Disc Reviews

Critters: A Four Course Feast Blu-ray Review

• 24th Nov 2024

Another cult film series gets the Blu-ray boxset treatment from Arrow video. Yes, Critters are back and looking better than ever with plenty of sides and desserts to go around all four discs in this set.

The series started back in 1986 and was a nice post-Gremlins horror comedy creature feature, only these “Crites” are from space and land outside a small-town America and start to wreak havoc with the livestock.  Two bounty Hunters (Inc Terance Mann) are hot on their tail and the action largely ends up at a farmhouse where the family have to fend off the little buggers before they find themselves on the menu. It largely falls down to the young boy (Scott Grimes) on the farm and the local drunk (Don Opper) to take care of business.

The second film rolled around a couple of years later and while it sticks to the small town and features a few returning characters, the action and comedy are bigger. Grimes, Mann and Opper return in their roles. It may be slightly goofier, but it also had a lot of invention going on.

The third film is probably where the low budget really shows and the lack of imagination starts to kick in when we move to the city for a lacklustre romp set in an apartment block.

The fourth dares to go to space, like so many other horror films of its generation did in the 90s, and whilst it isn’t the best film, it does at least feature some ideas and a decent cast (notably Brad Dourif).

The film series is also well known for having various “yet to be established” stars throughout the series including Titanic chums Billy Zane (Critters) and Leonardo DiCaprio (Critters 3), and Oscar nominee Angela Bassett (Critters 4). Horror director Mick Garris cut his teeth as director on the second film.

Each film has at least 2 commentary tracks on it. The Opper Brothers provide for the first and third films, the Chiodo brothers cover the first two films. Mick Garris does one for the second film, Producer/ Director Rupert Harvey talks over the fourth and then film critics Matty Budrewicz and David Wain cover all four films.  Neither of them has a voice you want to hear for 90 minutes, but thankfully on their first commentary screenwriter Shane Bitterling joins them and does most of the talking.

The real meat on the bone is in the making of features across all movies.  Like the films though, the quality shrinks as the films roll on. The first film gets a feature-length making of special. The second film gets over an hour run time with people talking about the making of it. And then suddenly the run time for films 3 and 4 get well under half an hour each. It’s a shame, but at least some heads showed up to talk about the “lesser” films of the franchise.

Most of the established extra materials were gathered for the previous Scream factory release in America, so we are thankful Arrow has managed to port these over for the UK fans.

There is no 4K transfer of anything, but the Blu-ray quality on all four films is pretty good.

Steven Hurst

4-DISC LIMITED EDITION CONTENTS

• High Definition (1080p) Blu-ray presentations of all four films
• Original lossless stereo 2.0 and 5.1 audio options
• Optional English subtitles for the deaf and hard of hearing
• 60-page hardbound collectors book featuring new writing on the films by screenwriter Shane Bitterling and film critics Meagan Navarro and Heather Wixson, plus select archival material
• Double-sided fold out posters for all four films
• Limited edition packaging with newly commissioned artwork by Pye Parr
• Reversible sleeves featuring original and newly commissioned artwork by Pye Parr

DISC 1 – CRITTERS

• Brand new audio commentary by film critics Matty Budrewicz and Dave Wain with screenwriter Shane Bitterling
• Audio Commentary with producer Barry Opper and star Don Opper
• Audio Commentary with Critter designers Charles Chiodo, Edward Chiodo and Stephen Chiodo
• They Bite!: The Making of Critters documentary
• For Brian: A Tribute to Screenwriter Brian Domonic Muir featurette
• Behind-the-Scenes Footage
• Alternate Ending
• Theatrical Trailer
• TV Spots
• Image Gallery

DISC 2 – CRITTERS 2: THE MAIN COURSE

• Brand new audio commentary by film critics Matty Budrewicz and Dave Wain
• Audio Commentary with director Mick Garris
• Audio Commentary with Critters designers Charles Chiodo, Edward Chiodo and Stephen Chiodo
• The Main Course: The Making of Critters 2 documentary
• Behind the Scenes Footage
• Additional TV Scenes
• Theatrical Trailer
• TV Spot
• Image Gallery

DISC 3 – CRITTERS 3

• Brand new audio commentary by film critics Matty Budrewicz and Dave Wain
• Audio Commentary with producer Barry Opper and star Don Opper
• You Are What They Eat: The Making of Critters 3 featurette
• Trailer
• Promo
• Image Gallery

DISC 4 – CRITTERS 4

• Brand new audio commentary by film critics Matty Budrewicz and Dave Wain
• Audio Commentary with producer/director Rupert Harvey
• Space Madness: The Making of Critters 4 featurette
• Trailer
• Image Gallery

Critters: A Four Course Feast is out on 2^nd December