Rating summary

Movie		3.0
Video		4.0
Audio		4.5
Extras		5.0
Overall		4.0

Parasite 3D Blu-ray Movie Review

An entertaining pulp horror film with an impressive 3D presentation

It wants to kill you and suck out all your blood: Parasite is a creature on a mission. (Yet it's not a vampire.) The slimy, gooey, and menacing creature from the unknown territories of horror arrives in this schlocky and entertaining B-movie from producer and director Charles Band (Trancer, Puppetmasters). Designed with 3D projection in mind, Parasite is an underrated 3D experience that has been newly restored by the 3-D Film Archive.

Dr. Paul Dean (Robert Glaudini) is a scientist who managed to create the terrifying organism which became a flesh eating parasite. Dr. Paul now seeks to destroy his own horrific creation: carrying the deadly parasite with him until he can find a way to obliterate it himself. Set in the future, Earth is now nothing more than a barren post-apocalyptic landscape with unending dirt and wide open canvas and little in the way of food or shelter for humanity to latch on to.

Paul must use his personal resources in order to get by day-to-day: bartering his fancy watch and a gold ring in order to obtain temporary housing at a hotel and to get himself some canned soup for a meal. Resources are dwindling and society is now on the edge of disaster. When Paul is at the restaurant in order to obtain his “delicious” canned soup, in walks a vicious gang of rebels led by the mean-spirited head-honcho: Ricus (Luca Bercovici). With the gang leader's horde of wannabe baddies including Dana (Cherie Currie), Arn (Freddy Moore), Zeke (Tom Villard), Bo (Joanelle Romero), and Shell (Natalie May), the situation at hand gets worse as the parasite is unleashed into the world once more.

Patricia Welles (Demi Moore) is a beautiful and charming young gardener whom Mr. Dean meets and befriends while journeying to destroy the monstrous parasite. When the gang gets in the way of Paul's ambitions, Patricia is there to help guide him to a possible solution to the horror: she aims to help him destroy the parasite before the future is obliterated. A shady character named Wolf (James Davidson) also leads an group known as “The Merchants” in the strange post-apocalyptic world of Parasite. Can Paul and Patricia kill the parasite before it kills them (and the rest of humanity)?

"Is this a... Star War?"

There were several talented individuals involved in the film's special effects, but one individual stands out from the pack: Stan Winston (Jurassic Park, The Terminator). Winston is a creative genius who helped to pioneer modern special effects and filmmaking spectacle. It's a joy to see one of his early efforts and the development of one of cinema's most important assets. As one of the designers and creators of the effects done for the alien parasite, the film is ten times better than it would have been without him. Only his third effort on special effects in film (after Zoltan... Hound of Dracula and W.C. Fields and Me) and Winston already makes an impression.

Randall Larsen and Chris J. Condon were consultants involved in the 3D effects and their efforts on the project are absolutely ace from start to finish. The film is a testament to the power of 3D filmmaking and the unique creative options it provides to filmmakers. While the 3D in the film can feel a little gimmicky on occasion (with effects lunging out at audiences more-so than most 3D productions) there's also an aspect of it that is simply amazing to behold. On the whole, 3D is an enormously powerful tool for directors and artists that allows new possibilities for the medium of filmmaking. Parasite was ahead of it's time in recognizing that about the medium (and it's possibilities for creature-features).

Charles Band capably directs the horror-thriller with a firm hand on the style and pacing of the project. The film is sometimes cartoonish and over-the-top but that's also part of the fun of it. No one should expect high art from Parasite: such ambitions are never there. The film aims squarely to entertain audiences and on that level it succeeds. The film has excellent pacing, brilliant creature effects, and a moody score composed by Richard Band (From Beyond, Re-Animator) which perfectly aligns with the filmmaking. The script by Alan J. Adler (The Concrete Jungle, Metalstorm: The Destruction of Jared-Syn) , Michael Shoob (Driven), and Frank Levering is often absurd (with terrible dialogue and awful character development) so don't see it for a class-act screenplay. The failings of the story are made up (in part) by the production's exceptional special effects and the eerie and surrealistic cinematography by Mac Ahlberg (Striking Distance, Ghost Town). Parasite isn't so parasitic that it will grip on to you like a genuine masterpiece of horror would but it still has a way to latch on to you. Don't miss it.

Parasite 3D Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

Parasite arrives on Blu-ray (in 3D!) from distributor Kino Lorber with an impressive presentation in the original aspect ratio of 2.35:1 widescreen. The 1080p MPEG-4 MVC encode preserves the original 3D presentation in all of its fun retro glory. The film is also provided in 2D with a 1080p MPEG-4 AVC encoded presentation (which utilizes the same master which was used for the 3D presentation). However, audiences with a 3D display should opt for a 3D viewing: the film was absolutely intended and designed to be seen in 3D and many of the shots in the film were even composed with this in mind (such as blood dripping out of a pipeline into the audience's popcorn).

Parasite received a new restoration effort for its 3D release (which combined the dedicated efforts of Kino Lorber with the 3-D Film Archive). The original interpositive for the film was discovered by Studio Canal in Europe. With dedication and hard work by the 3-D Film Archive, restoration efforts on the film was underway while using the original 35mm footage.

Unlike a double-strip 3D film, Parasite used a single-strip for presenting it's 3D effect. For this production (and other similarly produced 3D films made during the 80's) this leads to considerable issues with regards to film preservation: inherent softness on the image in unavoidable. As Parasite used the more limited single-strip format, the left and right images both come from the single frame and that is a component viewers should keep in mind for this restoration.

Due to the way Parasite was produced, there is an abundance of grain inherent in the source. While I love the organic quality of film grain, the grain looks exorbitant at times during the presentation with large swarms of grain across the entire image. It's not as natural looking as on many films. However, keeping the grain intact is preferable to the grain becoming scrubbed with DNR (which could have resulted in considerably less detail in the image). The end result of this restoration satisfies given the enormous undertaking required by the 3-D Film Archive and with consideration to the inherent issues related to the source footage. 3-D Film Archive handled the restoration with a careful attention to detail which involved creating a proper 3-D alignment, making level corrections, highlighting convergence details, and restoring the single-strip footage.

The transfer has exceptional color reproduction. The efforts on the presentation are superb. Dirt, debris, and other print damage is barely visible on the scan. The image is stable throughout and the 3D is enormously strong with no issues with flickering. On my display, there was more ghosting than I encounter on a typical 3D film, but this was still only a minor drawback to an otherwise fantastic presentation. As to the 3D itself, the creative use of the medium is something that must be seen to be believed: the 3D pops out of the screen with an almost unheard of range extending directly into one's face. There are so many neat moments with these effects (from the pipe dripping blood to the parasite launching towards viewers). While I tend to prefer 3D which is oriented around depth on the image (for a more immersive and realistic experience), there's still something undeniably fun about the showy 3D design these types of classic "B" movies can have. Viewers wanting to watch a downright fun 3D experience can look no further: Parasite is it. The 3D delivers in spades.

Parasite 3D Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

The release includes a selection of audio options: 5.1 DTS-HD Master Audio surround sound and DTS-HD Master Audio 2.0. Either one of these lossless audio options should prove satisfactory to viewers. However, I would recommend opting for the superior surround sound presentation. The dialogue is exceptionally crisp and clear throughout the entire film. The creative sound effects are engaging to behold. There is a truly involving aspect of the surround sound with it's colorful sound effects and monster-rific score. The audio on this release is consistently impressive from start to finish and never suffers from unwanted hiss, cracks, or distortion. A superb presentation. Optional English subtitles are provided.

Parasite 3D Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

One aspect of the Blu-ray release which immediately made an impression upon opening the package: reversible cover-art is provided with an alternative option printed on the inside. Both covers are fantastic. Fans can pick and choose their favorite design.

Located under the "audio" sub-section of the menu, one can find an audio commentary track provided by screenwriter Alan J. Adler.

From the Inside Out: Writing Parasite (HD, 10:38) features interviews with screenwriters Michael Shoob and Alan J. Adler. The pair discuss the concept of the film and the sales pitch (to the eventual process of writing the screenplay). As the writers wax nostalgia over their memorable experience forming the story, they reveal great details about its development (including the fact it was written quickly: in one week, no less!)

Three Dimensions of Terror: Filming Parasite (HD, 15:12) features a compilation of interviews with director Charles Band, screenwriter Alan J. Adler, art director Pamela B. Warner, make-up artist Karen Kubeck, and production manager Charles Newirth. The piece delves into a variety of behind-the-scenes stories about the film's development, marketing, and legacy. It's a highly engaging supplement which is worth a look for anyone interested in learning more about the production.

Symphony for Slimy Slugs: Composing Parasite (HD, 8:42) features the composer, Richard Band, as he discusses his involvement in scoring the project and showing an early presentation of the film (accompanied by his original score) to composer Lalo Schifrin (Mission Impossible).

Parasitic: Creating and Designing Parasite (HD, 6:23) features Lance Anderson, one of the primary creature and effects designers on the film, discussing his contributions to the project as well as the involvement of Stan Winston.

Restoring Parasite in 3D (HD, 2:25) is a wonderful short-piece from the 3-D Film Archive about the undertaking of restoring the film for modern audiences.

Image Gallery (8:07) features a selection of high quality promotional images associated with Parasite (from lobby cards to posters and original advertisements). Viewers can click-through each still using the directional arrows on their remotes.

TV Spots (SD, 1:01) contains some early promotional ads for the film promoting the 3D presentation.

Radio Spots (1:31) contains an entertaining radio advertisement for the feature-film with all the energy and thrills of a classic voice-over theatrical trailer.

Theatrical Trailer (SD, 1:29)

Parasite 3D Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

Parasite is an experience that must be had in 3D. The added dimension turns an average B-movie into something more menacing, exciting, and memorable. The film was designed with 3D in mind and the release has some exceptional photography which creatively utilizes the medium. Non-3D viewers can still experience the film in 2D: it's just not anywhere near as cool of an experience. Watch in 3D if you dare to scream.

The Blu-ray release contains an impressive restoration from the 3-D Film Archive, an engaging lossless surround sound mix, and a high quality assortment of supplemental features which make the release well worth owning. Parasite is a fun B-movie horror flick that deserves the attention of film fans. Highly recommended.