Rating summary

Movie		3.0
Video		3.0
Audio		3.0
Extras		5.0
Overall		3.5

The Resurrected Blu-ray Movie Review

Reviewed by Brian Orndorf May 8, 2018

The quest to bring the works of author H.P. Lovecraft to the screen has never been easy, demanding inventive filmmakers willing to work overtime to preserve the writer’s artful appreciation for the macabre. Director Dan O’Bannon tries his luck with “The Resurrected,” which adapts Lovecraft’s 1941 novella, “The Case of Charles Dexter Ward,” bringing a smaller period mystery to a more modern age via noir-ish intentions, transforming horror into a detective tale courtesy of screenwriter Brent V. Friedman. O’Bannon has a vision for “The Resurrected,” which is teeming with atmospheric changes and cinematic tributes, but it lacks a defined pace, often sluggishly doling out gruesome imagery and sleuthing discoveries, most of which fail to charge up the viewing experience despite the production’s interest in bizarre events and encounters.

Private Detective John (John Terry) is intrigued when Claire (Jane Sibbett) comes to his office in need of help. Claire’s husband, Charles (Chris Sarandon), has recently lost his mind, relocating to a house in rural Rhode Island to keep up his secretive experimentation with blood and bones. John sets out to help Claire locate and return Charles to the land of the living, only to find the recluse devoting himself to dark forces, interested in bringing ancestor Joseph (Sarandon) back to life, carrying out a private plan for necromancy that John’s looking to disrupt, getting personally involved in evil business as he grows closer to Claire.

Friedman handles the detective elements of “The Resurrected” with care, making sure John’s mission is clear enough before matters become suitably strange in his once normal life of clients and playful banter with his employees. Claire is a muted version of a femme fatale, arriving with genuine concern for her husband and his gradual unraveling, eventually taking up residence in the middle of nowhere with a near-silent assistant, building a laboratory in the basement. Her interest in the man’s state of mind is understandable.

However, before the hellraising begins, clues are gathered and witnesses questioned, following John as he goes about his daily business before he uncovers the severity of what’s really going on with Charles. “The Resurrected” has the right idea to help build the feature’s mood, but editorial rhythms are off, with many scenes in need of trimming or complete deletion, finding dialogue exchanges labored and performances lacking, taking time away from the splatter potential of the plot. “The Resurrected” eventually gets down to business as bodies, most mangled, begin to pop into view, and concentration on Charles’s mission is most welcome, braided into flashbacks involving Joseph and his unique world view. If there’s one thing O’Bannon gets exactly right, it’s the casting of Sarandon, who has the challenge of portraying two crazed men, capturing a maniacal duality that builds throughout the film, giving the climax a tremendous shot of evildoing that aids the overall fright factor of the movie. While everyone else struggles to find their footing, Sarandon delivers a terrific performance critical to the success of the endeavor.

The Resurrected Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

The AVC encoded image (1.85:1 aspect ratio) presentation attempts to pull "The Resurrected" out of a history of problematic home video releases. The "New 2K scan of the interpositive" doesn't deliver much fine detail when it comes to the gruesome events of the movie, retaining softness and a slightly filtered look at times. Even close-ups struggle to remain appealing, with select scenes picking up on make-up achievements and performance choices. Colors are tastefully refreshed, staying in the genre with heavy reds and moonlit blues, while more traditional primaries are represented in costuming choices. Delineation holds together, preserving frame information, and the source isn't hit with overt damage.

The Resurrected Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

Less successful is the 2.0 DTS-HD MA sound mix, finding consistent quality lacking from the listening event. Damage and age bring down the force of the track, and while intelligibility isn't smothered, it's not perfect, a problem eased along by the picture's extensive use of ADR to patch performance holes. Scoring fares a little better, with adequate volume to support horror revelations, delivered with acceptable instrumentation. Sound effects register as intended, and atmospherics aren't precise, but they manage to create intended rural, office, and subterranean environments.

The Resurrected Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

• Commentary features producers Mark Borde and Kenneth Raich, writer Brent V. Friedman, special effects artist Todd Masters, and actor Richard Romanus.

• Interview (15:29, HD) with Jane Sibbett is a little odd, with the actress repeatedly reminding the viewer that she doesn't care for horror movies, showing some hesitance when it comes to describing the details of "The Resurrected." Sibbett details her early career triumphs and pull towards comedy, and she, for some reason, shares the story of "The Resurrected," just in case people need a reminder. The star is largely positive about everything, praising Dan O'Bannon's direction and work from her co-stars, and she shares the mood of the shoot, which was cold and dark, setting the eerie mood. Sibbett also mentions her first day on the production, which involved a deleted sex scene that required her to be nude before meeting everyone on the crew.

• Interview (24:22, HD) discusses the life and times of H.P. Lovecraft with superfan S.T. Joshi.

• Interview (15:34, HD) with Chris Sarandon examines his entrance into genre entertainment, having enjoyed his time on "Fright Night." Character concerns for "The Resurrected" are covered, including the challenge of playing two roles, and while he avoids specifics, Sarandon does mention how sick O'Bannon was during the shoot, unable to complete the film. Talk of co-stars is offered (including a camping trip with John Terry), and the ultimate fate of "The Resurrected" as a cult title is examined.

• Interview (17:48, HD) with Friedman covers his youthful ambition to crack the mysteries of Lovecraft, making critical adaptation choices to bring the original novella to the screen. The writer offers praise for Sarandon's performance and his time working with O'Bannon, also sharing his initial reaction to the movie and its lasting cult appeal, with fans constantly seeking him out to ask questions about the picture.

• Interview (10:14, HD) with Richard Band is a little surprising, as the composer only met O'Bannon years after the release of "The Resurrected," originally hired when the picture was in flux with producer issues. Band also describes creative choices to set the horror movie mood.

• Interview (7:57, HD) with Brent Thomas is a short but satisfying discussion of O'Bannon's leadership, which demanded strangely tilted sets and ornately designed catacombs that would only be lit with flashlights. Most interesting are photos from the set, showing off design achievements and construction.

• Interview (15:56, HD) with Masters also shares his thoughts in O'Bannon's leadership and "eccentric" personality. Individual monsters are examined, and highly amusing anecdotes about a lost rubber torso and the employment of actor Deep Roy to portray a creature are shared.

• Deleted and Extended Scenes (18:04, SD) showcase deeper characterization and atmosphere, and offer a peek at a love scene between John and Claire.

• "The Chainsaw Awards" (3:00, SD) is a clip from a 1992 genre awards show hosted by Bruce Campbell. Quentin Tarantino is brought out to present an award to O'Bannon, who happily accepts a "Best Video Feature" prize.

• Photo Gallery (8:10) collects publicity snaps, pre-production art, and advertisements for "The Resurrected."

• And a Home Video Trailer (1:41, SD) and Japanese Trailer (1:54, SD) are included.

The Resurrected Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

"The Resurrected" deals with suspicions and teases violence for the first two acts, but the story eventually brings John down into a catacomb setting, where O'Bannon really cranks up the haunting, delivering a more traditional shot of dimly lit scares and close-ups of juicy gore. The genre acceleration is welcome, but it doesn't redeem the feature in full. The Lovecraft-ian touches are agreeably gruesome and psychological strain registers as intended, but the production rarely nails suspense needs, with O'Bannon (or whomever actually completed the picture, which was plagued with behind-the- scenes problems) missing opportunities to emphasize torment, preferring to linger on conversation instead.