Devil Fish Blu-ray Movie

Rating summary

Movie		2.5
Video		4.0
Audio		4.5
Extras		2.5
Overall		3.0

Devil Fish Blu-ray Movie Review

Reviewed by Dr. Svet Atanasov January 21, 2019

Lamberto Bava's "Devil Fish" (1984) arrives on Blu-ray courtesy of Code Red. The supplemental features on the disc include exclusive introduction to the film and audio commentary recorded by star Michael Sopkiw. In English, without optional English SDH subtitles for the main feature. Region-Free.

Some really odd noises

The many copycats that the Italians produced are still admired by fans of genre films for two very simple reasons. First, the Italians were not only unapologetic that they were essentially remaking big American blockbusters, but were actually doing everything they could to make sure that as many people as possible knew exactly what they were cooking. They routinely employed multiple alternative titles for their films to better promote them in different markets, hired artists that would create poster work that directly referenced the original films that they targeted (the overseas poster for Shocking Dark was literally made to look like the original poster for the classic Terminator film), and quite a few even used aliases that looked like the names of the American directors whose work they admired. Basically, the Italians wanted to make Hollywood films in Italy, but because they did not have the same resources and talent were freely ‘borrowing’ and improvising as best as they could. And if one of their copycats performed well at the box-office, they instantly planned a sequel, sometimes even two at the same time. The energy and enthusiasm amongst these people were so intense and spilled into their films with such unbridled force that it pretty much became impossible to ignore them. It is the very reason why even the really, really bad films they produced frequently turned out to be quite entertaining.

The second reason is even more important because it enabled the emergence of subgenres that defined a very large portion of what is now viewed as cult cinema. For a little over two decades, from the ‘70s until the early ‘80s, Italian directors were able to create all kinds of strange films without social referees telling them what they can and cannot shoot. So, they did colorful cannibal films, naziploitation films, poliziottechi films, and even sci-fi erotic films whose descriptions were so exotic that they absolutely had to be seen. And at one point these genre films picked up so much steam that even ‘respected’ Italian directors decided that it was not a bad idea to loosen up a bit. Simply put, the Italians went wild at the right time and in the best possible way and left a legacy of cult films that will never be surpassed.

Lamberto Bava’s Devil Fish came out at the very end of this golden era of Italian craziness, after all of the genuinely controversial genre films had already been done, and is a copycat that shamelessly borrows from Jaws and Piranha. As its multiple legit titles reveal, it is about a big and unusual fish that begins doing some really bad things off the coast of Southern Florida and causes such panic that the local authorities and a group of scientists decide to launch a massive operation to terminate it. Then four very bold souls led by the very-much-in-shape Michael Sopkiw begin hunting the fish, not realizing that it is really a giant monster with some huge tentacles that moves like a torpedo and can literally destroy even a very large yacht in only a few seconds.

Bava is a director that understands shlock and is not afraid to shoot some really nasty material when the occasion demands it, but Devil Fish is one of those projects that never really picks up steam as it should in order to be entertaining. Indeed, it rehashes all of the familiar situations that other films about bad creatures in water have done, and with a couple of predictable ‘twists’ that just about legitimize the old theory that Bava did it only because he needed to get paid. It seems like the original idea was to have a vicious and scary killer like the one that emerged a few years later in Stephen Sommers’ Deep Rising, but the one that does the damage in this film remains a goofy amateur. There are a few decent moments here and there, but the rest is instantly forgettable.

Arguably the one and only redeeming quality of the film is the predictably very atmospheric soundtrack from old pro Fabio Frizzi, who worked on many of Lucio Fulci’s big cult classics, such as Zombie, The Beyond, and City of the Living Dead.

Devil Fish Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

Presented in an aspect ratio of 1.67:1, encoded with MPEG-4 AVC and granted a 1080p transfer, Lamberto Bava's Devil Fish arrives on Blu-ray courtesy of Code Red.

The release is sourced from a very nice recent remaster. It was likely struck from an interpositive because in some areas there are small ranges of nuances that are not as exposed as well as they should be, but the overall appearance of the visuals is really very good. The darker footage is typically where some of the more obvious limitations in terms of depth and shadow definition are most noticeable, but I thought that the existing information is fine. Apparently, the entire remaster was also color-graded in the United States, and I have to say that balance and color temperature are indeed very convincing. There is still room for some nuances to be expanded, but those of you that usually have concerns when Italian genre films transition to Blu-ray will be quite happy with the end result. Image stability is excellent. Lastly, there are no large distracting debris, cuts, damage marks, or warped/torn frames to report. My score is 4.25/5.00. (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).

Devil Fish Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

There is only one standard audio track on this Blu-ray release: English DTS-HD Master Audio 2.0. Optional English SDH subtitles are not provided for the main feature.

The English track is very clearly one of those Italian overdubs that introduces some flatness and unevenness that also impact dynamic intensity. Basically, you have actors, some of which are not English speakers, dubbing other actors, and from time to time the energy with which their lines are delivered isn't exactly perfect. But, this is how the producers of the film did the English track, so this is the type of quality that the lossless track reproduces. I noticed a bit of extremely light hum in the background, but nothing else to report in our review.

Devil Fish Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

• Introduction - brand new video introduction to the film by star Michael Sopkiw and Bill Olsen from Code Red. The introduction was recorded exclusively for Code Red's release. In English, not subtitled. (2 min, 1080p).

• Audio Commentary - a very relaxed and often quite entertaining trip down memory lane courtesy of Michael Sopkiw. The bulk of the information addresses the production history of the film and the shooting of various sequences from the film. The commentary was recorded exclusively for Code Red.

• Cover - reversible cover with vintage poster art.

Devil Fish Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

If the plot description of Lamberto Bava's Devil Fish piques your interest, I recommend that first you take a look at Stephen Sommers' Deep Rising, because it will almost certainly deliver the type of thrills that you expect. As far as I am concerned, the only attractive quality of Devil Fish is the proper use of yet another solid soundtrack from Fabio Frizzi, who frequently collaborated with Lucio Fulci. Code Red's recent release is sourced from a very good remaster of the film, and features a very entertaining exclusive audio commentary by star Michael Sopkiw.