Plot: What’s it about?
In Gates Falls, Maine, an old textile mill has been closed down for some time, but it is about to open its doors once again. The place is eerie and dank, but someone has to go in and clean the mill up, preferably an entire team of workers. So a crew of workers is rounded up to handle the tasks and as expected, the mill is a dark and very creepy place to be. But the work must be done and as such, the workers push forward to complete their assignments. If the mill’s main levels were spooky however, the cellar is downright horrific, but as it is filled with decades worth of junk, it has to be cleaned out as well. But soon, a series of deaths in the mill snaps loose and all of them take place during the late night shift. What lurks down in that cellar and more to the point, can it be stopped before it kills the entire crew?
A bunch of people in a dark, dank confined area being stalked by a massive creature, that sounds like a good horror movie to me. A simple, but often effective horror picture, Graveyard Shift was based on Stephen King’s short story of the same name, but fares better than most of the King adaptations. All the usual horror cliches are in place and executed as per genre norms, but Graveyard Shift just seems to be more fun than it should be. Brad Dourif is hilarious as an offbeat exterminator, which adds just enough humor to the cocktail and if you ask me, a lot of horror movies could use that injection of not so seriousness. As I mentioned, this is not horror cinema at its peak, but Graveyard Shift is a fun movie and is worth a look for genre fans. But since Paramount has put a high price tag on this disc and offered us no bonus materials, I’d say a rental will suffice in most cases.
His role is not the central one, but whenever I think of Graveyard Shift, I never fail to visualize Brad Dourif’s character first. His presence adds humor and a sense of reckless abandon to the picture and if you ask me, that is just what it needed. But Dourif doesn’t milk the role for the laughs, he simply plays it so well and comes across as such a freak at times, you can’t help but smile at his on screen ramblings. Then again, we shouldn’t be too shocked by Dourif’s scene stealing moments, as he has often taken small roles and done well within them. Other films with Dourif include Child’s Play, Dune, Heaven’s Gate, Wise Blood, and Eyes of Laura Mars. The cast also includes David Andrews (Cherry 2000, Hannibal), Kelly Wolf (Less Than Zero, Triumph of the Spirit), and Stephen Macht (The Monster Squad, Galaxina).
Video: How does it look?
Graveyard Shift is presented in a 1.85:1 anamorphic widescreen transfer. I was a bit surprised by how good the image is here, as I’ve only seen television & VHS versions, which weren’t too impressive. In truth, I’d never seen the film in widescreen since it ran in theaters, so I was very pleased to be able to view the entire picture once again. The print has some small speckles and minor grain, but aside from that, it looks to be in terrific condition. I saw no errors with colors, contrast, or flesh tones either, a fine overall catalog title treatment.
Audio: How does it sound?
I had rather basic expectations in this department, but the included Dolby Digital 5.1 track delivers an above average presentation. The eerie atmosphere is enhanced by creative use of the surrounds, such as water drops and other smaller, but noticeable sound effects. The mix can also fire up with more power when needed, but in most scenes, it remains subtle, though still very effective at all times. I had no issues with dialogue either, as the vocals were crisp and well balanced throughout. This disc also includes a 2.0 surround option, a French language track, and English subtitles, should you need any of those.
Supplements: What are the extras?
As per usual, Paramount has included no bonus materials on this release. I didn’t expect a full blown Special Edition here, but Paramount was even too cheap to throw in the trailer, what a total disappointment.
