses the novel by Stephen King that inspired the film and the original script for it, Dee Wallace's performance, the film's atmosphere and soundtrack, etc. The commentary was recorded exclusively for Eureka Entertainment.

BLU-RAY DISC TWO

• Dee Wallace Q&A - in this archival Q&A session, actress Dee Wallace answers a wide variety of questions about her background and acting career, the type of films she did over the years, and her involvement with Cujo. The event, which is moderated by Lee Gambin, was filmed at Cinemaniacs & Monster Fest 2015. In English, not subtitled. (101 min, 1080p).

• Kim Newman on Cujo - in this new video interview, critic and author Kim Newman talks comments on the era in which Cujo emerged, its style, and other Stephen King original material that was adapted for the big screen. In English, not subtitled. (28 min, 1080p).

• Booklet - a collector's booklet featuring new writing on the film by Lee Gambin, author Scott Harrison, and Craig Ian Mann; illustrated with archival imagery from the film's production.

• Cover - a reversible sleeve featuring artwork by Justin Osbourn and original poster artwork.

Cujo Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

It is unfortunate that Cujo did not get at least a fresh 2K remaster for this release because it instantly would have become the definitive one in the eyes of its fans. The new content with various people that made the film covers everything that could be of interest to the fans, plus there is a long vintage documentary that has even more interesting information about its production history. The current master that was used to source the release is very old and has a lot of obvious limitations, so the bigger your TV/screen is, the easier it will be for you to see that the film should look quite a bit better on Blu-ray. The release is definitely worth picking up for the bonus content, but your expectations for the technical presentation should not be high. RECOMMENDED.