Foes Blu-ray Movie

Rating summary

Movie		3.5
Video		3.0
Audio		4.5
Extras		4.0
Overall		3.5

Foes Blu-ray Movie Review

Reviewed by Dr. Svet Atanasov July 10, 2019

John Coats' "Foes" (1977) arrives on Blu-ray courtesy of Garagehouse Pictures. The supplemental features on the disc include vintage trailer for the film; exclusive new audio commentary with the director; short film; and more. In English, without optional English SDH subtitles for the main feature. Region-Free.

Point of undesired contact

It is 1977 and Chris Carter already has a rough blueprint for The X-Files. He’s got the look and especially the atmosphere of the future mini-series almost figured out -- almost. He meets John Coats and together they conceive Foes, a feature film that ought to crystalize his vision. It seems so good that they actually gather the courage to invite Orson Welles to be part of it, but the legend quickly turns them down because he does not like how whacky their project sounds. They agree that it was a long shot and phone Jerry Hardin, a much nicer and easier to communicate with guy, and he accepts their offer. Bingo. Then production officially begins and Coats steps behind the camera with Carter right next to him, making suggestions, tweaking things. When the film is completed and cut Coats and Carter try to get it in the distribution system, but the only deal they finalize is in the UK. It could have been worse, but it is still a failure, so they part ways and Foes disappears into oblivion. Coats then gives up directing, entirely, while Carter waits until the early ‘90s to give his original blueprint a second chance.

The above would have been an amazing story if it was true. But it isn’t. It is made up. Actually, not all of it is fake, and there is a good reason why I wanted you to read it. I will tell you why below, but first here are the parts of the story that are real:

Foes is the one and only film that Coats directed, and he really did try to get Welles to be part of it. (The director shares a pretty funny story about the invitation in the new audio commentary that is included on this release, so I encourage you to spend some time with it. There is more curious information about the conception of the film as well). Hardin was hired and he is in the film, though his part is rather small. Also, the film really did get some theatrical screenings in the UK, but on this side of the Atlantic apparently no one cared for it.

Coats and Carter never met, but it actually feels odd that they did not. Why? Because this film really does look and feel like a secret ‘70s project that the latter worked on -- it’s got the same mood that The X-Files promote; the special effects are so simple yet original that I guarantee Carter would have endorsed them; and the music and sound effects are basically tailor-made for his style. The whole thing is like a big retro pilot for the mini-series that came out prematurely and then crashed and burned because it dared to do so. Only it was Coats that created it, not Carter.

The plot is simple but not exactly straightforward. The flying saucer that is shown on the cover pops up at a secluded island where a lighthouse keeper and his wife are the only people around. The military then begin monitoring the visitor but are unable to get closer to it because it turns on some sort of a protective radioactive shield. Only a couple of divers accidentally sneak in, but have no idea what to do of the ‘situation’.

Some of the exchanges on the island -- there is more happening in a military control room elsewhere -- is a bit rough, but it works for the low-budget identity of the film rather nicely. Coats even has a small cameo, which he addresses in his commentary.

*Garagehouse Pictures offers two versions of the film, both never before available in the United States. One is an original Director’s Cut, which is approximately 73 minutes long (01.12:47), and the other is the Theatrical Version, which is approximately 91 minutes long (01.30.18). I viewed the longer Theatrical Version.

Foes Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

Presented in an aspect ratio of 1.78:1, encoded with MPEG-4 AVC and granted a 1080p transfer, John Coats' Foes arrives on Blu-ray courtesy of Garagehouse Pictures.

My guess is that the source for this release is a 35mm print, which might be the only one available at the moment. Also, director Coats mentions in the commentary that there is footage that was done in 16mm as well, so obviously this also contributes to some of the density fluctuations that exist on it. Nevertheless, I think that the current presentation has good organic qualities and given the source limitations makes it easy to enjoy the film at home. In a way it is a lot like viewing a vintage 35mm print that has aged a bit, without any digital enhancements. I am perfectly fine with this, especially when the film is very rare, made with a small budget, and decades old. My score is 3.25/5.00. (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).

Foes 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 lossless track is very strong. I thought that it might have some are-related issues, especially in the upper register, but was very pleasantly surprised. The audio is very clean, stable, and nicely balanced. It almost sounds like it was completely remastered in a lab to ensure that the qualities of the original soundtrack are reproduced as best as possible. And this makes quite a difference because the film has some surprisingly good sound effects as well.

Foes Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

• Commentary - in this new commentary, John Coats shares plenty of stories about the shooting of Foes that are really quite good. One of them is about a failed attempt to get Orson Welles to appear in his film. The commentary was recorded exclusively for Garagehouse Pictures.

• Director's Cut - a slightly shorter cut of the film. See the review above for additional information. (1080p).

• UK Theatrical Trailer - a vintage trailer for Foes which was apparently used for its overseas distribution. In English, not subtitled. (3 min, 1080p).

• Tales of LA - in LA, a man is warned by his friend not to do a drug deal that can get him in a lot of trouble. A very nice noirish short directed by John Coats. In English, not subtitled. (18 min, 1080p).

• Photo Gallery - a collection of vintage photographs that appear to have been taken during the shooting of Foes.

• Trailer Reel - a collection of trailers for other Garagehouse Pictures releases.

Foes Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

John Coats' Foes has in its genes a little bit of what makes Hangar 18 entertaining and a lot of what makes The X-Files special, and for a low-budget film the end result I think is pretty remarkable. I am not exaggerating when I say that it looks like something a very young Chris Carter would have crafted. I enjoyed it tremendously. The release also has a very nice noirish short from Coats with some great vintage footage from downtown LA. Garagehouse Pictures are bringing some real gems to Blu-ray this year. HIGHLY RECOMMENDED.