Rating summary

Movie		2.0
Video		4.5
Audio		5.0
Extras		4.5
Overall		3.5

Death Ship Blu-ray Movie Review

Reviewed by Dr. Svet Atanasov August 8, 2020

Alvin Rakoff's "Death Ship" (1980) arrives on Blu-ray courtesy of Nucleus Films. The supplemental features on the disc include vintage promotional materials; audio commentary by director Alvin Rakoff and critic/author Jonathan Rigby; deleted scenes; archival program with the director and cast members; and more. In English, with optional English SDH subtitles for the main feature. Region-Free.

I had a very difficult time enduring Alvin Rakoff’s Death Ship. I was prepared to see a silly film but hoped that it would be as atmospheric as Ken Wiederhorn's Shock Waves, which has similar evil characters and twists reality in equally bizarre ways. However, these two films could not be any more different. Death Ship wants to be mean and spooky and perhaps even controversial, but it only manages to look silly and cheap. Shock Waves offers a very different experience. It was made with a small budget as well, but oozes incredible atmosphere that actually makes the silly in it look genuinely creepy.

The ship in Rakoff’s film is some sort of an ancient freighter without a crew that is traveling the seas and destroying other ships it does not like. In the prologue, the freighter rams and sinks a big cruise ship and then lures a few survivors that slowly begin exploring it. While a few of the survivors die in bizarre ‘accidents’ and the rest slowly begin to realize that the ship might be alive, the injured Captain Ashland (George Kennedy) miraculously recovers and then becomes possessed by an evil spirit. Shortly after, the survivors discover that in the lower cargo area of the ship there are multiple torture chambers that were used by the Nazis.

There are a couple of big problems with Rakoff’s film. First, its story is underdeveloped. After the survivors get on board of the freighter there are only a couple of unique events that are used to produce excitement, which is why the constant exploration of different empty areas very quickly becomes tiresome. The film also pushes the survivors in supposedly dangerous situations in ways that seriously hurt their credibility. For example, in one sequence the adults are seen having excellent instincts and just minutes later in another sequence they behave like children who are terrified by their own shadows. The two children that are with the adults are routinely left alone so that they can keep getting ‘lost’ and yet for some reason they frequently seem much more rational while facing danger. Perhaps the most consequential problem, however, is the lack of a consistent strategy that can make the film legitimately spooky. Indeed, there is a part of it that seems very comfortable with the type of tricks that mystery thrillers utilize to impress, which is where the most atmospheric visuals emerge. Another part, however, pulls in a direction that usually psychological horror thrillers explore, which is where the graphic and disturbing material comes from. As a result it often looks like the film is undecided on its stylistic identity and even the characterizations that are most suitable for it. (Kennedy's transformation for instance could not be any more disappointing).

Rakoff booked cinematographer Rene Verzier, who had previously done the genre favorites High-Ballin' and Rabid, but his work is difficult to praise. A lot of the footage that is supposed to convince that the freighter is alive looks quite mediocre. Only the quick flashbacks revealing the truth about the freighter’s horrific past and the disturbing shower sequence bring the type of authentic genre intensity the film should have had in order to look impressive.

*Nucleus Films’ release of Death Ship is sourced from a recent 2K master that was struck from the original camera negative. In the United States, Scorpion Releasing worked with the same master to produce the 2018 reissue of the film.

Death Ship Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

Presented in an aspect ratio of 1.78:1, encoded with MPEG-4 AVC and granted a 1080p transfer, Death Ship arrives on Blu-ray courtesy of Nucleus Films.

The release is sourced from the recent master that U.S. label Scorpion Releasing used to produce this reissue of Death Ship in 2018. it is a solid master that does the film justice. Frankly, excluding a few darker areas where small nuances could be better revealed or defined, the technical presentation is as good as I expected it to be. There are a few small fluctuations in terms of delineation and sharpness, but they are of the kind that can be traced back to the existing materials (see screencapture #2). On a larger screen depth, clarity, and density are usually quite pleasing. I even liked the fluidity, though when upscaled to 4K the visuals definitely reveal some meaningful improvements. The color grading job is convincing. Perhaps the blacks could have been managed slightly better to preserve finer nuances, but You will not be bothered by obvious crushing patterns. Image stability is very good. (Note: This is a Region-Free Blu-ray release. Therefore, you will be able to play it on your player regardless of your geographical location).

Death Ship Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

There are two standard audio tracks on this Blu-ray release: English DTS-HD Master Audio 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 2.0 track and only did a few random comparisons with the 5.1 track. I don't know if any specific work was done to improve the 2.0 track while the new master was created, but on my system I was quite impressed with. Clarity and sharpness are excellent and with the music score and effects it is actually quite difficult to tell that the film had a modest budget. The 5.1 track definitely opens up the film in areas where the ship comes alive, so if you are going to experience the film for the first time it is probably the one you should use.

Death Ship Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

• Trailers -presented here are six vintage trailers for Death Ship. In English, not subtitled. (9 min, 1080p).

• Stormy Seas: Redux - in this archival program, director Alvin Rakoff, stars George Kennedy and Nick Mancuso, and screenwriter Jack Hill discuss the conception of Death Ship, its visual style and tone, and its reputation as a cult classic. There are some very interesting comments about the evolution of the script and Mr. Hill's desire to shoot the film. In English, not subtitled. (43 min, 1080p).

• Deleted Scenes - presented here are two deleted scenes for Death Ship. in English, not subtitled. (2 min, 1080p).

• Shower Scene - presented here is a 'softer' shower scene that was used for the Canadian TV broadcast of Death Ship. The original 'hard' (more graphic) version is reinstated in the film. Side-by-side comparisons are provided. In English, not subtitled. (7 min, 1080p).

• Alvin Rakoff Reel - a collection of trailers and posters for other films directed by Alvin Rakoff. In English, not subtitled. (25 min, 1080p).

• Harold Greenberg Reel - a collection of trailers and posters for other films produced by Harold Greenberg. In English, not subtitled. (24 min, 1080p).

• Jack Hill Reel - a collection of trailers and posters for other films directed by Jack Hill. In English, not subtitled. (29 min, 1080p).

• Bloodstar Script Pages - presented here are pages from Jack Hill's original screenplay. (1080p).

• Gallery - a gallery of vintage promotional materials for Death Ship. (7 min, 1080p).

• Isolated Score - presented as DTS-HD Master Audio 2.0.

• Audio Commentary - in this audio commentary, director Alvin Rakoff and critic/author Jonathan Rigby (English Gothic) discuss in great detail the production of Death Ship, the 'problematic' script and some of the changes that were made to improve it, how certain casting choices that were made, the film's tone and atmosphere (and Jack Hill's vision of it), Canadian horror films, etc.

Death Ship Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

Death Ship should have been directed by Jack Hill. The original concept Hill describes in an archival program that is included on this release I think would have produced a much more colorful film than the one Alvin Rakoff directed. As it is Death Ship is just a very small film that essentially incorporates a number of genre cliches to tell an underdeveloped story. Hill would have made it wild and unpredictable, plus he would have worked with actors that shared his enthusiasm for the project. 'Small' genre films can be very entertaining, but they have to be directed and acted by people that understand how to transform their limitations and weaknesses into their strengths. Nucleus Films' release is sourced from a very solid restored master and features a wonderful selection of bonus features. I particularly enjoyed the large reels. RECOMMENDED, but only to fans of the film.