Customer Reviews

Cult Fiction: C.H.U.D.

5 star:		(1)
4 star:		(0)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

I always enjoy this film. But when I saw the knew Anchorbay cover, a must have. Looking at the cover brings back alot of memories. It's about time these cult classic are getting the respect they deserve. Thank you Anchorbay, a job well done.

Good movie, I got this as a part of a movie marathon for my friends and I. They both loved it! Which Im happy about, but personally it just didnt do it for me. The story was very good, very interesting indeed. Its actually almost mystery-like. But that doesnt make up for the movie's one massive flaw for me, wheres CHUD??? CHUD monsters make 2, maybe 3 appearances throughout the whole movie. And those are SHORT appearances, and I mean really short like 5 seconds each. I really wanted to see some CHUDs killing people but there was only one or two good CHUD scenes in the whole film, it was mostly story. 3/5, good story and one or two good CHUD scenes.

For a movie that has been released twice on DVD in the past ten years (one of which with 'cult classic film series' plastered across a new slipcover), it seems that 'C.H.U.D.' should have more going for it than what shows up on the screen. This is too bad: I remember quite well seeing the previews for this film when it was first released and, missing out on its theater run, I was really looking forward to watching it all these years later.

The specific thing that convinced me to pick it up now was this new release by Anchor Bay - with a dozen or so other films - sporting a new slipcover and a cult fiction stamp on the front that makes it look as though it's been approved by the USDA. I'm all for forgotten and obscure films getting their due, but I have to wonder who is the target audience for this series -- not only is 'C.H.U.D.' included, but so is Werner Herzog's 'Fitzcarraldo'. Obviously everyone's opinion on what particular film qualifies as a cult classic is going to be different, but I had a difficult time seeing it in 'C.H.U.D.'

People are disappearing below the city's streets, and that catch-all 80's bogeyman, toxic waste and what it does to people, is ultimately to blame. Still being led-on with the idea of cult classic, I was expecting something additional to the B-movie plot, but C.H.U.D. has none of those quirky elements that launch a movie into 'cult' territory. Viewers coming to this film for the first time are unlikely to see the attraction it may hold for those who remember it from its first release -- I know that I was disappointed.

The acting ranges from ok to serviceable to not good, with such notables as future 'Home Alone' alumni Daniel Stern and John Heard, 'Brazil's' Kim Griest, and a brief John Goodman cameo, none of whom turn in the requisite oddball performances I was waiting for. Nor do the special effects make up for any of the film's deficiencies. What a difference between the trailers I remember from 25 years ago and the Underground Dwellers that are actually in the movie! Except for one cringe-worthy moment, the director fails to make the best use of limited budget that he has.

Perhaps I'm being too harsh on a movie that shouldn't be judged by any other standard than it's own, but I also think Anchor Bay tried to pull a fast one here. Underneath this newer, more expensive slipcover edition from 2008 is the exact same package from 2001. I've checked Anchor Bay's own website and compared DVD information between what's listed for the 2001 release and this one, and I can't find anything different. Although Amazon lists the 2001 DVD version at 88 minutes, I'm not sure if that isn't a mistake - maybe a carryover from the VHS version, because Anchor Bay lists it at 96 minutes, which is the exact same as what this newer, more expensive version says. The extras remain the same too; a commentary with John Heard, Daniel Stern, Christopher Curry, Director Douglas Cheek, and Writer Shepherd Abbot; production stills; theatrical trailer; and an Easter egg that shows the shower scene with Kim Griest's nude body double. Transfer information, widescreen info, audio - all the same except the price and the new slipcover. As if they thought slapping 'The Cult Classic Film Series' on the case might influence somebody to buy it...ahem...well, apparently it works, cause I did.

Anyway, Caveat Emptor - if you already own this in the last release, and the running time IS 96 minutes, then the only thing new you'll be getting if you buy this version is the slipcover. Instead of a classic, I'd call it a two and a half star effort, rounded up for the commentary, which may be the best thing about the entire movie. If this is one of your cult favorites and you don't own it yet, check out the 2001 release, which is still available on Amazon at this time for less.