Rating summary

Movie		3.0
Video		4.0
Audio		4.0
Extras		5.0
Overall		3.5

The Dungeonmaster Blu-ray Movie Review

Reviewed by Jeffrey Kauffman June 22, 2023

Note: These versions of this film are available on Blu-ray as part of Arrow's Enter the Video Store: Empire of Screams set.

The vagaries of fame and/or fortune can often be positively confounding, and in that regard it's maybe just a little odd that Charles Band has never seemed to have quite risen to the "immediate name recognition" factor of people like, say, Roger Corman. This may seem especially strange in that Band not only has tended to work in the same kind of less fulsomely budgeted B movie environment that Corman often has, with both sharing a penchant for somewhat sly, winking horror films, but also because Band founded not one but two "studios", Empire Pictures (the "subject" of this collection) and, after the demise of that enterprise, Full Moon Pictures, which continues to release Blu-rays to this day. When you add in the fact that Band hails from a really rather notable family which includes an at least somewhat famous grandfather, father, and various offspring and/or other relatives, the lack of general renown for Band becomes even more inexplicable. Arrow Video is coming to the rescue of this conundrum, however, with this elaborately packaged collection of several Band productions for Empire Pictures which should be of interest to genre aficionados, even if this set can't quite match the extravagance of Band's own Empire Pictures Collection release from several years ago, an immense offering which included all of these films on Blu-ray, save Arena, which was on DVD in that set. As fans will know (or can find out by clicking on links provided in individual reviews), the Empire set was not the only time some of these films have had prior releases on Blu-ray.

As mentioned above, The Dungeonmaster has had prior releases on Blu-ray, as part of a Shout! Factory The Dungeonmaster / Eliminators double feature, which then (if I'm understanding things correctly) was included in the massive Empire set linked to above. Martin Liebman provides a brief plot summary of this film in his The Dungeonmaster Blu-ray review. I'm evidently a bit more of a fan of the film than Marty, and my score reflects that opinion. I'd add that this film is most definitely a kind of portmanteau, and so is inherently vignette driven. In this case, all of the vignettes were written and directed by different people, which gives this an unavoidably heterogeneous quality. This release also offers three different versions of the film, which it doesn't look like either the Shout! or Full Moon releases did.

The Dungeonmaster Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

The Dungeonmaster is presented on Blu-ray courtesy of Arrow Video with an AVC encoded 1080p transfer in 1.85:1. Arrow's perfect bound booklet included with this set offers the following information on the restoration:

The Dungeonmaster (aka Ragewar) is presented in 1.85:1 aspect ratio with stereo sound ( Note: The disc I received featured only LPCM Mono tracks on all three versions). The original 35mm negative was scanned in 4K resolution at Company 3, Los Angeles. The film was graded and restored in 2K resoluation at R3Store Studios. Additional materials, including a high definition feature master from MGM, were sourced to assemble and present the 3 different cuts of the film.

The Dungeonmaster is awash in old school opticals, and those along with other compositing technologies from the days of yore mean that there are some noticeable variances in grain and general detail levels throughout the three presentations, a heterogeneous appearance that is probably only further highlighted by the cobbling together from different source elements that was necessary to offer the three versions of the film on this disc. That said, to my eyes this is a substantial improvement over the old Shout/Full Moon presentation, including both a corrected aspect ratio, as well as a much more warmly suffused palette, which actually kind of veers on red-orange territory at times. Generally speaking, detail levels are at least marginally improved from the Shout/Full Moon offering, but I'd say not by huge amounts. My score is 4.25.

The Dungeonmaster Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

All three versions of The Dungeonmaster (and/or Ragewar) sport effective LPCM Mono tracks. The film's often kind of goofy sound effects reverberate with sufficient force, and the equally goofy dialogue is presented without any issues whatsoever. Optional English subtitles are available.

The Dungeonmaster Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

• Three Versions are available under the Play Film Menu:

  Ragewar (Pre Release Version) (HD; 1:17:59) is the longest version of the film, including some nudity and with the challenges in the same order as presented in the end credits.

  
  

  Ragewar (International Version) (HD; 1:17:23) is the version released globally in theaters and on home video. Nudity has been excised, and the challenges are in a different order.

  
  

  The Dungeonmaster (US Theatrical Version) (HD; 1:13:35) is the version US movie theater audiences saw. The prologue is gone along with the nudity, and once again the challenges have been rearranged.

• Audio Commentary features Jeffrey Byron and Empire Pictures fans Matty Budrewicz and Dave Wain in this newly recorded track. This comes with an audio quality warning, which I frankly think wasn't really needed (I had no real issues hearing anything).


• I Reject Your Reality and Substitute My Own (HD: 15:07) is an interview with Jeffrey Byron.


• Trailers

  Theatrical Trailer (HD; 1:57)

  
  

  Alternate Trailer (HD; 3:02)

• Image Gallery (HD)

Additionally the keepcase features a reversible sleeve, and houses a folded mini poster and art cards.

The Dungeonmaster Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

The Dungeonmaster is a rather interesting film from Charles Band where he perhaps tried to "pay it forward" by offering some of his longtime collaborators a chance to stretch out and either write or direct. The result is kind of variable, as might be expected, but there's nothing quite like watching the inimitable Richard Moll chew the veritable scenery. Technical merits are generally solid, and the supplements very appealing, for anyone who may be considering making a purchase.