The Deadly Spawn

Starring James Brewster and Charles George Hildebrandt
Directed by Douglas McKeown

Science fiction films of the 1970s and 1980s were evolving to keep up with their graphic horror genre counterparts. Films such as Ridley Scott's Alien, John Carpenter's The Thing and Luigi Cozzi's Contamination emphasized state-of-the-art special effects and graphic gore. A classic among science fiction fans and horror fans alike, The Deadly Spawn, directed by Douglas McKeown, has been released by Synapse Films with top-notch treatment.

A multi-headed alien hatches from a meteor out in the woods. After killing and eating some nearby campers, it grows larger and makes its way into the basement of a local home.

The man of the house wakes up the next morning to take care of a home repair in the basement, and is eaten by the creature. His wife ventures downstairs after him to find out what is happening, and is also eaten. The alien eats everyone who disturbs its spawning in the basement. The spawn of the creature eat through the basement ceiling and spread out through the house and throughout the town. The rest of the occupants in the house are trapped by the creature (that has also left the basement) and its progeny and must find a way out before it's too late.....

McKeown's film was released as Return of the Aliens: The Deadly Spawn to capitalize on rumors surrounding a sequel to Ridley Scott's Alien. A couple of years later, the horror and exploitation-centered video distributor Continental Video (formerly known as Comet Video) released The Deadly Spawn using the grisliest production still in its pressbook.

Synapse Films presents The Deadly Spawn in its original aspect ratio of 1.33:1. Synapse went a step further to present the film windowboxed from the original 16mm negative materials. This is a rare, commendable move that will hopefully catch on with full frame special edition releases. This is the best The Deadly Spawn has looked in a home release. The image is bright and colorful with only a hint of grain during the darker scenes. This version runs longer than the Continental Video release, adding a few minutes of footage to the epilogue.

The Dolby Digital mono sound is solid and sounds fantastic for a film of this type. Because the best materials were used for the mastering, there are hardly any pops or audio dropouts.

Two audio commentaries are included. The first is with director McKeown along with cast and crew. This commentary plays like a home movie viewing, containing anecdotal information. The second audio commentary is with producer Ted Bohus. This commentary is informative, containing a great deal of background information, including discussion of the film's release against Flashdance and The Evil Dead, and alternate ending that was never shot and the difference color-correction can make.

The theatrical trailer under the film's alternate title is included on the disc. Although it is a classic trailer from the early 1980s, it has a 1950s science fiction feel to it. The source appears to be videocassette, due to the presence of uneven colors, scan lines and video dropouts. However, the fact that the trailer was available for this release is astonishing.

In addition to the trailer and commentaries, there is a blooper/outtake reel. This reel contains much of the special effects work and behind the scenes footage, and runs just under five minutes. Audition footage is also included, containing roughly 15 minutes of rehearsed scenes shot on video. The footage even includes auditions of actors who did not make the final cut.

A short set visit promo is featured among the extras, mainly consisting of production and effects crew goofing off in front of the camera. A truly dedicated horror fan will notice the prop head for Don Dohler's Night Beast was used as a ventriloquist's dummy.

Several still galleries are included. Advertising and video box cover art, behind the scenes photos, cast head shots, conceptual art, publicity and stills from the premiere all make this an extensive collection of material. Extensive text biographies of cast and crew are also featured, giving the viewer a deeper look into the background of the people who brought this film to life.

Two very unusual extras set this release apart from many other collector's editions on the market. There is a comic book-style slide show "prequel" where the viewer navigates through 15 screens of highly-detailed art explaining the origins of the title creatures. It is suggested that the alien was created in a genetic experiment gone horribly wrong on some far-away planet. Each screen is presented with its own musical accompaniment.

The other extra that makes this release stand out is a newly-enhanced opening sequence, echoing the special edition treatment of the Star Wars films. While the opening story remains the same, new computer-generated effects are added to the visuals along with new optical credits. It does not add anything to the film, and fortunately, was not edited into the main feature, leaving the original presentation intact.

Fans of the twilight era of the drive-in age will find this film to be a breath of fresh air. Any fan of this particular film will appreciate the special treatment that given to its presentation. However, with Synapse at the helm of the DVDs production, would it be any other way?