6 | / 10 |
Users | 0.0 | |
Reviewer | 4.0 | |
Overall | 4.0 |
A psychiatrist becomes infatuated with one of her young clients who claims to be tormented by an evil spirit possessing his father.
Starring: Heather Graham, Judah Lewis, Barbara Crampton, Bruce Davison, Johnathon SchaechHorror | 100% |
Thriller | Insignificant |
Video codec: MPEG-4 AVC
Video resolution: 1080p
Aspect ratio: 2.35:1
Original aspect ratio: 2.35:1
English: DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1
English SDH, French, Spanish
Blu-ray Disc
Single disc (1 BD)
Region A (B, C untested)
Movie | 3.5 | |
Video | 4.0 | |
Audio | 4.0 | |
Extras | 3.5 | |
Overall | 4.0 |
As much a loving tribute to late, great director Stuart Gordon (Re-Animator, From Beyond) as the H.P. Lovecraft story it's based on, Joe Lynch's sexually-charged Suitable Flesh flashes a winking smile to the throat-grabbing supernatural horror films of yesteryear. What begins as a curious tale of one happily married psychiatrist's strange infatuation with a young patient soon spirals into shocking absurdity as a body-hopping demon basically runs roughshod on the doctor and her circle of friends, family, and co-workers. Laced with squishy practical effects and a true commitment to its schtick, Suitable Flesh isn't a flawless genre exercise (homage?) but it's still an awful lot of fun at times.
Elizabeth dares to investigate Asa's house, spurned by both morbid curiosity and an attraction to the much younger patient. Don't worry, though: the massive age difference is totally cool because a guy's the younger one. (A quick look at IMDb even shows that Judah Lewis wasn't even born until three years after Boogie Nights came out.)
What follows is an increasingly grim and bonkers situation involving Asa's sickly dad, more claims of the supernatural, gratuitous body-switching, attempted murder, actual murder, fun roleplay, at least one police investigation, and a whole lotta confusion as Suitable Flesh's characters change into altered variants of each other. To explain where, why, or how everything turns out would be a disservice to its plot, which is half the fun of a first-time viewing experience. The other half is in the lead performances; particularly Graham and relative newcomer Judah Lewis, who each go all-in on their respective roles to deliver an entertaining if not occasionally confusing sequence of role reversals that you may just need a small notepad to keep track of. Add in a bit of visual flair and creative effects and you've got a refreshing little horror entry that, minor flaws aside, should appease anyone looking for something a little different.
Time will tell if Suitable Flesh holds up even half as long as several of the decades-old films it's clearly influenced by, but I've got a good
feeling that this won't be just a "once and done" experience for those who enjoy this subgenre of horror. What's more is that RLJ Entertainment's
new Blu-ray edition offers solid A/V specs, a well-rounded collection of extras and, as always, its reasonable price tag makes blind buys a bit more
attainable for the adventurous.
Suitable Flesh may not emulate the time period of the Stuart Gordon-directed films it so clearly admires, but it at least resembles a modestly-budgeted film from that decade with an neutral if not slightly warm appearance that doesn't lend itself to consistently razor-sharp image detail. Truth be told it looks a bit soft more often than not, but this is likely by design rather than flaws in the cinematography or disc encoding. Colors are nicely saturated, sometimes nudged into unnatural territory (all depending on the subject matter), with the typically cold and sterile office interiors contrasting nicely with Asa's run-down and cluttered house. Darker scenes are occasionally overwhelmed by a further loss of fine detail, but black crush rarely enters the picture -- only trace amounts of posterization and macro blocking that affect some of the mid-range values. Overall, it's a solid and workmanlike 1080p transfer that will hold up perfectly well on medium-sized displays; anything larger than, say, 65" might reveal a few more seams in the fabric.
The DTS-HD 5.1 Master Audio mix plays it mostly straight, aiming for a front-forward presentation where dialogue is concerned while leaving occasional room in the rears for subtle atmospherics, the original score by composer Steve Moore, at least one or two kinda annoying jump scares, and a few freak out moments where several main characters undergo sharp personality changes. Within these boundaries it's no surprise that the Blu-ray's lossless audio performs as expected, getting the job done without incident while offering a few well-placed sonic flourishes.
Optional English (SDH) subtitles are included during the main feature only, not the extras listed below.
This one-disc release ships in a a keepcase with attractive cover artwork; no slipcover or inserts are included, but we do get a pretty healthy little dose of bonus features that fans are sure to enjoy.
Joe Lynch's Suitable Flesh is a clear nod to the work of late, great director Stuart Gordon, and not just because its supernatural plot is based on a story from H.P. Lovecraft. The film's interesting visual motifs, solid lead performances, and commitment to its schtick make for an entertaining first-time experience and, based on the strength of its overall construction, should held up to repeat viewings. RLJ Entertainment's Blu-ray serves up good A/V merits, a nice pile of extras, and its reasonably price tag makes this one a decent blind buy. Recommended to the right crowd.
2016
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1987
2K Restoration
1980
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2016
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1976
Limited Edition
1980
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Unrated
2018
2015
Collector's Edition
1989
1986
2013
Collector's Edition
1977
Remastered | Collector's Edition
1981
2012
1983
2017