Willard Blu-ray Movie

Rating summary

Movie		3.5
Video		5.0
Audio		5.0
Extras		5.0
Overall		4.5

Willard Blu-ray Movie Review

Reviewed by Brian Orndorf March 9, 2019

In 1971, there was “Willard.” It was a mildly unsettling film and surprisingly cheery, with the picture’s marketing promising a raging horror experience, but the actual effort was actually more peaceful. Star Bruce Davison delivered a fine performance as a young man with problems who befriends household rats, and the feature as a whole was engaging, with a unique take on an animals attack premise. There was room for improvement and remake cinema took its time, with “Willard” resurfacing in 2003, offering acting duties to Crispin Glover, an inspired choice for the titular role, presenting director James Morgan with a full helping of behavioral weirdness to go along with the tale’s intended rat-based freak-out.

Willard (Crispin Glover) is a tightly wound man living in his childhood home, tasked with taking care of his ailing mother, Henrietta (Jackie Burroughs). Such domestic duty and encroaching depression is keeping Willard at odds with his boss, Frank (R. Lee Ermey), who’s taken control of a family business that once promised vocational comfort for Willard, who’s now at risk of losing his job. Offering comfort is a family of rats living in Willard’s basement, with one, Socrates, providing companionship while another, Ben, is oversized and prone to malicious behavior. Realizing that he can communicate with the rodents, Willard uses his newfound powers to lead his rat army into acts of revenge, gradually losing touch with reality while a compassionate temp, Cathryn (Laura Elena Harring), tries to offer kindness to the unraveling man.

“X-Files” vet Morgan (who also scripts) makes his directorial debut with “Willard,” and he’s determined to make his mark with the production. It’s stylish work, with the helmer attempting to play up the horror aspects of the story with extreme angles and extensive design choices (Willard’s old house is practically a supporting character), attempting to move away from the original film with a decidedly more psychologically poisoned presence, also offering a distinctly “Psycho”-esque relationship between Willard and his pestering mother. The newfound case of the creeps works well for Morgan, who finds a more unsettling tone for his take on the story, with the rats less of a family for Willard, who’s quick to understand their capabilities in relation to his own dreams of malevolence. He’s a meek man, but “Willard” offers a crown to the rat king in a hurry, solidifying rodent worries before the 30-minute mark.

Speed is nice, and Glover is better, finding a role that’s a specific fit for his sharp looks and general love of extremity. The character is an emotional time bomb and Glover embraces such a trait, providing Morgan with terrific freak-outs and breakdowns, but he’s also gentle with his tiny co-stars, creating a believable connection to the basement dwellers, making scenes where Willard befriends, feeds, and trains his pals some of the best in the movie. Co-stars are appealing (Ermey is Ermey, but his take on a workplace bully balances ideally with Glover’s illness) and add color to “Willard,” but it’s truly a one-man show, watching as the unhinged loner begins to grasp the possibilities of his partnership, sending the rats to torment Martin, who isn’t kind to the rat community.

Willard Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

Offering a "New 2K scan of the original film elements," Shout Factory delivers a sharp, appealing look at the particulars of "Willard." The AVC encoded image (2.35:1 aspect ratio) presentation provides strong detail with a production that's primarily concerned with providing textures on everything, from rotting houses to the fine rat fur, which registers distinctly here. Facial surfaces are equally powerful, isolating physical decay and, for a few of the supporting parts, character softness. Colors are secure, with precise primaries that supply most power through costuming, and office and house interiors enjoy a more menacing style, with sicklier greens and browns. Skintones are natural. Delineation is crisp, spotlighting shadowy rodent response. Grain is fine and filmic. Source is in ideal shape, without displays of damage.

Willard Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

The 5.1 DTS-HD MA sound mix supplies a fantastically immersive listening event for "Willard," making use of the feature's tiny stars, with rat movement a constant companion in the surrounds, likely to creep out those sensitive to rodent activity. Dialogue exchanges engage with a wider sense of life, offering clear, crisp voices that secure strange thespian choices from Glover, while Ermey's bellow is deep and true. Scoring is louder, presented with confidence, supported with sharp instrumentation. Sound effects are plentiful and distinct, picking up on acts of violence, preserving sharpness for metallic bangs and furniture crashes. Atmospherics are enjoyable, showcasing creaking around Willard's home and the bustle of his office life. Low-end isn't showy, but some heaviness remains.

Willard Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

• Commentary #1 features writer/director Glenn Morgan and cinematographer Robert McLachlan.

• Commentary #2 features Boone's Animals for Hollywood employees Mark Harden and David Allsberry.

• Commentary #3 features Morgan, producer James Wong, and actors Crispin Glover and R. Lee Ermey.

• "The Road to 'Willard'" (79:48, HD) is a lengthy, comprehensive interview with Morgan, who's not known for his outgoing demeanor, but arrives armed with plenty of stories concerning his career. He begins with his early interest in drawing, which led him into movie appreciation, finding inspiration from William Goldman's books on the industry. After meeting Wong in high school, the men became creative partners, working their way into Hollywood employment, making a first impression with a script for "The Boys Next Door." Morgan talks about his time working on "Trick or Treat," including the details of a special plane ride he shared with co-star Gene Simmons. Moving to television, Morgan joined the team at "21 Jump Street" before arriving on "The X-Files," building a relationship with creator Chris Carter, which eventually led to time on "Millennium." The helmer shares his thoughts on collaborations, including teamwork with McLachlan, with the pair moving on to make "Final Destination." The process of being a producer is examined, and Morgan explains what it was like to work with New Line Cinema honcho Robert Shaye. Talk eventually turns to "Willard," with Morgan offering a fantastic anecdote about the bidding war for the project, putting him into the crosshairs of Shaye, Bob Weinstein, and Steven Spielberg. An approach to the remake is discussed, along with casting issues, with Joaquin Phoenix and Macaulay Culkin up for the main role before Glover was secured. Morgan highlights design elements and casting triumphs, also pointing out how he dealt with original "Willard" star Bruce Davison during production. On top of all the BTS tales, Morgan digs into daily life with rats, emotional scenes, and the debacle of the theatrical cut, forced by New Line to follow trends and turn an R-rated effort into a PG-13 one. Marketing demands are dissected, as low screening test scores set "Willard" up for a dismal release, yet Morgan remains positive about the feature's enduring legacy.

• "Destination 'Willard'" (45:53, HD) sits down with cinematographer McLachlan, who covers his early creative outlets, history of Canadian team cycling, and use of such an education in the film business. Building skill through industrial movies and commercials, McLachlan was soon immersed in the ecological fight with Greenpeace before returning to entertainment. The interviewee details the specific look of "Millennium" and "Final Destination," also covering early work before finally reaching tales about "Willard." McLachlan also has technical memories of time on "Freddy vs. Jason," "Black Christmas" (a picture he swears was butchered by the Weinsteins), and "Game of Thrones."

• "The Rat Trainer's Notebook" (11:18, SD) is a showcase of work from Boone's Animals for Hollywood, sharing rat rehearsal footage, where the little stars were taught to navigate around objects and environments, and even "attack" actors.

• "The Year of the Rat" (73:13, SD) is an extensive BTS offering from Julie Ng, who was tasked by Morgan to cover the "Willard" production experience in full. Armed with a camera and access to anywhere she wanted to go, Ng delivers a perfect fly-on-the-wall view of daily life, making time to interview production heads while capturing Morgan in action, trying to keep it all together. Pre and post-production days are highlighted, and the feature's disastrous release isn't hidden from view. Ng also manages to extract some post-mortem time with Morgan, while the whole endeavor is rich with candor and detail.

• "Rat People: Friend and Foes" (18:41, SD) is more mid-2000s DVD filler, offering a history of rats and their position as an enemy to some and friend to others. Myths are challenged, and superfans are visited, with one woman wishing she could control her pet rats to help murder her enemies.

• "Ben" (3:00, SD) is a music video, with Crispin Glover covering a song once made famous by Michael Jackson. This can be viewed with or without commentary from Glover.

• Deleted Scenes (25:57, SD) collect bits and pieces of character moments, including the feature's original ending. They can be viewed with or without commentary from Morgan, Wong, Glover, and Ermey.

• T.V. Spots (3:46, SD) present ten commercials for "Willard."

• And a Theatrical Trailer (2:03, SD) is included.

Willard Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

Morgan has a serious problem with length, stretching "Willard" to 100 minutes, which leaves a lot of dead air around the film, which the helmer mistakes for introspection. It could be a livelier feature, with edgier activities for the rats (a mid-movie scene featuring Cathryn's cat meeting Ben and the gang is as extreme as it gets), but Morgan gets by on atmosphere, and he's clearly trying to rethink the source material, not just replicate it. "Willard" is entertaining and periodically disturbing, and it manages to be a remake that's not lazy, showing genuine interest in revisiting this strange partnership between man and rat.