The Return of Swamp Thing: 30th Anniversary Special Collector's Edition (1989)

Details: By Loron Hays; 16 May 2018

{jatabs type="content" position="top" height="auto" skipAnim="true" mouseType="click" animType="animFade"}

[tab title="Movie Review"]

The Return of Swamp Thing (1989) - Blu-ray Review

5 beers It. Has. Arrived. Science Fiction comic book comedies rarely get this good.

Can a plant also be a boyfriend? If the girl is a vegetarian, then yes. Over the top. Absurd. And EXACTLY what I want in a Swamp Thing movie. This is indeed The Return of Swamp Thing and it arrives in a way that only B-movie aficionados can really appreciate. It is both cheesy and fun, making it a radical departure from the rubber-suited monster movie that went on before.

Wes Craven’s take on the creature, originally penned by Len Wein and Bernie Wrightson, wasn’t horrible, but its own camp marred it as an uneven adaptation. This one gives us Swamp Thing (Dick Durock returning to the role) leaping out from the depths of the black swamp as his own theme song blasts. How cool is that?!

As audience members, we don’t miss a step in getting back into the thrilling adventures of Swamp Thing . Looking all sorts of badass, this man-turned-plant kicks major ass when another mutated creepy crawly tries to have its way with a group of hunters. There will be hell to pay, Arcane!

"Looking all sorts of badass, this man-turned-plant kicks major ass when another mutated creepy crawly tries to have its way with a group of hunters."

And the beat down Ol’ Swampie delivers is epic.

With CCR blasting “Born on the Bayou”, the comic book credits roll on by and all we can do is grin. It’s easy to forget just how PERFECT this comic book adaptation is. It only took time for the right crew – one of Roger and Julie Corman’s own students – to make it perfect.

Completing The Return of Swamp Thing’s perfection is The MVD Rewind Collection's celebration of this cult classic in a special edition blu-ray and dvd collector’s set loaded with a solid offering of special features. It is a must own for any fan of this plant-based antihero.

After all, it took seven years, thanks to a complete overhaul in direction, for Swamp Thing to return and get the balance right. He returns to deliver more than a few thumps on the skulls of all sorts of abnormal mutations courtesy of a fully revived Dr. Arcane (Louis Jourdan, also returning to his role) and Dr. Lana Zurrell (Sarah Douglas). The two of them together make quite a psychopathic pair.

This time out, we also get Abigail Arcane (Heather Locklear from TJ Hooker), his stepdaughter and the eventual love interest of Swamp Thing, and local kids Darryl (Daniel Taylor) and Omar (Ronreaco Lee), who really want a photograph of Swamp Things with which to get rich by. The expanded cast adds looks and attitude to the adventure, paying off with solid gags and zippy lines.

Directed by Jim Wynorski (The Lost Empire, Chopping Mall), this Swamp Thing is lighter in tone and in swagger and, because it doesn’t waste a minute, gets right to the point of mutants battling mutants waist deep in the bog. With a stellar suit design by Academy Award nominee Carl Fullerton with Neal Martz and great practical effects courtesy of Dean Gates and the Todd Masters Company, the B-movie is a marvel of mutant effects and abnormal science experiments.

Cole slaw hits back when Swamp Thing returns to live again.

[/tab]

[tab title="Details"]

MPAA Rating: PG-13
Runtime: 88 mins
Director: Jim Wynorski
Writer: Neil Cuthbert and Grant Morris
Cast: Dick Durock, Heather Locklear, Louis Jourdan
Genre: Horror
Tagline: Why can't men be more like plants?
Memorable Movie Quote: "God will pardon me. That's His job."
Theatrical Distributor: Millimeter Films
Official Site:
Release Date: May 12, 1989
DVD/Blu-ray Release Date: May 15, 2018
Synopsis: After her mother's mysterious death, Abigail Arcane (Heather Locklear) travels to the Florida swamps to confront her resurrected evil stepfather Dr. Anton Arcane (Louis Jourdan). In an attempt to stave off the effects of aging, Dr. Arcane, assisted by Dr. Lana Zurrell (Sarah Douglas), combines genes from various swamp animals and human beings, creating an army of monsters known as Un-Men. When Abby arrives, Dr. Arcane is hell-bent on taking his own stepdaughter's life in the name of science... that is until she is rescued by SWAMP THING.

[/tab]

[tab title="Blu-ray Review"]

The Return of Swamp Thing (1989) - Blu-ray Review

Blu-ray Details:

Home Video Distributor: MVD Visual
Available on Blu-ray - May 15, 2018
Screen Formats: 1.85:1
Subtitles: None
Audio: English: DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1; English: LPCM 2.0
Discs: Blu-ray Disc; Two-disc set; DVD Copy
Region Encoding: Locked to Region A

MVD’s brand-new 2K High-Definition 1080p transfer of The Return of Swamp Thing is spotless. Locklear in HD? Hubba hubba. There are no unfocused elements at all! With an aspect ratio of 1.85:1, the new HD transfer doesn’t disappoint. Colors are bright and fluid – with reds bright and bold and commanding – and shadows are detailed throughout the running time. There’s not a smudge on this print. It’s also not fuzzy which is something rare when you are dealing with entertainment from 1989. The original 2.0 and 5.1 Stereo Audio (Uncompressed PCM on the Blu-ray) audio tracks are included.

Supplements:

Commentary:

There are two commentaries included with this release. The first on is brand new and features Director Jim Wynorski, Composer Chuck Cirino and Editor Leslie Rosenthal waxing poetic about the making of the movie. The second commentary is from 2003 and features Wynorski by himself.

Special Features:

Completing The Return of Swamp Thing’s perfection is The MVD Rewind Collection's celebration of this cult classic in a special edition blu-ray and dvd collector’s set loaded with a solid offering of special features. It is a must own for any fan of this plant-based antihero.