Disc Reviews
Society Blu-ray Review
Brian Yuzna’s Society FINALLY makes its way onto Blu-ray after years of promised release dates. In the end Arrow Video took on the reins to release this one – which means we are getting something that is going to look a bit better and sound a bit better than it probably even did on DVD with a few nice extras to boot.
Bill Whitney (Billy Warlock) lives in a mansion with his wealthy parents and sister. He’s popular at school, loved well by his family and yet something seems off. Bill doesn’t seem to quite fit in – and it isn’t long before he starts noticing things that are off about the “society” he lives in.
It seems that not everyone is being entirely honest about who they are or how they live. And anyone that gets close to the truth seems to disappear.
Body Horror hasn’t quite come along in the leaps and bounds perhaps that it should have. Society pretty much has been wearing the crown for this for some time now. It may drop down to all kinds of depraved lows in terms of the amount of flesh you see, but it’s down with its tongue firmly in its cheek. But the actual commentary on real life society itself is actually endlessly fascinating as well as hilarious at the same time. Despite this being Yuzna’s first film as a director it has aged perhaps the best out of his cannon.
The brilliance of Society is that it looks like a daytime soap opera set in Beverly Hills. It’s all soft focus, everything is right and pretty which in retrospect adds to the look and flavour of the film.
Sure the effects are dated, but compared to CGI effects today – you know that fans will take this any day instead. No amount of pixel trickery can pull one over on a bucket of plastic skin covered in KY Jelly.
And indeed it comes extras heavy. A Yuzna commentary, as well as various interviews with the director and cast as they recollect their time on the film.
This one has it all. Effects, a knowing wink, all you need to know about how to craft a schlock-happy horror comedy, and it knows all about shunting too!
Steven Hurst