BADass SINema Unearthed - Blu-ray 4K UHD Review

Movie Review

Rob Zombie’s “ragged they come and the ragged they kill” opening line of his own take on Superbeast scored big numbers for him back in 1998. Hell, it still does to this day; the song is now regarded as one of his best. His homage to this wacky B-movie, now making its blu-ray debut thanks to Scream Factory, definitely made waves on MTV. It could be argued the song is, in fact, better than the movie.

But all things have origins and this, after all, is a review about Superbeast, the cult film about science experiments gone wrong in the wilds of the jungle and its all for the sport of hunting. The great white hunter meets the horror of half-men, half-monsters in this relatively unoriginal tale.

Written, directed, and produced by Gordon Schenck (who would go on to write Futureworld), Superbeast was originally released in drive-ins around the country as part of a double feature alongside Daughters of Satan (which is, coincidentally, being released on blu-ray later this month). Both films were filmed in Manila for a quick buck or two and both feature just about the same crew. Unfortunately, this science fiction version of The Most Dangerous Game by way of the Philippines isn’t so great.

It concerns itself with Dr. Pardee (Antoinette Bower from Prom Night) and her journey straight into the heart of the Filipino darkness in order to track some mutants, thanks to the genetic experiments of Dr. Bill Fleming (Craig Littler), the mad scientist at the center of a hunting project funded by the cruel Stewart Victor (Harry Lauter). Full of some seriously great vistas and jungle terrains, Superbeast is sometimes an interesting mess of a cult flick.

It does; however, have a few moments where the carnage – pretty gross and bloody – gets all too real. From chicken heads to cadavers, this cult film gets pretty grisly during its running time and, yet, loses the handle on its narrative. This is a relatively “flat” flick that only gets its groove on when Bower gets to turn the table on the two deranged men and their tight-fitting jeans.

You know where this Mad Scientist flick has been and, as a result, you know exactly where it is going. There are no surprises in this B-movie of failed human experiments and that is a bit of a letdown for a tale as wonderfully titled as this one. Only actor Vic Diaz saves this title from itself.

Superbeast, full of monster attacks and great jungle locations, should have been Schenck’s calling card. Instead, it was his first and last directorial excursion. That fact alone tells you what you need to know about this trashy tale of hunting and gathering.

Film Details

MPAA Rating: Unrated.
Runtime: 93 mins
Director: George Schenck
Writer: George Schenck
Cast: Antoinette Bower, Craig Littler, Harry Lauter
Genre: Horror | Sci-fi
Tagline: Half-man, half-monster ripping helpless victims to shreds in his mad hunger!
Memorable Movie Quote: "Oh, Bambi, Bambi, Bambi! You're living in a dream world! It is a fantasy! Why you think every animal's a goddamn Bambi!"
Theatrical Distributor: United Artists
Official Site: Release Date: November 16, 1976
DVD/Blu-ray Release Date: November 1, 1972
Synopsis: Dr. Alix Pardee (Antoinette Bower, Prom Night) travels to the Philippines when she hears some people have been attacked by a humanoid creature. Once there, she finds that these beasts are the product of Dr. Bill Fleming (Craig Littler). Fleming is trying to cure criminals by genetically engineering their brains. These experiments are creating half-man, half-beasts. In a nod to The Most Dangerous Game, the beasts are set loose and hunted by the doctor's evil benefactor.

Blu-ray Review

Home Video Distributor: Shout Factory
Available on Blu-ray - April 10, 2018
Screen Formats: 1.85:1
Subtitles: English SDH
Language: English
Discs: Blu-ray Disc; Two-disc set
Region Encoding: Locked to Region A

Retaining the grain of its film quality, Scream Factory presents this horror film on blu-ray with a new 1080P transfer in 1.85:1. There’s no real technical limitation spotted here as both interiors and exteriors look good in the new transfer. There is a solid contrast and the colors appear brighter than on the poor quality DVD releases. Skin tones are solid and the details in some of the period clothing with high levels of saturation. While there is ZERO depth to many of the shots and dirt and some scratches still pop up, the film has never looked better then when it strolls outside to take in the sunlight and the greenery. The DTS-HD Master Audio 2.0 is perfectly suited for home viewing.

Commentary:

None

Special Features:

None