Note: This Special Edition Blu-ray release will be available on November 15th courtesy of Arrow Video.
If you grew up during the 80s, you know all about C.H.U.D., a low-budget horror flick that somehow ended up being a viewing staple for teenagers. Maybe you saw it on cable TV or rented it on VHS, based on that incredible image of a creature coming up from a Manhattan manhole cover. That poster art certainly made an impression.
To this day, many people my age fondly remember the film. It may have had something to do with the memorable acronym, the glowing-eyed, rubbery monsters dwelling in the sewers of New York City, or the fact that this B-movie featured a shockingly impressive cast. Now we can all revisit it, thanks to Arrow Video. Their new two-disc Blu-ray contains both the director’s cut and theatrical cut in high definition, along with loads of extras.
For those unfamiliar with the movie, C.H.U.D. stands for Cannibalistic Humanoid Underground Dweller… and the sewer system of New York is chock full of them. When his wife goes missing in the city, Captain Bosch (Christopher Curry) goes on a hunt to find her. His investigation leads to Soup Kitchen manager Shepherd (Daniel Stern), who complains that homeless people have also been disappearing. A local photographer George Cooper (John Heard) and his girlfriend Lauren (Kim Greist) also get involved after the cameraman starts hearing of strange happenings under the city streets.
It’s a simple story that follows the genre conventions, but does so with plenty of spirit and a sense of humor. The photography is far above average for this type of a feature, with some impressive and authentic location work. A lot of the film is spent in the sewer system and it’s memorably grimy. The high definition image is a definite upgrade, with the image looking much cleaner than I’ve ever seen before. Additionally, the night photography (with soaked down streets reflecting the light sources) really pop.
As mentioned, the cast are far too good for the material and manage to sell the silliness with aplomb. All of the actors try to add a character moment or two and these people seem a little more developed as a result. Even the bit parts stand out, although it helps in no small part that the actors include John Goodman, Jay Thomas, Sam McMurray, Jon Polito (who is virtually unrecognizable) and Frankie Faison. And the movie carries a welcome environmentalist theme as evidenced by a second meaning for the C.H.U.D. moniker, as well as pointing out homelessness as an important issue. It all helps add more depth to the proceedings.
The creatures themselves are certainly ridiculous, but in some respects this adds to the charm. And there are some good jolts. Tension is efficiently built when the characters find themselves trapped underground with gas filling the tunnels. There’s some cross cutting that extends interactions with creatures and add more suspense. One of the most memorable little bits is a tense scene involving a C.H.U.D. in an apartment hallway banging on a door and a toddler contemplating whether or not to open up. These are all fun moments, culminating in an exciting climax with plenty of action.
There are two versions of the film available here. The Theatrical Cut is 8 minutes shorter than the Director’s Cut, and it reorders a few of the scenes (taking a death scene from the middle of the movie and adding it to the end in an attempt to set up a sequel). One can see how producers just wanted to focus on the horror elements and were attempting to keep the pacing tight. However, the Director’s Cut is the superior version, with more character beats. Even though it runs slightly longer, the motivations of some of the leads are clearer, and the extended moments with monsters add to the suspense.
While C.H.U.D. itself is simply a fun little B-movie, the numerous Blu-ray extras are of the highest order. The highlight has to a be a hysterical commentary featuring stars Heard, Stern, Curry along with the director and the writer. This is a recording from a while back, but it still one of the more entertaining tracks out there. It’s a really loose, informal and extremely funny discussion, with the five constantly joking about what they see onscreen.
There are some hilarious bits in which they point out scenes that don’t work and moments where they think their acting is horrible. They also note some of the screenplay issues, and the awkward exposition they have to deliver between scenes involving actual acting. In another section, one performer comments on his unusual hairdo and Stern is described as resembling Bob Dylan, leading to some Dylan-esque line improv as a scene progresses.
There’s a second commentary featuring the film’s composer that includes his thoughts on writing the music, between pieces from the score. Another bonus goes through all of the locations used in the film, and there are also interviews with the production designer and the man responsible for make-up effects. There is also a behind-the-scenes gallery too.
If you like old, independent 80s horror flicks, C.H.U.D. is a great opportunity to get a B-movie fix and see some recognizable stars before they were famous. Add in the exceptional extras and this Blu-ray comes highly recommended.