Next of Kin Blu-ray Movie

Rating summary

Movie		3.5
Video		4.0
Audio		5.0
Extras		5.0
Overall		4.5

Next of Kin Blu-ray Movie Review

Reviewed by Dr. Svet Atanasov March 20, 2019

Tony Williams's "Next of Kin" (1982) arrives on Blu-ray courtesy of Australian label Umbrella Entertainment. The supplemental features on the disc include various vintage archival materials for the film; new audio commentary by director Tony Williams and producer Tim White; second audio commentary by director Mark Hartley and cast members Jackie Kerin, John Jarratt, and Robert Ratti; deleted scenes; and more. In English, with optional English SDH subtitles for the main feature. Region-Free.

Everything in Tony Williams’ film Next of Kin works better because of the presence of the unique soundtrack, which was created by Klaus Schulze, a former member of the cult band Tangerine Dream. The synthesizer themes infuse the film with a very special ambience and actually make many visuals look a lot more stylish than they really are.

After the death of her mother, Linda (Jacki Kerin) returns home to take over the management of the nursing home that she has inherited. This isn’t what she wants to do for the rest of her life, but she does not want to give up the property either. A few days after she is welcomed by old friends and the people that assisted her mother, Linda has an intense nightmare that genuinely spooks her and somehow makes her feel unwanted in the nursing home. Then she begins reading her mother’s diary and much to her surprise discovers that before she passed away she too struggled with bizarre nightmares. Intrigued by her findings, Linda meets Dr. Barton (Alex Scott), who monitors the elderly residents in the nursing home, and he urges her to stop wasting her time with the diary and focus on the future. However, Linda ignores his advice and continues to explore her mother’s writings, and learns that in her final days she was convinced that someone was following her around the building, quite possibly waiting for the right time to seriously harm her.

While Linda tries to make sense of the revelations from the diary, an elderly resident is found dead in his bathroom. Then shortly after, just like her mother she becomes convinced that someone, or something, is watching every single move she makes.

Next of Kin has some very creepy moments but is free of fancy special effects. Williams works only with light, shadow, and unique camera angles which create the illusion that whenever Linda becomes suspicious there is in fact someone close to her waiting to catch her off-guard. However, the trickery is only one part of the creepy; the other is a mix of odd noises and Schulze’s music themes, which push the film in a different direction. Indeed, instead of going down that familiar path that various horror films use where a mystery of some sort spawns all of the scary surprises, Williams chooses to stay with Linda and use her suspicions to produce memorable thrills. This is what becomes the climax of the film -- it is the middle part where the film becomes very dark and atmospheric, while the finale is basically a conventional summation of some past events and the evolution of a few old relationships.

The performances range from average to very good, but in a way some of the rougher parts actually strengthen the type of credibility that the film pursues. For example, the casual footage from the café where Linda has a cup of coffee when she heads back home and later on barricades herself brings a sense of normalcy that ultimately elevates the darker and unhinged material even more.

Quentin Tarantino is a very big fan of Next of Kin and some years ago apparently declared that it is his favorite Australian genre film. Next of Kin also appears on many prestigious lists that rank these types of period genre films.

Umbrella Entertainment’s release of Next of Kin is sourced from a recent 4K remaster that was struck from an original 35mm interpositive. In the United States, Severin Films worked with the same remaster to produce its local release of the film.

Next of Kin Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

Presented in its original aspect ratio of 1.85:1, encoded with MPEG-4 AVC and granted a 1080p transfer, Tony Williams' Next of Kin arrives on Blu-ray courtesy of Umbrella Entertainment.

The release is sourced from a recent 4K remaster that was struck from a 35mm interpositive. Quite predictably, the entire film now has a very pleasing organic appearance. I have two minor complaints: First, the grading could have been a bit more careful because there are areas of the film with some light but noticeable black crush that definitely eliminates existing detail. It is not much, but the larger your screens is, the easier it will be for you to notice that occasionally the darker visuals become too 'thick'. This effect is not part of the original cinematography. Second, from time to time there again there is light but noticeable movement within the frame. An elaborate restoration of the film would have introduced stability enhancements that would have completely eliminated the issue. The rest looks great. There is plenty of pleasing depth, clarity is good, and grain is exposed quite well. All in all, this is a fine presentation of Next of Kin that should make its fans happy. (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. For the record, there is no problematic PAL or 1080/50i content preceding the disc's main menu).

Next of Kin 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 subtleties are provided for the main feature.

I had a difficult time deciding which track to use. I almost always prefer the original audio when viewing older films, but in this case I think that the 5.1 mix deserves a recommendation. So, if you are like me, I encourage you not to outright dismiss the 5.1 track because in certain parts that I tested it definitely opens up the audio field quite well.

The 2.0 track is stable, with strong clarity and good depth. It also has a good dynamic intensity, though it quickly becomes clear that the original soundtrack was never meant to be a stunner. The most effective contrasts emerge whenever Klaus Schulze's music has an important role to play.

Next of Kin Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

NOTE: All of the supplemental features on this Blu-ray release are perfectly playable on North American Blu-ray players, including the PS3.

• Audio Commentary One - in this new audio commentary, director Tony Williams and producer Tim White discuss in great detail the genesis of Next of Kin, the impact that Roger Vadim's Blood and Roses had on the evolution of original material that was considered (the initial idea was to have a more Americanized type of atmosphere for Next of Kin), some of the key locations and lensing choices, Klaus Schulze's soundtrack, Quentin Tarantino's love for the film, etc. The commentary was recorded in 2018.

• Audio Commentary Two - this new audio commentary features director Mark Hartley and cast members Jackie Kerin, John Jarratt, and R9obert Ratti. The commentary is basically a long trip down memory lane with all kinds of different comments about the casting process, the production history of the film, and its stylistic appearance. The commentary was recorded exclusively for the Blu-ray premiere of Next of Kin in 2018.

• Theatrical Trailer - an original theatrical trailer for Next of Kin. Newly remastered. Music only. (3 min, 720p).

• UK VHS Trailer - vintage trailer for Next of Kin. Music only. (3 min, 720p).

• German Trailer - vintage German trailer for Next of Kin. In German, not subtitled. (4 min, 720p).

• Alternate German Opening - music only. (2 min, 1080p).

• Image Gallery - a large collection of posters, promo art, packaging, behind-the-scene images (courtesy of Tony Williams), more behind-the-scene images (courtesy of Jacki Kerin), storyboards, and more. (11 min, 1080p).

• Tony Williams Short Films - in English, not subtitled.
  
  1. The Day We Landed on The Most Perfect Planet In the Universe (1971).
  2. Getting Together (1971).

• Before the Night is Out: Ballroom Footage - complete ballroom dancing footage from 1978. Music only. (3 min, 1080p).

• Deleted Scenes - a collection of rare deleted from Next of Kin. Presented as actual film scenes. Without sound. (5 min, 1080p).

• Return to Montclare: Location Revisit - this new featurette offers some before and after comparisons of key locations from Next of Kin. It was produced in 2018. With music. (11 min, 1080p).

• Extended Interviews From Not Quite Hollywood - presented here is a collection of archival interviews that were conducted by Mark Hartley in 2008 for his documentary Not Quite Hollywood: The Wild, Untold Story of Ozploitation!. In these interviews, director Tony Williams and actor John Jarratt discuss their work on Next of Kin. In English, not subtitled. (26 min, 1080p).

• Cover - reversible cover with vintage poster art.

Next of Kin Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

It was very interesting to hear in one of the new audio commentaries that are included on this release that Tony Williams was greatly influenced by Roger Vadim's Blood and Roses because Next of Kin really is spooky in that old-fashioned way that the classic European Gothic horror films from the '60s are. Do you remember what was the concept that they mastered to perfection? It was show less, force the mind to imagine the horror, and then build a tremendous atmosphere. Riccardo Freda's The Horrible Dr. Hichcock and Jack Clayton's The Innocents for instance do precisely that, and so does Blood and Roses. Williams utilizes the same concept for Next of Kin, only he trades the Gothic castle for a retirement home and adds a superb ambient soundtrack by former Tangerine Dream member Klaus Schulze. So, it is not exactly a shocker that Quentin Tarantino loves this film. Umbrella Entertainment's recent release of Next Kin is sourced from a nice 4K remaster and features plenty of informative bonus feature. HIGHLY RECOMMENDED. (In the United States, Severin Films worked with the same remaster to produce its local release of the film. You can see our listing of this release here).