Rating summary

Movie		3.0
Video		4.0
Audio		4.0
Extras		4.5
Overall		4.0

Graveyard Shift Blu-ray Movie Review

Reviewed by Brian Orndorf August 1, 2020

After scoring a significant success in 1989 with “Pet Sematary,” Paramount understandably wanted to remain in the Stephen King business. “Graveyard Shift” was the next slice of horror to be served to audiences, only this picture was an adaptation of a 1970 short story, challenging screenwriter John Esposito to expand on a brief tale of a subterranean nightmare involving the discovery of mutated rats. Lacking significant source material to truly inspire a layered genre experience, “Graveyard Shift” works as an entertaining creature feature, though one where monstrous happenings are surprisingly less interesting than workplace intimidation. The film crawls to a close, but director Ralph S. Singleton provides a compelling first half, allowing strange performances and grimy sets to carry the viewing experience before wicked things with wings arrive to supply a more traditional gore fest.

In Gates Falls, the Bachman Mill has singlehandedly supported the town for decades, though the building is infested with rats. Facing closure if he doesn’t clean up the filth, foreman Warwick (Stephen Macht) orders some of his employees to deal with such dangerous duty. New to the team is John (David Andrews), a drifter looking for simple work who experiences the rat rule at Bachman Mill firsthand. As the clean-up process begins, the employees begin to understand that the only thing worse than Warwick’s intimidation is the winged creature living in the bowels of the building, feeding on those daring to make their way underground.

Singleton generates a vivid overview of local hostilities in “Graveyard Shift.” John is the outsider coming into a bad situation, witnessing Warwick’s dangerous ways, with the foreman using his power to claim women and threaten employees, also paying off safety inspectors to keep the mill running despite its obvious state of decay. The community isn’t welcoming to outsiders, with a few goons going out of their way to make John miserable, though the screenplay eventually matches the newcomer to Jane (Kelly Wolf), a fellow mill employee. And there’s the rat issue, with the critters crawling everywhere, adding pressure to those unlucky enough to be on cotton picker machine duties, which is already conducted in sweltering conditions. That there’s a man-sized bat-rat on the loose appears to be the least of anyone’s concerns.

Indeed, monster happenings aren’t exactly compelling in “Graveyard Shift,” with Warwick a more dynamic and fearsome villain. He’s a complete bastard to everyone, with Macht putting in the work to create a loathsome human being with a heavy Maine accent (nobody else in the cast attempts such a feat), offering screen magic as a foreman who’s grown accustomed to ruling the mill, claiming females and ruining lives without a second thought. Warwick is the highlight of “Graveyard Shift,” and while the rats have their ick factor (also making good target practice for John, who takes them out with a slingshot and soda cans), and local boobs are easily detested, it’s really the organizer of professional misery who gets the movie going, gleefully putting workers into perilous situations, creating a battle of wills with John, who wants to keep his job but understands that something dangerous is happening inside the mill.

Graveyard Shift Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

While not offered a fresh scan for its Blu-ray debut, "Graveyard Shift" looks acceptable during the AVC encoded image (1.85:1 aspect ratio) presentation. Detail is passable with some softness, working with sweaty skin particulars, and rat co-stars retain their furriness. Monstrous encounters are textured. Sets are dimensional, preserving the labyrinth look of the finale, and decoration is open for study. Colors emerge without difficulty, with grimy interiors retained, blending the white of cotton with the muddy blackness. Period fashion supplies more vivid hues, and blood reds are distinct. Greenery is appealing. Delineation retains frame information. Source is in good shape. Some mild judder is detected.

Graveyard Shift Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

The 5.1 DTS-HD MA sound mix does well with different environments, handling the industrial roar of the mill and the waterlogged kingdom of the rats. Sound effects are clear, with atmospherics finding position in the surrounds, capturing room tone and dripping water. Dialogue exchanges are distinct, maintaining dramatic urgency without slipping into distortion. Scoring efforts are supportive with acceptable instrumentation, and pop hits carry appropriate percussive snap. Low-end delivers with more monstrous encounters and scenes of property damage.

Graveyard Shift Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

• "Working the Night Shift" (13:28, HD) is an interview with director Ralph Singleton, who details his initial work in the world of publishing, growing weary of the business while in New York. Interested in a move to the movie industry, Singleton took his experience as a production manager to Los Angeles, first working for Universal before scoring a career-changing gig on "Cagney and Lacey," turning a handful of episodes into seven seasons of award-winning television. Moving on to Paramount, Singleton worked as a freelancer, taking charge of seven productions, including "Pet Sematary." Receiving word that a screenplay for "Graveyard Shift" was created, Singleton took at a chance on unproven writer John Esposito, while Stephen King demanded the picture be shot in Maine. Singleton brought the package to an eager studio, handed an April start date for an October 1990 release date.

• "Filmmaking in King Country" (12:37, HD) continues the "Graveyard Shift" informational experience with Ralph Singleton, who focuses on casting achievements, admitting he wanted Andrew Divoff for the lead role, with the actor ultimately appearing in a supporting part. Monster manufacturing and design are explored, along with production design achievements, with the production building the mill set inside a local armory. Editing challenges are noted, with Singleton bringing in "Cagney and Lacey" vets to get the job done quickly (recutting was necessary to avoid an X rating). And the interviewee shares his memory of watching the finished movie with Stephen King.

• "Back Off, Man" (13:10, HD) is an interview with actress Kelly Wolf, who details her move from ballet to acting, while casting for "Graveyard Shift" brought her from New York to Los Angeles. Wolf recounts her audition for Singleton, and her efforts to find the character, who was a tough woman in an age when that was a rare event. Memories of the Bangor, Maine shoot are provided, including the endless consumption of lobster, and Wolf shares her admiration for co-star Brad Dourif, visiting the set just to watch him act. Technical challenges are examined, working with rats and filth, while stunt requirements involved being tossed around the set. The interviewee discusses deleted scenes, including nudity she was nervous to provide, and Wolf offers her admiration for Stephen King.

• "We're Going to Hell Together" (13:38, HD) is an interview with actor Stephen Macht, who recounts his theater origins and time spent with his college roommate, Michael Moriarty. Macht examines his career at the time of "Graveyard Shift," playing mostly good guys, including a stint on "Cagney and Lacey," facing an "organ reject" of the Warwick part before changing his mind. Macht inspects his deep dive into darkness to portray the character, dissecting the material as a morality play and electing to remain in character during the shoot, keeping away from co-stars. The interviewee recalls his dialect training, which informed his character interpretation, and he values the cult legacy of "Graveyard Shift."

• "Let's Go Surfing Now" (10:50, HD) is an interview with actor Vic Polizos, who details his efforts to shed his natural Alabama accent to enjoy a career playing Italian thugs. He recalls his first interaction with Ralph Singleton, with the pair working on Eddie Murphy's "Harlem Nights," and remembers Stephen King's presence on the set of "Graveyard Shift," which was shot near his home. Polizos offers some character exploration and admits his anxiety about sharing scenes with rats and spiders, with the latter crawling all over his face. Fire hose control is highlighted, and the interviewee reminiscences about his initial screening of "Graveyard Shift."

• "Yes, Mr. Warwick" (14:09, HD) is an interview with actor Robert Alan Beuth, who shares his years of theater training before making a move to film acting. Character analysis is offered, along with worship of Stephen King, with Beuth getting his first taste of the author's work while on a plane to the "Graveyard Shift" shoot. Co-stars are assessed and stunt work is recalled, working with trained rats who required just as much makeup as the actors. Beuth closes with an anecdote about the initial release of "Graveyard Shift," which didn't hang around theaters for very long.

• Radio Spots (2:09) present two commercials for "Graveyard Shift."

• And a Theatrical Trailer (1:36, HD) is included.

Graveyard Shift Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

"Graveyard Shift" offers excellent set design achievements and Maine locations are distinct, giving the film real atmosphere (and stay tuned for the bizarre end credits dance song that samples dialogue from the film). Performances are largely committed if a bit cartoonish (Brad Dourif goes nuclear as a Vietnam vet-turned-exterminator), but the cast sells physical dangers well, offering sweaty, exhausted takes on battered people. Perhaps the movie should've stayed on the Bachman Mill team and their misguided efforts of rodent control (they resort to using a fire hose to get rid of the pests), with Warwick the true baddie of the feature. The climax takes the characters into a subterranean lair for extended chases and encroaching madness, and while it hits all the genre sweet spots, Singleton can't get excitement or suspense going, losing momentum to a dull battle between minimum-wagers and an ill-defined beast of fury. Granted, this is the tale King originally came up with, but here's the rare example where dramatic embellishments actually best grisly terror events.