Rating summary

Movie		4.0
Video		5.0
Audio		5.0
Extras		4.0
Overall		4.0

Underworld 4K Blu-ray Movie Review

Reviewed by Dr. Svet Atanasov December 27, 2023

George Pavlou's "Underworld" (1985) arrives on 4K Blu-ray courtesy of Kino Lorber. The supplemental features on the release include exclusive new audio commentary by George Pavlou and author and critic Stephen Thrower; archival program with cast and crew interviews; multiple archival publicity materials; and more. In English, with optional English SDH subtitles for the main feature. Region-Free.

Gas the freaks!

If I had a time machine and could go back to 1985, right before George Pavlou was about to complete Underworld, I would have told him that the only way to pack even more of the decade’s magic in his film would be to include Piano Fantasia’s Song for Denise. In the summer of 1985, Song for Denise became one of the biggest club hits in Europe, but for years after that, well into the 1990s, DJs across the old continent kept spinning it. Pavlou ended up working with Welsh synth-pop rockers Freur, whose soundtrack is on par with some of Tangerine Dream’s most memorable work, so I would not have wanted to see them replaced. I just would have insisted that Pavlou sneaked in Song for Denise and assured him that many decades later Underworld would evolve into one of the most potent fixes for folks addicted to 1980s nostalgia.

But even though I do not have a severe addiction to 1980s nostalgia -- some yes, but not severe -- Underworld hit me pretty hard. I cannot tell yet if it was because I had no prior knowledge of it and expected it to be as mediocre as Pavlou’s Rawhead Rex, or because I just happened to be in the perfect state of mind for it. However, I can tell you it was one of the most satisfying viewing experiences I had in 2023, which is odd, to say the least, because this year I picked up and enjoyed some truly spectacular releases of various genre films.

In an unnamed corner of Glasgow, a team of masked men break into a popular brothel and kidnap a stunningly beautiful prostitute named Nicole (Nicola Cowper). Shortly after, the powerful crime boss Motherskille (Steven Berkoff) dispatches several of his goons to track down Bain (Larry Lamb), Nicole’s former lover, and bring him to his office. When the two men meet, Motherskille uses his charm to convince Bain to find out where Nicole is and what would it take to free her. After a tip from another very beautiful prostitute (Irina Brook) with an old crush on him, Bain ends up at the posh office of Dr. Savary (Denholm Elliot), who uses his practice as a façade and makes ends meet as a drug pusher, and from there gets on the right track leading to Nicole. But several new developments force Bain to step into a place where the real and the surreal have become one -- The Underworld.

The original material for Underworld came from one of the most creative writers from the last couple of decades, Clive Barker, so I do not think you will be surprised to hear that it produces good characters and several great twists. However, while I would not want to downplay their importance, I cannot write that they are what make Underworld a special genre film. The main reason to see Underworld is the explosion of vivid, borderline hallucinatory visuals that Pavlou unleashes with his camera, which are some of the purest cinematic 1980s material that you can get. This is not an exaggeration. If you pair Underworld with the other similarly themed but bigger and crazier genre film that 1985 left us, Lifeforce and see them on the same night, your sensory system will give up.

Considering that Underworld was Pavlou’s directorial debut and did not have a big budget, it is most interesting to see that it attracted several top actors who show genuine passion for their characters. Berkoff, in particular, does his character with the same enthusiasm he had for the other famous crime boss he played just a year earlier in Beverly Hills Cop.

Kino Lorber’s 4K Blu-ray/Blu-ray combo pack introduces an exclusive new 4K restoration of Underworld and features two versions of the film. I prefer the original, slightly shorter version, which is approximately 92 minutes long. The alternate cut, titled Transmutations, is approximately 104 minutes long.

Underworld 4K Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

Kino Lorber's release of Underworld is a 4K Blu-ray/Blu-ray combo pack. The 4K Blu-ray is Region-Free. However, the Blu-ray is Region-A "locked".

Please note that some of the screencaptures that appear with this article are taken from the 4K Blu-ray and downscaled to 1080p. Therefore, they do not accurately reflect the quality of the 4K content on the 4K Blu-ray disc, including the actual color values of this content.

Screencaptures #1-30 are from the Blu-ray.
Screencaptures #33-38 are from the 4K Blu-ray.

The release introduces a new 4K makeover of Underworld which was completed after the original camera negative was scanned in 4K. The native 4K presentation can be viewed with Dolby Vision and HDR grades. I viewed it in its entirety with Dolby Vision. However, a day later, I also viewed the 1080p presentation, which I found to be quite different and ultimately more convincing. Why? The native 4K and 1080p presentations reveal some pretty obvious discrepancies in terms of color balance and as a result the overall color temperature of various sequences is not identical. I prefer the 1080p presentation because it promotes very lush neon-esque, borderline garish colors, which are exactly the type of colors 1980s genre films promoted. In a few areas, highlights could have been handled slightly better, but this is the only criticism I have because everything else looks simply incredible. While density levels may be somewhat stronger in native 4K, I thought that delineation, clarity, and depth were not better. Select very dark sequences actually reveal better background details in 1080p, not in native 4K. There are no traces of problematic digital corrections. Image stability is outstanding. The entire film looks exceptionally healthy, too. All in all, I have to say that I was very, very impressed with how Underworld looked on my system, which is why I could not be happier to have it in my library. My score is 4.75/5.00.

Underworld 4K Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

There is only one standard audio track on this release: English DTS-HD Master Audio 2.0. Optional English SDH subtitles are provided for the main feature.

Underworld has an original soundtrack by Freur that is something of a minor masterpiece. The bulk of it has that rich synth-pop quality that Tangerine Dream's work is known for, so if you can, turn up the volume of your system as much as you can. Dynamic intensity is very nice too, which I found surprising because it is easy to tell that the film was made with a limited budget. All dialog is very clear, stable, and easy to follow. There are no distortions, pops, dropouts, or other similar anomalies.

Underworld 4K Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

4K BLU-RAY DISC

• Commentary - this exclusive new audio commentary was recorded by director George Pavlou and author and critic Stephen Thrower. Mr. Pavlou explains how he met Clive Barker, which was before his books were published, and how the two collaborated on Underworld, as well as how the impressive cast for it was assembled. Also, there is plenty of interesting information about the overlapping of different themes, especially in the second half, and its ambitious visual style.

BLU-RAY DISC

• Commentary - this exclusive new audio commentary was recorded by director George Pavlou and author and critic Stephen Thrower. Mr. Pavlou explains how he met Clive Barker, which was before his books were published, and how the two collaborated on Underworld, as well as how the impressive cast for it was assembled. Also, there is plenty of interesting information about the overlapping of different themes, especially in the second half, and its ambitious visual style.

• Alternate Cut: Transmutations - presented here is an alternate cut of Underworld titled Transmutations. I prefer the original, slightly shorter version, which is approximately 92 minutes long. The alternate cut is approximately 104 minutes long. In English, not subtitled.

• Archival Behind the Scenes Footage - this archival program features clips from interviews with Denholm Elliot, Miranda Richardson, and special effects director Peter Litten discussing their contributions to Underworld, as well as raw footage from the shooting of the film. In English, not subtitled. (5 min).

• Artwork and Stills - a gallery of original promotional and publicity materials for Underworld. (2 min).

• Make Up Tests and Clive Barker Designs - presented as vintage stills. (2 min).

• Cover - reversible cover with vintage poster art for Underworld.

Underworld 4K Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

I liked Underworld so much that I viewed it twice in less than twenty-four hours. It is quite the visual stunner and, sadly, a prophetic film that begs to be rediscovered. (How is Underworld prophetic? Earlier this year, the powerful flesh-eating drug 'tranq' that turns people into zombies emerged in multiple metro areas throughout America). Welsh synth-pop rockers Freur's soundtrack is on par with some of Tangerine Dream's most memorable work as well. Kino Lorber's 4K Blu-ray/Blu-ray combo pack introduces an exclusive new 4K restoration Underworld, sourced from the original camera negative. HIGHLY RECOMMENDED.