Plot: What’s it about?
He sees something he likes he steals it. Something gets in the way, he kills it.
I have a real soft spot for films from the Eighties. I love the hair, the music, the clothing, the neon, the shopping malls. It is all so colorful and fun. Typically I get to watch all the cult films that distributor Arrow Video puts out and that keeps me satisfied because many are from that time period. This week I received a copy of the 1987 cult film The Hidden. I am an avid Twin Peaks fan and upon realizing that Kyle MacLachlan plays an FBI agent, I knew that I might have something special on my hands.
The film begins with a bank robbery as seen from a security camera. The suspect mows down people with a shotgun then hops into a black Ferrari and drives off listening to heavy metal and hitting any pedestrians along the way while the cops are in pursuit. When the cops set up a barricade, he is taken down by an explosion and hospitalized. This perp, Jack Duvrees (Chris Mulkey,) had been on a spree of robberies and murders over the last two weeks. He had been a model citizen and a stock broker prior to all the mayhem. FBI man Lloyd Gallagher (Kyle MacLachlan) arrives and joins forces with Detective Tom Beck (Michael Nouri.) Upon learning that Jack is in intensive care at a hospital, Lloyd heads there but the slug/spider alien being inside Jack has already expelled itself into a man in the next hospital bed named Jonathon Miller (William Boyett.) Mr. Miller leaves the hospital and promptly heads to a record store where he beats a clerk and steals cash from the drawer, a gun, and some tunes for his boom box. At the hospital, Gallagher informs Beck that the killer transports himself from host to host and that his partner was killed by him. Meanwhile, Miller steals a new Ferrari and kills some people at a car lot. Gallagher also informs Beck that he is telepathic.
This movie feels a lot like watching the video game Grand Theft Auto. I mean this as a compliment. Watching this alien navigate Los Angeles stealing Ferraris and killing people for no real rhyme or reason aside from having been in contact with it is pretty amazing. On top of featuring Kyle Mclachlan as an FBI agent, there is a great one-line cameo from Danny Trejo, and the film also features a pretty cool soundtrack that is predominantly punk and new wave. Honestly, this movie is pretty dang fun.
Obviously, given the subject matter, suspension of disbelief is necessary to g into a plot where the villain is an alien parasite that migrates from host to host. Luckily, Director Jack Sholder does an excellent job of filling the scenes with interesting camera angles and colorful sets that make the film really come to life. There is a reason that thirty years later this film is being released by Warner Archive. I know that for me, this will be one that I will watch again soon with friends.
Video: How’s it look?
Warner Archive have provided a brand new 1080p HD transfer that was remastered specifically for this release using an MPEG-4 AVC encode. The film was shot in 1.85:1 and is presented in an 1.78:1 aspect ratio. Fine detail is good and the film is well lit. The film is very colorful at times and shows off a dynamic range from pink to green to red and blue. All of this looks great. Close ups reveal solid attention to detail and grain never becomes overly apparent. Compression issues very rarely occur. I was very happy with the overall look of the film and Warner’s attention to the restoration process. This is a great effort for a lower budget film.
Audio: How’s it sound?
The Hidden transfers from an old DVD into a new host Blu-ray with both 5.1 and 2.0 tracks to choose from. These tracks are both true to the original sound design. Despite expanding the sound frame and adding a little directionality, this is a front speaker centric affair from beginning to end. While the movie sounds nice, it can not compare to more recent films in terms of how the action scenes sound. I still appreciated the clarity of these tracks and the overall choices in music for the film. The score has a lot of fun eighties style synth drops that fit the movie like a glove and enhance what is already an awesome experience. I can’t imagine that it has ever sounded better! Nothing to complain about here.
Supplements: What are the extras?
- Audio Commentary with director Jack Sholder and Tim Hunter – Tim Hunter is the director of the film River’s Edge. Jack talks about the process of making the film and the limitations to the budget along with anecdotes revolving around the actors in the film. I really enjoyed this track.
- Special Effects footage narrated by Jack Sholder – An interesting discussion of the effects that Kevin Yagher used in the film with the test footage from the film’s effects. Pretty cool.
The Bottom Line
The Hidden is one of the most entertaining releases in Warner’s Archive Collection. This film is definitely a B-movie, but it is shot interestingly, has solid character actors, and displays a punk rock ethos that makes it far from typical. I really enjoyed this little film and think anybody willing to turn their brain off a little and let themselves be entertained will find a lot to enjoy here. I will enjoy getting to watch this one again in the future. Warner have provided excellent technical specs and a great commentary track. Recommended.
