The Stuff: Larry Cohen's On-the-Nose Horror Satire Comes to 4K (Limited Edition 4K/Blu-ray)

The Film:

Filmmaker Larry Cohen had quite an extensive career that spanned over four decades, one in which he wrote and/or directed dozen of films that included "It's Alive," "Maniac Cop," and "Phone Booth." However, one of the films he would end up being the most well-known for is a little dark comedy/horror satire called "The Stuff," a project that has achieved a kind of cult status over the decades. With the film turning 40 this year, Arrow Films is celebrating by unleashing a new Limited Edition 4K/Blu-ray that includes two cuts of the film and a decent selection of special features, so let's go back and delve into this little classic to see if it has the "right stuff" or if it's just another silly horror outing that's as bland as its title.

The film opens with a quarry worker discovering a strange white substance coming out of the ground. After inexplicably tasting it, he discovers that it's rather delicious, subsequently causing it to be marketed and sold to the public as a new dessert known as "The Stuff," becoming a nation-wide bestseller. One night, a young boy named Jason (Scott Bloom) sees some of The Stuff moving around in the refrigerator, causing him to try and stop his family from eating it, and later vandalizing the product's displays at the grocery store.

Meanwhile, David "Mo" Rutherford (Michael Moriarty), an ex-FBI agent, is hired by an ice cream company to investigate The Stuff and find out what it is, something no one else has been able to do. He teams up with Charles Hobbs (Garrett Morris), who lost control of his company, and eventually discovers that The Stuff is actually alive, taking over the brain of anyone who eats it and turning them into a kind of zombie. Mo also rescues Jason, whose family has suffered the same fate, and pairs up with Nicole (Andrea Marcovicci), an advertising exec, to try and stop the distribution of The Stuff, though, as they soon find out, it might just take an army to stand a chance.

With "The Stuff," Cohen has stated that the main targets for his satire were consumerism, corporate greed, and damaging products that people buy despite the harm they cause, and in that regard, you can easily say that he certainly hit all of the intended marks. In fact, you could say that his approach is a little "on the nose," but there's certainly no rule saying that satire has to be hidden away or buried so deep that the audience has to dig it out themselves. After all, just a few years earlier, George A. Romero had given us his own brilliant satire of consumerism with his masterpiece "Dawn of the Dead," and it's rather difficult to get more on the nose than having zombies lurching around a shopping mall.

Narrative-wise, Cohen's film is something of a mixed bag. The intriguing story is there, though one could argue that, despite being a somewhat brief 80-ish minutes, it takes a while for the story to really come alive. Much of the time is spent watching Mo investigate, with others popping up to help along the way, eventually leading to the truth about this dangerous substance, a truth that really isn't that difficult to put together. From here, the film proceeds pretty much as you'd expect. Our heroes have to band together to save everyone from the effects of The Stuff, gaining the help of a small army along the way, and while the ending does come off as a little too easy & simple, it's understandable given the restrictions of the budget.

Even so, the film still manages to utilize some amusing & clever special effects. They may not be the most sophisticated you'll ever see, in fact you could say that they're a bit cheesy. However, given the B-movie aesthetic they were going for, you could also say that they fit the bill rather well, especially when it comes to the somewhat silly body horror that the film incorporates throughout (a possible homage to John Carpenter's "The Thing," which had come out only three years earlier).

Overall, while "The Stuff" may struggle slightly narratively, it still has a fair amount to like about it, especially if you're a fan of B-movies that don't take themselves too seriously. As mentioned, Cohen had a goal here, and he mostly did what he set out to do. The overall execution could've used a little work, but the film still manages to provide a decent amount of amusement along the way, ultimately leading to a dark comedy/horror/sci-fi/satire that may not stick around in your memory all that long, but also one that you just might have a fair amount of fun with.

Video/Audio:

This Limited Edition of "The Stuff" comes with the original cut of the film on 4K (2160p, UHD) and the Pre-Release cut on Blu-ray (1080p, HD), both in 1.85:1 transfers of excellent quality. The new 4K restoration from the original camera negative makes the film look quite clear & sharp throughout, with the remastered early cut also having cleaned up rather nicely. Likewise, the lossless 1.0 mono audio tracks are marvelous, giving you all of the dialogue, sound effects, and music in outstanding quality. Overall, Arrow Films has done a great job in both areas for this new release of the film.

Special Features:

Disc 1 (4K)

Audio commentary by writers and critics David Flint and Adrian Smith (New)

Audio commentary by writer/director Larry Cohen

Can't Get Enough of The Stuff (52 Minutes): A behind the scenes look at the making of the film, featuring writer/director Larry Cohen, producer Paul Kurta, actress Andrea Marcovicci, mechanical makeup effects artist Steve Neill, and critic Kim Newman.

Enough is Never Enough (17 Minutes) (New): A featurette featuring interviews with writer/director Larry Cohen and producer Paul Kurta.

42nd Street Memories: The Rise and Fall of America's Most Notorious Street (82 Minutes): A feature-length documentary exploring the history of New York City's infamous 42nd Street.

Disc 2 (Blu-ray)

The Stuff: The Pre-Release Cut (119 minutes) (Exclusive): An early cut of the film that features over 30 minutes of additional footage and a different music score.

Conclusion:

Larry Cohen's "The Stuff" may struggle just a little to get its narrative moving along over the course of its brief 80-ish minutes, but there's still a fair amount to like about it, including its amusing & clever special effects, which fit the B-movie aesthetic perfectly, and its on the nose satire, which doesn't hold back from its obvious targets, ultimately making for a strange little film that could've used a little work on its execution, but which also provides a fair amount of silly fun.

Score: 3/5

Available on Limited Edition 4K/Blu-ray starting today.

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