Zapped! Blu-ray Movie

Rating summary

Movie		3.5
Video		4.0
Audio		4.5
Extras		0.5
Overall		3.5

Zapped! Blu-ray Movie Review

Reviewed by Dr. Svet Atanasov January 14, 2026

Robert Rosenthal's "Zapped!" (1982) arrives on Blu-ray courtesy of Sandpiper Pictures. The only bonus feature on the release is a vintage trailer. In English, with optional English SDH subtitles for the main feature. Region-A "locked".

Barney Springboro (Scott Baio, Foxes, Skatetown, U.S.A.) does not wear glasses, but he is a classic nerd. He does not have a girlfriend, isn’t interested in sports, and seems obsessed with some secret lab project that even his best friend Peyton Nichols (Willie Aames, Paradise) thinks is a bit silly. His parents are worried that there might be something wrong with him -- because it is very possible that he has started taking drugs and this is why he isn’t interested in girls -- but he does not care.

When something goes terribly wrong in the lab, Barney faints and then wakes up with telekinetic powers. First, he shares the news with Peyton, who instantly concludes that they can now easily impress any girl they want. Then, the geeky Bernadette (Felice Schachter), who has been looking for a good story for her next newspaper article, is also informed. For a while, the boys have plenty of fun, but when Peyton begins flirting with the beautiful but pretentious Jane Mitchell (Heather Thomas), they get in trouble with some of the big bullies. Meanwhile, the more time Barney spends with Bernadette, the more he begins to realize that she might be the right girl for him.

The story is rather silly, but Zapped! works very well for two simple reasons. First, it is honest and relaxed. Almost immediately after the opening credits disappear, one knows exactly what type of entertainment director Robert Rosenthal and writer Bruce Rubin have in mind -- and this is precisely what they deliver in huge doses. Sure, the humor could have been better, but there is something awfully charming in the rougher segments where the boys and girls try to outsmart each other. (Compare them to any segment from Fifty Shades of Black to see just how bad things can get). Like most memorable ‘80s teen comedies, this film is also firmly in the R-rated camp and could not be any more relaxed about it. What this means is that it easily finds humor in some awkward situations that would never even be considered for a similarly themed contemporary film.

The second reason is the cast. Again, if one looks hard enough, one could find plenty to critique, but the kids and the adults appear genuinely enthusiastic, and their energy actually creates quite an atmosphere. When Barney and Peyton decide to give Jane and the bullies some of their own medicine, it does feel right when they succeed. And when the naughty principal (Robert Mandan, The Best Little Whorehouse in Texas) and his naughty admirer (Sue Ann Langdon, Without Warning) decide to have a bit of fun, well, it also feels right that they do act slightly irrationally.

The finale is an obvious homage to Brian De Palma’s cult horror thriller Carrie. There are different twists here -- which shall remain unnamed -- but it wraps up the entire film quite nicely. In fact, had it been a bit longer and flashier, it almost certainly would have made the film even more attractive.

Rosenthal shot Zapped! with cinematographer Daniel Pearl, who is probably best known for his contribution to Tobe Hooper‘s cult horror film The Texas Chain Saw Massacre.

In 1990, Doug Campbell and Jake Hooker directed Zapped Again!, a sequel to the original film. This film, however, was a direct-to-video project.

Zapped! 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, Zapped! arrives on Blu-ray courtesy of Sandpiper Pictures.

The release is sourced from the same older master that Olive Pictures worked with to prepare this release of Zapped! in 2016. While its age shows in a few spots, this master produces wonderful, very strong organic visuals, and I still like it quite a lot. In fact, even today, I do not think that there is room for significant improvements. For example, some of the darker indoor footage can reveal better shadow nuances, but there is still plenty of good detail there, and crushing is never a serious issue. Also, clarity can fluctuate in a few places, but all of the inconsistencies are minor. There are no traces of problematic digital corrections. Color reproduction and balance are very good. Some adjustments can be made to improve saturation, but the current saturation levels of all primaries and virtually all supporting nuances are already very, very good. Finally, a few nicks and blemishes can be spotted, but there are no large cuts, debris, warped or torn framers to report.

The original release used a single-layer disc, while this release uses a dual-layer disc. I did not see any major improvements to report. However, on my system, a lot of visuals, typically close-ups, now boasted a wonderfully tight appearance. (Note: This is a Region-A "locked" Blu-ray release. Therefore, you must have a native Region-A or Region-Free player in order to access its content).

Zapped! Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

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

The lossless track is very healthy. However, while I was revisiting Zapped! the other night, I could not help but speculate that a new 5.1 track would have been a great option to have on this release. Music has a very important role throughout the film, and in several places, it feels like the 2.0 track does the bare minimum with it. Obviously, this is an inherited limitation, but it would have been great to have a little more variety. The dialogue is clear and very easy to follow. Unlike the original release of Zapped!, this release offers optional English SDH subtitles.

Zapped! Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

• Trailer - presented here is a vintage trailer for Zapped!. In English, not subtitled. (2 min).

Zapped! Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

It is good to see that Sandpiper Pictures chose to add Zapped! to its catalog because Olive Pictures' original, long-out-of-print, release of it had become quite the precious item. In an ideal world, Zapped! would have received at least a 2K makeover for this reissue, but MGM's existing master is very good. I still like how Zapped! looks in high-definition a lot. Unlike the original release, Sandpiper Pictures' release uses a dual-layer disc and includes optional subtitles. It has a vintage trailer, too. HIGHLY RECOMMENDED.