A Look Into Shout! Factory’s Nightbreed and Lord of Illusions

Props have to go to the digital artists and editors who worked in tandem with Shout! Factory to create a gorgeous Blu-ray transfer that any videophile will approve of. Either release is fine on its own. The only difference is in not having access to the booklet, which basically reproduces some of the work that’s found in Clive Barker’s Nightbreed Chronicles and includes tiny reproductions of the foreign posters during this film’s initial release. A treatise by Mark Alan Miller about this film’s restoration process and homecoming makes for a good read, since it was written specifically for this limited edition release.

Only the die-hard fans and film studies enthusiast will enjoy the extra content in the bonus disc. In this list included, deleted/alternate takes of some key scenes, an extensive digital still gallery, matte painting tests, makeup tests, stop motion lost footage, an extended torture scene and a rehearsal of Boone’s dream sequence to name a few. The two features in this disc that’s certainly notable were “A Discussion with Video Editor, Mark Goldblatt,” who talked about the compromises that were done to bring Nightbreed to reality. “The Painted Landscape: The Concept Art of Ralph McQuarrie,” was certainly a delight to follow, especially when considering this artists’s past works, namely his contributions to bringing the original Star Wars trilogy to life. A lot of time was spent to persuse through this collection. Spending a weekend going through this disc was not enough to process the information offered in this disc.

If only this disc was a DVD-ROM then studying the image could have been easier. Perhaps in due time, Scream! Factory will host a few of the items online for fans to watch. Some of it is available on Clive Barker’s official website.

Author: Ed Sum

I'm a freelance videographer and entertainment journalist (Absolute Underground Magazine, Two Hungry Blokes, and Otaku no Culture) with a wide range of interests. From archaeology to popular culture to paranormal studies, there's no stone unturned. Digging for the past and embracing "The Future" is my mantra. View all posts by Ed Sum