Product Details

• Actors: Charles George Hildebrandt, Tom DeFranco, Richard Lee Porter, Jean Tafler, Karen Tighe
• Directors: Douglas McKeown
• Format: Color, Dolby, NTSC
• Language: English (Dolby Digital 2.0 Mono)
• Region: Region 1 (U.S. and Canada only. Read more about DVD formats.)
  
• Aspect Ratio: 1.33:1
• Number of discs: 1
• Rated: R (Restricted)
• Studio: Synapse Films
• DVD Release Date: October 26, 2004
• Run Time: 81 minutes
• Average Customer Review: 4.1 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (52 customer reviews)
• ASIN: B0002Z0F12
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #126,005 in Movies & TV (See Top 100 in Movies & TV)
• Learn more about "The Deadly Spawn (Special Edition)" on IMDb

Editorial Reviews

A group of campers stumble upon the remnants of a meteorite and discover some fanged, worm-like creatures have hitched a ride to Earth. After the "camper" appetizer, the alien spawn take refuge in the basement of an isolated house… and get ready for the main course! With the people in the house now becoming the entrees of an intergalactic monster buffet, a group of teenagers, led by a small boy, decide to take this matter into their own hands… to stop the aliens from reproducing and rid the world of THE DEADLY SPAWN once and for all!

Featuring classic creature designs and gory special effects by John Dods (THE X-FILES: FIGHT THE FUTURE, SPOOKIES, "MONSTERS" TV Series), THE DEADLY SPAWN has been totally re-mastered from the original 16mm camera negatives. With extra materials compiled from the personal collections of the cast and crew, THE DEADLY SPAWN can finally invade your home theatre in the best version ever! Just try not to put this DVD in the basement… you might be surprised what you find down there.

SPECIAL FEATURES INCLUDE:
- New, Digitally Mastered Windowboxed Transfer in the Original Filmed Aspect Ratio of 1.33:1
- Two Audio Commentaries
- Extensive Still Galleries of Behind-the-Scenes Photos, Make-Up Effects, and the Premiere in New York City
- A Comic-Style Prequel with Its Own Musical Score
- Original Theatrical Trailer
- Alternate Opening Sequence with New Effects and Credits
- Animated Menus
- Outtake Reel
- Cast and Crew Biographies

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

13 of 13 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars JUSTICE AT LAST!!! April 5, 2005

By boleil

Format:VHS Tape

At long last, Justice has been done! Synapse has spared no expense in bringing the awsome Deadly Spawn out from its dank, dark basement and onto your television in all its fetid glory. Never has the Spawn looked so good. What is nice to see is that the transfer, although sharp has managed to strike a balance between cleaning up the blips and bleeding colours but still retaining the grimy and dark tone of the film. As well, the DVD features some cool extra's including a comic style prequel which was really cool and would make a movie unto itself. Of course, the prequel idea would require a budget, which the original certainly did not have. This makes it all the more amazing Mr Bohus. and gang delivered the film they did on $25,000 measly bucks.

It starts in the woods as two campers on a hill see something fall from the sky. Is it a ping pong ball? Nope, its a meteor carrying its deadly occupant to earth. Of course, they have to investigate and if the spawn was an athiest, he surely grew tired of the one guys repeated invokations of god. He is quickly dispatched, his flesh tearing with all the sound of so much styrofoam. From there, the creature takes up residence in a basement where it becomes an unwelcome uncle Tom, wreaking havoc on the memebers of the house.

This film is a lot of fun, gore and good old fashioned monster goodness rolled into one. The creature is a throwback to the days before CGI ruined the breed.

This is the defintive version of the film the way it should be seen. Fans of monster films no longer have any excuses to keep this one out of their collection.

11 of 11 people found the following review helpful

4.0 out of 5 stars Super Fun October 28, 2004

By B. M. Kunz

Format:DVD

This is the perfect example of filmmakers who were somehow able to hurdle budgetary restraints and make a very entertaining and likeable film. All things considered, the monster effects are actually quite good, and rather than being merely laughable, the creature(s) feel like a definite threat, resulting in some relatively intense scenes. In addition to this, the film is infused with some great dark humor, especially during a vegetarian ladies' luncheon. I had the opportunity to see this film on the big screen last year, and it was obvious by the audience reaction (and the Q&A afterwards) that the film was well received and is effective after all these years. Now thanks to a this DVD release from Synapse Films, a larger audience will hopefully be able to see this film, looking better than ever. Check it out.

7 of 7 people found the following review helpful

4.0 out of 5 stars Hungry Aliens in the Basement November 22, 2004

By Joshua Koppel

Format:DVD

It is so wonderful that this classic B-film is available in a clear DVD (my old VHS is really showing age). The DVD even comes packed with plenty of extras which include quite a few picture galleries, a comic-book style prequel, audition footage where you not only see people who didn't make it into the film, but you see cast members trying out for different rolls, even an alternate opening. But best of all is the wonderfully clear print of the film.

A meteor crashes near a pair of really bad actors camping in the woods. They investigate and are quickly made into alien chow before the opening credits. The beastie then moves to the basement of a nearby house. Torrential rain may have been a coincidence during filming, but it added nicely. The houses inhabitants include a family of four and a visiting aunt and uncle. The parents try to set out early on a trip. The key people are really the kids. The older science and fact oriented brother, and the younger, monster-obsessed brother. One denies the existence of monsters and aliens even when experienced first hand while the other never believed they could be real but is well equipped for understanding the situation.

But the monster in the basement is not all (and no it doesn't stay down there). The creature is spawning and countless smaller aliens begin to infiltrate the house and the neighborhood looking for treats to eat. Eventually the locals and authorities get involved and work to wipe out the threat (sort of like in the end of Night of the Living Dead). But the ending is one that is unexpected unless you have gone through the extras before watching the film.

Pure grade-B fun with an interesting cast, some fun moments, plenty of obviously-fake gore. All in all it makes for a nicely rewatchable monster film.