Rating summary

Movie		3.0
Video		4.0
Audio		4.5
Extras		2.0
Overall		3.5

She Blu-ray Movie Review

Reviewed by Dr. Svet Atanasov June 10, 2020

Avi Nesher's "She" (1984) arrives on Blu-ray courtesy of Kino Lorber. The supplemental features on the disc include an original trailer for the film and exclusive new video interview with the director. In English, with optional English SDH subtitles for the main feature. Region-A "locked".

The Godess

If you had a legit video store in your area during the ‘80s and early ‘90s whose staff tried hard to stock product for every type of film connoisseur, then you should have known exactly where to discover Avi Nesher’s She. The video store should have had a dedicated section where She would have been placed next to the likes of Cherry 2000, Radioactive Dreams, Stryker, After the Fall of New York, Metalstorm: The Destruction of Jared-Syn, Exterminators of the Year 3000, and Hardware. In my local video store, this was the ‘futuristic’ section where all of these films were gathered together, and right next to it was the ‘other’ section where the staff would place anything from Alejandro Jodorowsky’s head-scratchers and Tinto Brass’ most scandalous films to Luis Bunuel’s L'Âge d'Or and Lech Majewski’s Flight of the Spruce Goose and Gospel According To Harry. When DVD arrived on the market, the ‘other’ section was also expanded with various made-for-TV films and some colorful documentaries, like the Mondo films that are hidden in Something Weird Video’s vaults. So, it was very easy to start at the ‘futuristic’ section, move to the ‘other’ section, and then go home with a stack of ‘different’ films to explore. These two sections were my favorite and there I discovered hundreds of unique films that never played in my local theater.

So, yesterday I sat down to view She and immediately after the disc’s menu appeared on my screen the video store popped up in my head. Then as I pressed the play button on my remote control, I started recalling various similar films that I had rented there, including She. Until this moment I was actually uncertain if I had seen She, but all of a sudden it all started coming back to me and approximately fifteen minutes into the film I had the entire post-apocalyptic adventure that is at the center of it reconstructed. (You know, the different cycles where the four protagonists clash with the other gangs). The reason I mention all of the above is this: if a couple of decades ago you had an active membership at your local mom-and-pop video store it is practically guaranteed that She would give you a nostalgia fix, which will be your daily dose of cinematic entertainment; if you did not have one or you did but do not recall renting any similar films, more than likely She will quickly put you to sleep.

All of the action takes place in a post-apocalyptic future and in a giant wasteland where different gangs of survivors control different zones. While passing through one of these zones, strangers Tom (David Goss), Dick (Harrison Muller) and their female companion Hari (Elena Wiedermann) become trapped in violent clash that separates them – the men are taken to the powerful goddess She (Sandahi Bergman), leader of the Urech, while the girl is kidnapped by another gang and transported to a different zone. Eventually, Tom and Dick manage to escape the Urech zone and begin looking for Hari, but in the process team up with She and Shanda (Quin Kessler) and confront some their biggest rivals.

The starting point for this film was apparently H. Rider Haggard’s popular novel She: A History of Adventure, but the end product isn’t a faithful cinematic adaptation of the original material. It is entirely a creation of Nesher’s imagination whose limits are practically impossible to define. Why? Because the film is like a Bloody Mary cocktail made with pickle juice and vanilla ice cream and served in an espresso cup – there are so many odd flavors in it that it is often difficult to tell if Nesher was on the same page with the actors he had in front of his camera. He did have a script, but there is no doubt that most of the action was happening on the go.

What saves the film is its cheeky sense of humor. Plenty of the funny is actually a bit silly, but there is also a lot of material that oozes Monty Python-esque vibes that make the mayhem appear attractive. (Arguably the best segment features Mario Pedone’s giant kooky ballerina). The film even has a decent soundtrack, with the biggest surprise from it being a classy rendition of Rick Wakeman’s “Rescue Me” sung by Maggie Bell.

She 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, She arrives on Blu-ray courtesy of Kino Lorber.

The master that was used to source this release apparently emerged from MGM's vaults. It is older, but quite nice. Indeed, it is free of digital tinkering and overall very healthy, so depth, clarity, and delineation are pretty strong. Yes, in some darker areas fine nuances can be better exposed, but there is still a lot to see and like. The color grading job is convincing. The primaries are stable and with good saturation levels, while the supporting nuances are properly balanced. Admittedly, this is another area where minor improvements can be made, but as it is the film's color scheme is solid. Image stability is very good. A few minor white flecks can be spotted, but they will not affect negatively your viewing experience. My score is 4.25/5.00. (Note: This is a Region-A "locked" Blu-ray release. Therefore, you must have a native Region-A or Region-Free player in order to access its content).

She 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 provided for the main feature.

I had a difficult time determining if some of the dynamic movement during select action sequences is actually exactly as intended. It probably is because this film wasn't made with a lavish budget, but the current audio mix is slightly more uneven at times than I expected. This being said, clarity and overall stability are excellent.

She Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

• Who is Your God? - in this exclusive new video interview, director Avi Nesher discusses his background and the production of She as well as the different themes and vibes he wanted to be part of his film. In English, not subtitled. (14 min, 1080p).

• Trailer - a vintage trailer for She. In English, not subtitled. (4 min, 480/60i).

She Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

It is hard to imagine that She could have been any wilder because at times the mayhem that is on display in it actually begins to fall apart. What saves the film is its Monty Python-esque sense of humor, plus its atmosphere adds a decent retro charm to the fireworks, which means that the best time to see it is probably when you feel nostalgic about the '80s. Kino Lorber's release is sourced from an older but very nice master that was supplied by MGM and features a nice exclusive interview with director Avi Nesher. RECOMMENDED.