Rating summary

Movie		3.0
Video		4.5
Audio		4.5
Extras		3.0
Overall		3.0

The Stuff Blu-ray Movie Review

Reviewed by Dr. Svet Atanasov March 31, 2014

Larry Cohen's "The Stuff" arrives on Blu-ray courtesy of British distributors Arrow Video. The supplemental features on the disc include an original trailer for the film; introduction and trailer commentary by director Darren Bousman; and a new documentary featuring Larry Cohen, producer Paul Kurta, actress Andrea Marcovicci, critic Kim Newman, and mechanical makeup effects specialist Steve Neill. The release also arrives with a collector’s booklet featuring new writing on the film by Joel Harley, illustrated with original stills and promotional materials. In English, with optional English SDH subtitles for the main feature. Region-B "locked".

"They call me Moe cos every time they give me something, I always want mo'!"

An elderly man discovers some bubbling gooey white stuff coming out of the ground. He tastes it and realizes that he can’t get enough of it. Then his friend tastes the stuff and realizes the same thing.

Fastforward. A giant corporation has started selling The Stuff (this is exactly how it is marketed) all over America and everyone is crazy about it. Business is so good that the corporation can’t keep up with demand. This, of course, isn’t good news for the rest of the junk food industry.

Ex-FBI agent David ‘Moe’ Rutherford (Michael Moriarty, Pale Rider, It's Alive 3) is hired to discover what makes The Stuff so addictive. The funny talking man immediately approaches Nicole Kendall (Andrea Marcovicci, The Hand, Kings and Desperate Men), a beautiful, smart and very successful ad agency owner, who has done a lot to promote The Stuff. When Moe tells her that he is a petroleum millionaire interested in buying her business, Nicole immediately becomes attracted to him and decides to help him figure out the mystery behind The Stuff. Somewhere in the countryside, Moe also meets "Chocolate Chip" Charlie (former Saturday Night Live member Garrett Morris), whose company was acquired by the producers of The Stuff. Like Moe, Charlie is also trying to find out more about The Stuff. In a small deli, the two men discover that The Stuff is actually an active alien substance that is using human bodies as live containers.

Larry Cohen’s The Stuff blends horror and comedy and attempts to deliver a meaningful message about America’s obsession with junk food. For the most part it looks quite silly, but there are a couple of episodes in it that will likely put a smile on the faces of those who hold in high regard Irvin S. Yeaworth Jr.'s The Blob and Philip Kaufman's Invasion of the Body Snatchers.

Moriarty is the heart and soul of the film. He looks a lot more relaxed in The Stuff than he does in Q: The Winged Serpent (his previous collaboration with director Cohen) and his sense of humor clearly has a positive effect on the actors next to him. Unfortunately, when he isn’t around the film looks flat-out amateurish. The footage with the kid, for instance, is completely out of sync with the rest of the film.

Paul Sorvino and Danny Aiello’s cameos are also strange. The former plays a nutty right-winger with a private army and a private radio station who is deeply concerned about America’s future. When he learns about The Stuff, he and his boys finally get a chance to prove that they are real patriots. Needless to say, the acting is way over the top. The latter plays a corrupt FDA official who was part of the team that tested and approved The Stuff. His quick lesson is that sometimes the FDA is not to be trusted because the folks there can make mistakes – for different reasons.

Ultimately, The Stuff is a pretty chaotic film. It probably works best if seen very late at night when the silly can look funny while the bad can pass for campy.

The Stuff was lensed by cinematographer Paul Glickman, who collaborated with Cohen on a number of his films, including the very good pseudo-biopic The Private Files of J. Edgar Hoover (1977).

The Stuff 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, Larry Cohen's The Stuff arrives on Blu-ray courtesy of British distributors Arrow Video.

The quality of the presentation is very similar to that of Terry Gilliam's Time Bandits. The high-definition transfer uses as a foundation a new 2K digital restoration and rather predictably the The Stuff now looks the best it ever has. Indeed, clarity and image depth are outstanding, making it very easy to spot even exceptionally small details (see screencapture #9). Contrast levels remain stable throughout the entire film. Color reproduction does not disappoint either. There is a wide range of very well saturated, healthy and stable colors. More importantly, no attempts have been made to update the film's color scheme. There are no traces of problematic degraning or sharpening corrections. Overall image stability is excellent. Lastly, there are no large cuts, damage marks, or stains, but I did notice some tiny flecks and even blemishes popping up here and there (a rather big one appears at the 00.22.53 mark). All in all, this is a strong organic presentation of The Stuff that is guaranteed to please its fans. (Note: This is a Region-B "locked" Blu-ray release. Therefore, you must have a native Region-B or Region-Free PS3 or SA in order to access its content).

The Stuff Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

There is only one standard audio track on this Blu-ray release: English LPCM 1.0. For the record, Arrow Video have provided optional English SDH subtitles for the main feature.

The lossless track is excellent. Depth and especially clarity are very good and there are no sudden spikes or drops in dynamic intensity. Anthony Guefen's score does not have a prominent role in the film, but there are a few sequences where it enhances the atmosphere quite well. (See the motel sequence where The Stuff attacks Moe). The dialog is clean, crisp, stable, and easy to follow. Also, there are no pops, cracks, problematic background hiss, or distortions to report in this review.

The Stuff Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

• Trailer - original trailer for The Stuff. In English, not subtitled. (2 min).

• Darren Bousman Trailer Commentary - a segment from Trailers From Hell with director Darren Bousman (Saw II, Saw III), who quickly explains what makes Larry Cohen's The Stuff a unique film. In English, not subtitled. (2 min).

• Can't Get Enough of the Stuff - in this new documentary, director Larry Cohen, producer Paul Kurta, mechanical makeup effects specialist Steve Neill, and actress Andrea Marcovicci (Nicole) recall how The Stuff came to exist. Author and critic Kim Newman also discusses some of the film's unique themes and Larry Cohen's directing style. In English, not subtitled. (53 min).

• Coverwork - reversible sleeve with original and newly commissioned artwork by Gary Pullin.

• Booklet - collector's booklet featuring new writing on the film by Joel Harley, illustrated with original stills and promotional materials.

The Stuff Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

If Larry Cohen's The Stuff happens to be one of your favorite guilty pleasures, do not hesitate to add this Region-B release to your collection. Having undergone a new 2K digital restoration, the film looks quite impressive in high-definition. If you have not seen The Stuff before but are curious about it, my advice to you is to find a way to rent it first. There are some good scenes with Michael Moriarty, but overall the film is quite chaotic. RENT IT.