5.8 | / 10 |
Users | 0.0 | |
Reviewer | 4.0 | |
Overall | 4.0 |
The psychopathic son of a mass-murdering doctor, escapes from his mental institution to seek revenge on the town where his father was caught. The giggling doctor kills his victims with a surgical theme. His goal being to give one of the townfolk a heart transplant.
Starring: Larry Drake, Holly Marie Combs, Cliff De Young, Glenn Quinn, Richard BradfordHorror | 100% |
Comic book | Insignificant |
Comedy | Insignificant |
Video codec: MPEG-4 AVC
Video resolution: 1080p
Aspect ratio: 2.37:1
Original aspect ratio: 2.39:1
English: DTS-HD Master Audio 2.0 (48kHz, 24-bit)
English SDH
Blu-ray Disc
Single disc (1 BD)
Region A (locked)
Movie | 2.5 | |
Video | 4.0 | |
Audio | 4.0 | |
Extras | 4.0 | |
Overall | 4.0 |
Universal Studios was in a strange place in the early 1990s. The studio was producing and distributing a wildly diverse slate of features, mostly aiming for singles and doubles with one-weekend wonders to maintain profitability, often turning to horror to conquer the box office, making money with “Child’s Play” sequels and kooky efforts, such as “The People Under the Stairs.” But genre entertainment was facing a downturn in popularity, facing an oversaturated marketplace and a lack of bright ideas. Enter “Dr. Giggles,” with co-writer/director Manny Coto (“Star Kid”) aiming to create a new Universal Monster in the form of a madman posing as a medical professional, working to eliminate residents of a small town using various tools of the trade. His trademark? A laugh, of course. There’s not a lot to “Dr. Giggles” beyond its premise, forcing Coto to jazz up the work with style and bloodshed, also making a decision to go camp with the picture, which wears out its welcome in a hurry
Press materials list the AVC encoded image (2.37:1 aspect ratio) presentation as a "new 2K restoration of the film from an interpositive." "Dr. Giggles" last appeared on Blu-ray in 2010 (with an incorrect aspect ratio), with Shout Factory trying to inspire sales in 2023, giving fans a more cinematic viewing experience for the slasher movie. Detail reaches about as far as possible, offering a softer sense of skin particulars and gore zone events, surveying varied ages and makeup efforts. Exteriors are reasonably dimensional, and interiors preserve most decorative additions and strange environments. Colors are appealing, with crisper whites and greens on medical uniforms, while period clothing provides brighter primaries. Greenery is distinct. Red blood is vivid. Delineation is acceptable, preserving shadowy events. Source is in good condition.
The 2.0 DTS-HD MA mix offers a clear understanding of dialogue exchanges, handling scenes of panic without reaching distortive extremes. Scoring is pronounced throughout, with sharp instrumentation and suspenseful support. Sound effects are crisp, with some mild channel movement to keep things interesting. Atmospherics are appreciable.
If you squint hard enough, there's a little De Palma-esque energy in "Dr. Giggles," with Coto trying to squeeze in some cinematic style, while composer Brian May treats the scoring assignment with complete sincerity, adding some orchestral heft to the proceedings. These lifts of widescreen spirit are most welcome, but the picture loses its nerve quickly, with Coto preferring to make a comedy instead of a thriller, increasing Evan Jr.'s silliness as the tale reaches its overlong conclusion. Perhaps "Dr. Giggles" might've failed as a straight horror show, but there are parts of the final cut that hint otherwise, with lunges into self-aware silliness doing tremendous damage to the viewing experience.
Uncut
2008
2013
1991
2019
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2016
2015
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Limited Edition
1982
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1980
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