Phobia Blu-ray Movie

Rating summary

Movie		1.5
Video		4.0
Audio		4.0
Extras		3.5
Overall		2.5

Phobia Blu-ray Movie Review

An awful psychological horror film from John Huston (The African Queen) which will lull audiences to sleepy time

Terror can arrive in the most unexpected of ways. There are many individuals in the world with a range of their own distinctive phobias and their causes. Delving into the psychological elements of what it means to have mental illness, Phobia is a gritty feature-film executive produced by Mel Bergman (Spree) and Larry Spiegel (Evil Town).

Leading an experimental new form of game-changing therapy for individuals who have uncontrollable fears (aka “phobias”), Dr. Peter Ross (Paul Michael Glaser) brings together a group of volunteer patients to experience his futuristic experimental therapy: blasting imagery across large television screens to each of the patients of what they fear most and bringing real representations of their phobias directly to them (such as live slithering snakes).

The participants in the complex sessions are all inmates allowed to be involved in the experimental therapy sessions. As the storyline unfolds, an unknown killer starts taking them out one-by-one to a bitter end of lifelessness. Who is the mysterious killer and why are they determined to murder these psychologically damaged victims?

Unfortunately for audience members, Phobia is one of the most laborious psychological thrillers ever made and it's the type of rare experience which washes over viewers like a cold mop without causing a single jolt of genuine surprise. Phobia plays out like a straight cookie-cutter drama yet it's supposed to be suspenseful as a horror-thriller. The film never manages to work in the typical horror genre, the thriller genre, or the physiological-horror genre. Instead, the increasingly mundane and terrible filmmaking meanders about as if it doesn't even have a clue what type of film it means to be.

Somniphobia. Definition: A fear of sleep.

The direction by John Huston (The Maltese Falcon, The African Queen) feels remarkably lifeless. This is quite a surprise given the prolific legacy of the director. Nonetheless, the film is an exception to his strong filmography and is a missed-opportunity at each turn in the story. The foundation of the story by Gary Sherman (Poltergeist III, Wanted: Dead or Alive) and Ronald Shusett (Alien, Total Recall) is entirely too weak and uneventful.

The concept to the film is paper-thin and the characters are merely caricatures who never form true identities in the story. The screenplay by Lew Lehman (Killers of the Wild), Jimmy Sangster (Horror of Dracula, Horror of Frankenstein) and Peter Bellwood (Highlander, Malevolent) is a major bust that never is capable of forming a compelling argument for why audiences should come along for the ride: the experience is one that is the opposite of inviting. There's even a random bathtub scene featuring a beautiful actress in the film: presumably to try and mask how boring everything about the story is.

There are some elements of Phobia which are far more effective than the awful screenplay and tone-deaf direction: the music score composed by Andre Gagnon (Tell Me That You Love Me, The Hot Touch) has some eerie tunes that fit the storyline and concept appropriately while the distinctive cinematography by Reginald H. Morris (A Christmas Story, Black Christmas) paints a picture compellingly vivid for audience's imaginations to run wild.

While Phobia is a failed experiment itself, the end result isn't horribly insulting to the intelligence of viewers. It's merely a poor attempt at a thriller which drastically backfired. The filmmaking is almost completely inert. The experience is one that few audience members will appreciate. Save your precious time and watch something more frightening and with more insights into the world of psychology (such as the masterful Joker adaptation featuring Joaquin Phoenix). Phobia is a giant misfire that is best left forgotten.

Phobia Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

Arriving on Blu-ray for the first time from distributor Kino Lorber, Phobia features a 1080p MPEG-4 AVC encoded high definition presentation in the original theatrical aspect ratio of 1.85:1 widescreen. The film presentation features a new 4K remaster of the film. The quality of the scan is generally superb with exceptional detail and clarity in the image. Fine film grain is also superb from start to finish.

Color reproduction on the transfer looks largely accurate but the photography is a bit drab looking and colors never seem to "pop" off the screen. There are also a few scenes in which the image appears a bit overly saturated and not as accurate when it comes down to skin-tones. There's nothing disastrous about the transfer but it does have a few minor imperfections despite being a 4K scan. The image is also free and clear from any ailments with print damage, dirt, scratches, and debris. An excellent transfer which will impress fans of the film.

Phobia Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

The film features an engaging DTS-HD Master Audio presentation. Phobia features a lossless quality mono audio sound mix which retains the original sound design of the film. While this is a somewhat quiet and reserved soundtrack, the clarity of the audio is uniformly superb from beginning to end with exceptional clarity, detail, and fidelity. There are no issues with annoying pops, cracks, hiss, and other detriments which could detract from the experience. Dialogue clarity is exceptional. The music score sounds great and is wonderfully reproduced by the high-resolution audio. Optional English subtitles are provided.

Phobia Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

Audio Commentary by Paul Corupe of Canuxploitation.com and Film Historian Jason Pichonsky

Interview with Lead Actress Susan Hogan (HD, 14:40) is a wonderful interview which provides a lot of insights into the film and it's production. Hogan discusses what it was like working on the film and her perspective on her role.

Interview with Actress Lisa Langlois (HD, 5:59) is an interesting interview with the actress who performed the part of Laura in the film. She provides some eye-opening insights regarding her casting and involvement in the production (including some details about her nude sequence in the film). Langlois delves into the underwhelming response to the film from critics and audiences and her own view on the work.

Phobia Trailer (SD, 1:52)

Lastly, the Blu-ray release includes a selection of theatrical trailers for other releases available from distributor Kino Lorber: Jennifer (SD, 2:03), Parasite (SD, 1:27), House of the Long Shadows (SD. 2:28), Still of the Night (HD, 2:07), and Impulse (SD, 1:31).

Phobia Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

Viewers of Phobia may soon discover that they themselves have a new phobia... a phobia of re-watching this awful film. Featuring awful performances, a screenplay so boring it feels as though it was written on auto pilot, and the worst directing of John Huston's career, Phobia is an utter disaster that will make one scream with agitation. Featuring a generally impressive 4K restoration, Phobia has a reasonably impressive Blu-ray presentation and a nice selection of engaging supplemental features. Fans of the film will certainly want to pick it up. Everyone else should "scram like a tree" with acrophobia. A worthy Blu-ray for an awful film.