The
Beastmaster – Divimax Edition
Picture: B
Sound: B+ Extras: B Film: B-
The 80’s were something of a heyday for the sword and
sorcery genre in general, and movies tackling the subject were really starting
to pick up, even though they might have been a decade behind the trends set by
the revival of the Conan books and other major fantasy series that had been
gaining interest at the time in printed media.
There was still demand enough - and perhaps even more so, due in large
part to an interest for the subject matter that had been planted in an even
younger audience for all sorts of fantasy that followed soon after the mania of
Star Wars and other variously successful ventures which were scattered
throughout different realms within the genre.
Don Coscarelli decided at some point to engage himself in one of these
features for a change of pace. Prior to
this, he had worked only on lower-budgeted projects, most famously the first
installment of the Phantasm series that would later spawn three sequels, all
directed by Coscarelli. It turned out
to be an interesting experiment, and a classic that needed a nudge in the form
of video rentals in order to catch on with its target audience. The Beastmaster (1982) remains a
favorite and Anchor Bay has given it their Divimax treatment.
The movie is at times a captivating one - but it is an
unusual step off of the path, considering this particular director’s vibrant
creativity, in terms of how few concepts it actually brings to the table that
might be considered fresh ideas. It’s
not exactly a chore to sit through now, but I found the whole experience more
enthralling when I was a bit younger and it perhaps felt like a more lush
production than what the budget actually allowed for. Still, there is a lot to be said for a movie this epic that can
turn a very limited budget on its head and create new ways to get around
various monetary pitfalls. On top of
any problems that were encountered during the actual shooting phase, the
editing of the project was soon forced into other hands, and the director was
relegated to merely witnessing his film pieced together by others beyond his
reach of control. Those responsible did
an acceptable job, but its impossible to tell how much better a cut from
Coscarelli himself would have been. All
said and done, The Beastmaster is a respectable effort, and one that a
younger audience can definitely still appreciate to the fullest, even if its
formula might have grown tired for an older generation.
The video quality of this anamorphically enhanced 1.85 X 1
release is a clear cut above what was on the older Anchor Bay DVD release, but
I can’t say that it’s exactly mind-blowing.
It seems that Anchor Bay is starting to more liberally apply the Divimax
treatment to their releases, and perhaps not taking the extra time to ensure
that they turn out according to their fullest potential, as they were with the
first couple discs that were released utilizing the process. Regardless, that widescreen presentation
still looks good and is above par as far as recent DVD prints go. The sound is exceptional, being in DTS-ES
6.1 surround, while the original film was old analog Dolby A-type noise
reduction. The age of the original
source is apparent, but this is a nice-enough upgrade to go with the digital HD
transfer. For the record, the sequel
was Dolby’s better analog SR system, so we’ll see how that fares if that comes
out in a new DVD.
Extras include a well-produced featurette on the making of
and reflections upon the production, which includes some behind-the-scenes
footage taken during the filming, as well as new interviews with the cast and
crew as they look back on the experience.
You’ll also get a very good commentary track with more production
insights. On top of these, you’ll find
the run of the mill kinds of things suck as the obligatory trailer, bios, and
art/photo galleries. Liner notes are included as well, and though not extensive
or lengthy, they are nice to have - though sadly they were printed on the back
of a fold-out poster along with the chapter selection... so much for something
to stick on my wall.
Sadly enough, Coscarelli has not since been given much of
a chance to delve deeper into big-budget filmmaking, and his career as a whole
has been fairly sporadic, rather than a steady outpour of films every couple of
years. One hopes that he is soon given
a budget where he’ll be able to work out all the ideas in his head effectively
and by his own means. While he has
gotten a lot of attention recently through Bubba Ho-Tep (reviewed
elsewhere on this site) and his contribution to the Masters of Horror TV
series, there have been a couple turns of events beyond his control that may
dampen getting a sizable budget for any project within the near future. Even though Bubba Ho-Tep was a
surprise success on the DVD market, its audience turned out to still be
somewhat limited and MGM jumped the gun once its early sales figures begin to
rise.
This ultimately caused the disc to be well over-produced
in the end as those who sought it out soon found it, leaving all the other
copies behind to collect dust on store shelves. That probably doesn’t bode well with Sony, the new owners of MGM,
who might now be less prepared to fork over backing for potential sequels or
entirely new ventures.
Pick this disc up while you can, it’s a nicely put
together set for the most part, even though it might show symptoms of being a
little rushed. Hopefully for
completists and fans, its two sequels will find their way onto the format soon
enough - I can guarantee that there’s still a selling point for the latter
chapters of the series, and the cult behind this still has potential to grow
beyond its current status.
- David Milchick
