Brood, The (1979) [Blu-ray]
Horror | Sci-Fi

The Criterion Collection [Blu-ray]

A man's wife is under the care of an eccentric and unconventional psychologist who uses innovative and theatrical techniques to breach the psychological blocks in his patients. When their daughter comes back from a visit with her mother and is covered with bruises and welts, the father attempts to bar his wife from seeing the daughter but faces resistance from the secretive psychologist. Meanwhile, the wife's mother and father are attacked by strangely deformed children, and the man begins to suspect a connection with the psychologist's methods....

Storyline: A man's wife is under the care of an eccentric and unconventional psychologist who uses innovative and theatrical techniques to breach the psychological blocks in his patients. When their daughter comes back from a visit with her mother and is covered with bruises and welts, the father attempts to bar his wife from seeing the daughter but faces resistance from the secretive psychologist. Meanwhile, the wife's mother and father are attacked by strangely deformed children, and the man begins to suspect a connection with the psychologist's methods. Written by Ed Sutton

Reviewer's Note: Reviewed by Dr. Svet Atanasov, September 17, 2015 -- David Cronenberg's "The Brood" (1979) arrives on Blu-ray courtesy of Criterion. The supplemental features on the disc include the Canadian director's second feature, "Crimes of the Future" (1970); an exclusive new documentary featuring cinematographer Mark Irwin, actor Samantha Eggar, executive producer Pierre David, assistant director John Board, and special makeup effects artists Rick Baker and Joe Blasco; archival episode of The Merv Griffin Show; video interview with actors Art Hindle and Cindy Hinds; and more. The release also arrives with an illustrated leaflet featuring an essay by film critic Carrie Rickey. In English, with optional English SDH subtitles for the main feature. Region-A "locked".

Oliver Reed is Dr. Hal Raglan, an ambitious scientist who has developed a groundbreaking new technique called phsychoplasmics which allows him to heal patients with serious emotional disorders. The technique also allows Dr. Raglan to establish direct contact with his patients' minds and partially manipulate the way they think. This way he can direct how their bodies respond to his therapy.

Dr. Raglan's most important patient is Nola Carveth (Samantha Eggar, The Exterminator), whose emotions can be so powerful that occasionally she can completely override the new technique. While attempting to pinpoint the origin of their strength, Dr. Raglan discovers that they could have a devastating effect on other human beings. Nola's anger outbursts, in particular, are so powerful that they could also temporarily transform her into an entirely different person.

Concerned that Dr. Raglan might be seriously hurting his wife, Frank Carveth (Art Hindle, Invasion of the Body Snatchers) meets some of his patients. As he begins learning more about phsychoplasmics, his wife's family is attacked and their daughter's schoolteacher killed.

The Brood has the two key ingredients that make David Cronenberg's films worth seeing -- terrific atmosphere and creepiness. The subject it tackles is also approached with a familiar degree of seriousness that gives plenty of credibility to the horror. The result is a film that is genuinely unsettling and at the same time seriously thought-provoking.

The film is slow but not tiresome. As Frank gathers information about Dr. Raglan's technique, Cronenberg gradually alters the entire identity of the film -- the thriller elements are slowly replaced with horror elements and the main characters undergo profound transformations. By the time Frank visits Dr. Raglan's clinic, the focus of attention is effectively shifted elsewhere.

Long before the final credits appear the viewer knows exactly how Cronenberg feels about psychotherapy, but the film never switches into a preachy mode. Instead, Cronenberg bombards the viewer with all sorts of different ideas and observations that force him to ponder why things have gotten so ugly.

Despite the limited resources some of the visuals are quite incredible. The graphic sequence at end, for instance, is still mighty impressive. In fact, it single-handedly elevates the film to an entirely different level. Hitchcock's very best films have such powerful sequences that are always vividly remembered when the director's legacy is discussed.

The acting is very good. Reed is very convincing as the slightly mad scientist whose passion for knowledge has unleashed an evil force. Eggar is also fantastic. Hindle's performance is somewhat subdued but he is also believable as the looking for logical answers husband and father. The weak link here is the child actress Cindy Hinds, who often looks unusually cold.

The Brood was lensed by cinematographer Mark Irwin, who after The Brood also collaborated with Cronenberg on Scanners (1981), Videodrome (1983), The Dead Zone (1983), and The Fly (1986).

The film's intense soundtrack was created by multiple Oscar-winning composer Howard Shore (The Silence of the Lambs, Sliver, Crash).

Note: In 1981, The Brood won the Prize of the International Critics' Jury (Special Mention) at Sitges - Catalonian International Film Festival.

Parts of David Cronenberg's The Brood may look a bit dated, but the film is still very effective. In fact, I like it a lot more than some of the Canadian auteur's more recent films. Criterion's upcoming Blu-ray release is sourced from a brand new 2K restoration of the film, which was completed with David Cronenberg's involvement. It is the best high-definition presentation of the film that I have seen to date. HIGHLY RECOMMENDED.

[CSW] -2.6- A takeoff on Forbidden Planet (1956) although distinctly different it is still a takeoff of the original idea.

An insanely depressing but fully engulfing look at abuse and mental instability, Cronenberg’s best film features some fantastic performances and great horror imagery. A disturbing little mind-worm of a movie that grows on you long after the final brutal scene ends.
[V4.5-A5.0] MPEG-4 AVC - No D-Box.


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