6.1 | / 10 |
Users | 0.0 | |
Reviewer | 3.0 | |
Overall | 3.0 |
When three N.Y. kids are murdered, the local Haitian voodoo priest re-animates their shrunken heads to exact revenge. Complications arise between one of the heads and his former girlfriend.
Starring: Julius Harris, Meg Foster, Aeryk Egan, Rebecca Herbst, A.J. DamatoHorror | 100% |
Dark humor | Insignificant |
Comedy | Insignificant |
Video codec: MPEG-4 AVC
Video resolution: 1080p
Aspect ratio: 1.78:1
Original aspect ratio: 1.85:1
English: Dolby Digital 2.0 (192 kbps)
English: Dolby Digital 5.1 (448 kbps)
None
Blu-ray Disc
Single disc (1 BD)
Region A, B (C untested)
Movie | 3.0 | |
Video | 4.0 | |
Audio | 3.0 | |
Extras | 1.0 | |
Overall | 3.0 |
Three murdered kids get “awakened” as shrunken head avenging angels (and/or demons, as the case may be) in this film from 1994, though I personally wouldn't be all that surprised if some current day “woke” sensibilities may engender what might be called the “outrage machine” in terms of reacting to Shrunken Heads' depictions of supposed “voodoo” practices that, in the film, anyway, are purported to not just remove heads from corpses, but to shrink them and then reanimate them. That passing (and hopefully obviously joking) obstacle aside, Shrunken Heads is goofily enjoyable on its own terms, and it’s no doubt going to be a nostalgic field day for many who either saw it as kids in an actual theater, or who later discovered it in its broadcast iterations. There’s a fun Videodrome supplement on this disc which gets into the film’s then groundbreaking use of motion control cameras to create many of the special effects, and if those effects look almost charmingly quaint to eyes now more acclimated to the blandishments of CGI, they’re still enjoyable and reasonably believable, if, that is, you can believe a story that revolves around a transplanted voodoo priest who resurrects three young boys (or at least their miniaturized heads) to give some street toughs a good deal of comeuppance.
Shrunken Heads is presented on Blu-ray courtesy of Full Moon Features with an AVC encoded 1080p transfer in 1.78:1. Both the front and back covers tout that this transfer was "digitally remastered from the uncut 35mm camera negative". This is a rather impressive looking presentation overall, though the special effects work, especially the "blue screen" head moments, can definitely show its seams. Also, some of the miniatures are not very well detailed, which makes some of the supposed aerial shots more than a bit hokey looking. In terms of the actual humans and practical items like costumes and props, detail levels are commendable throughout, and the palette pops agreeably, emphasizing the kind of comic book hyperbole that was evidently intentionally aimed for. Grain resolves naturally throughout the presentation.
Full Moon is another niche label which doesn't seem to want to include lossless audio on its Blu-ray releases, and Shrunken Heads features only lossy Dolby Digital 2.0 and 5.1 tracks. The surround track definitely opens up the underscore as well as some of the marauding scenes of the three shrunken heads, which frequently involve zooming hither and yon through the air. Dialogue is rendered cleanly and clearly, which is probably a good thing since this is another Full Moon Features Blu-ray release without any optional subtitles.
The depiction of supposed "voodoo" practices may be met with umbrage by some avid members of the PC police, but I think a more reasonable objection to the basic story is how the deaths of the three boys is just kind of glossed over to get to the central premise of the film. While they will probably look decidedly "old school" to younger eyes in particular, the special effects in this film were relatively groundbreaking in their day and they continue to delight if not always amaze. Performances are generally very good, with several of the young actors doing creditable work in unusual circumstances. Technical merits vary from solid (video) to improvable (only lossy audio), for those who are considering a purchase.
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