Rating: 
Summary: Finally, one of the greatest imaginative films gets its due!
Review: Clive Barker's "Nightbreed," unfortunately still truncated by twenty mintutes (please release a director's cut!) reigns as one of horror's most creative films (along with Clive's other two directorial efforts, "Hellraiser" and "Lord of Illusions"). And at last we get to see a pristine, widescreen transfer of the film. A movie that focuses on a familiar Barker theme, where the real monsters are the humans (like in his new novel "Coldheart Canyon") and is permeated with perverse creations that could only come from one of the world's great imaginations. Open your mind, buy this movie, and experience one of the great horror opuses. Oh yeah, David Cronenberg is chillingly funny as Dr. Decker.
Rating: 
Summary: WILL DVD EVER EMBRACE THE TRIBES OF THE MOON?
Review: Clive Barker's film NIGHTBREED is not your standard exercise in horror, but rather a surrealistic trip into a fantasy world laced with elements of the genre his work is generally attributed with. As opposed to the typical monster movie, this film's story presents a moralistic flip-side...the monsters from our darkest fears are actually good in comparison to the prejudice humans who seek to destroy what they do not understand.The movie is an adaptation of Barker's own novel, CABAL, and interestingly enough it both succeeds and fails in presenting his original story. The film actually improves upon the presentation of the monsters. The book never really fleshed them out in any way other than giving them names, never bothering to go into any types of description. Barker as a director has a very visual eye though, and the film is beautiful to look at. One can only imagine what he could do with a larger budget! Director David Cronenberg is on hand to play the notorious Dr. Decker, and he does a very good job in a role that seems to have been made for him. Composer Danny Elfman provides a unique score for the movie as well that retains the feeling of having ventured into another world. The awesome wall hieroglyphics seen during the film's opening credits, which tell the history of the Breed, were created by none other than famed conceptual artist Ralph McQuarrie! The film was an ambitious project at the time and was touted as being the most expensive horror film to date. It was budgeted at $11 million, which may be considered expensive for a "horror" film, but is actually relatively cheap (even back then) for a story of this scale. Unfortunately, the monsters themselves are a big disappointment overall. Yes, the main characters are well done. The monstrous Peloquin is everyone's favorite. Boone, the porcupine-like Shuna Sassi, the broken stone god Baphomet, and the devilish Lude are all nicely designed monsters. The remaining monsters are all made up of simple freaks of nature with twisted mouths or faces, different skin color, or simply individuals that are simply into acting weird and perverted. Kinski's moon shaped head is simply laughable, as are many of the goofball designs presented here. The denizens of Midian, being a city where the monsters go, should have at least somewhat represented a few more creatures of legend such as werewolves or vampires to name a few. The book describes ghostly apparitions that burst forth from the tombs and fly off into the night sky during the finale. That would have been really great to see. Sadly, it never happens in the film. A campy element infiltrates the proceedings from time to time, which dulls the effect of the overall proceedings. A more serious take throughout would have made a world of difference! The movie veers off into a different direction several times as opposed to the book. Some of these diversions are actually an improvement to the original story, while some are not. By the end, several key developments are completely different, such as certain characters who survive in the book die in the film, and vice versa. Mr. Barker has often spoke of continuing both the books and the film adaptations, but one has to wonder exactly how he could have done so when key elements at the conclusion of this introductory story are so different from book to screen! It would seem to me that this series would have ended up being completely different entities altogether in their respective mediums had they both continued. Even in light of the missing twenty minutes of footage that has yet to be restored to the film, these changes would still be evident for the most part. This DVD release by Warner Brothers is extremely disappointing. First, they offer up only the theatrical preview as a bonus supplement. Second, the film is not presented in it's true widescreen format. I just compared it scene by scene to my laserdisc and the DVD is definitely presenting us with the full screen presentation, which features black bars covering the top and bottom of the picture in order to mimic the widescreen format. I bought this DVD to see the film in widescreen for the first time since theatres, but I got cheated, What exactly is the point of doing this?? Well, at least they were good enough to clean up the picture, remaster the soundtrack in Dolby Digital 5.1, and give us an interactive menu! I hope that one day in the future Fox Studios will see fit to grant Clive Barker the chance to restore his original vision in the long rumored director's cut of the film. Mr. Barker deserves this chance, as do his fans! The movie gets 3 ? stars, this DVD release gets 2 stars!
Rating:
Summary: WILL DVD EVER EMBRACE THE TRIBES OF THE MOON?
Review: Clive Barker's film NIGHTBREED is not your standard exercise in horror, but rather a surrealistic trip into a fantasy world laced with elements of the genre his work is generally attributed with. As opposed to the typical monster movie, this film's story presents a moralistic flip-side...the monsters from our darkest fears are actually good in comparison to the prejudice humans who seek to destroy what they do not understand. The movie is an adaptation of Barker's own novel, CABAL, and interestingly enough it both succeeds and fails in presenting his original story. The film actually improves upon the presentation of the monsters. The book never really fleshed them out in any way other than giving them names, never bothering to go into any types of description. Barker as a director has a very visual eye though, and the film is beautiful to look at. One can only imagine what he could do with a larger budget! Director David Cronenberg is on hand to play the notorious Dr. Decker, and he does a very good job in a role that seems to have been made for him. Composer Danny Elfman provides a unique score for the movie as well that retains the feeling of having ventured into another world. The awesome wall hieroglyphics seen during the film's opening credits, which tell the history of the Breed, were created by none other than famed conceptual artist Ralph McQuarrie! The film was an ambitious project at the time and was touted as being the most expensive horror film to date. It was budgeted at $11 million, which may be considered expensive for a "horror" film, but is actually relatively cheap (even back then) for a story of this scale. Unfortunately, the monsters themselves are a big disappointment overall. Yes, the main characters are well done. The monstrous Peloquin is everyone's favorite. Boone, the porcupine-like Shuna Sassi, the broken stone god Baphomet, and the devilish Lude are all nicely designed monsters. The remaining monsters are all made up of simple freaks of nature with twisted mouths or faces, different skin color, or simply individuals that are simply into acting weird and perverted. Kinski's moon shaped head is simply laughable, as are many of the goofball designs presented here. The denizens of Midian, being a city where the monsters go, should have at least somewhat represented a few more creatures of legend such as werewolves or vampires to name a few. The book describes ghostly apparitions that burst forth from the tombs and fly off into the night sky during the finale. That would have been really great to see. Sadly, it never happens in the film. A campy element infiltrates the proceedings from time to time, which dulls the effect of the overall proceedings. A more serious take throughout would have made a world of difference! The movie veers off into a different direction several times as opposed to the book. Some of these diversions are actually an improvement to the original story, while some are not. By the end, several key developments are completely different, such as certain characters who survive in the book die in the film, and vice versa. Mr. Barker has often spoke of continuing both the books and the film adaptations, but one has to wonder exactly how he could have done so when key elements at the conclusion of this introductory story are so different from book to screen! It would seem to me that this series would have ended up being completely different entities altogether in their respective mediums had they both continued. Even in light of the missing twenty minutes of footage that has yet to be restored to the film, these changes would still be evident for the most part. This DVD release by Warner Brothers is extremely disappointing. First, they offer up only the theatrical preview as a bonus supplement. Second, the film is not presented in it's true widescreen format. I just compared it scene by scene to my laserdisc and the DVD is definitely presenting us with the full screen presentation, which features black bars covering the top and bottom of the picture in order to mimic the widescreen format. I bought this DVD to see the film in widescreen for the first time since theatres, but I got cheated, What exactly is the point of doing this?? Well, at least they were good enough to clean up the picture, remaster the soundtrack in Dolby Digital 5.1, and give us an interactive menu! I hope that one day in the future Fox Studios will see fit to grant Clive Barker the chance to restore his original vision in the long rumored director's cut of the film. Mr. Barker deserves this chance, as do his fans! The movie gets 3 ½ stars, this DVD release gets 2 stars!
Rating: 
Summary: "...and Midian is where the monsters live."
Review: Clive Barker's Nightbreed may seem like a story about evil monsters vs. humanity, it is not. This is really a simple story about a man who realizes that he is a little different from most people, so he tries to find a place where he can be accepted. The people he joins are so different from the rest of society that they must remain hidden or face persecution at the hands of the church, the police and the rest of humanity in general.
Usually, the monsters and freaks embody the evil in a film, but Barker likes to make his hideous creatures into sympathetic characters the reader or viewer can identify with. He accomplishes this in Nightbreed by making the humans into the most irrationally frightened, self-righteous, gun-toting rednecks the world has to offer. Despite the amazing physical differences and strange tastes of some of the monsters we are totally on their side.
Craig Sheffer plays Boone, a young man who dreams of a place called Midian along with it's strange inhabitants. He feels drawn to that place by the promise of forgiveness and complete acceptance, but he makes the mistake of telling his shrink, Decker (David Cronenburg). Decker convinces Boone that he is not well. You see, Decker knows about Midian too. His goal is the complete distruction of Midian and all it's inhabitants. His hatred is intense and apparently irrational because no reason is ever stated in this film, other than that they are different than he.
Decker sets Boone up as a patsy for several grisly murders he himself has committed, and Boone is shot down by police just outside the gates of Midian, but not before Boone had a fateful encounter with one of its denizens.
Boones girlfriend Lori learns of his death and travels to Midian, looking for answers. She is shocked by what she finds down in the labrynthine tunnels and cavernous chambers. She sees monsters; they are hideous, unnatural creatures with unnatural abilities. A woman, Rachel, tries to make her understand that they are the last of their kind to escape persecution through the centuries.
Unfortunately Decker has followed her there to kill her and lure Boone, who is dead but also lives. Lori takes him with her, but he is no longer the man he was.
Decker whips the local constabulary and townspeople into a frenzy over the goings on at Midian, and there is a great battle. When it is over, Boone is commanded to find a new home for his people.
The creatures of Midian are fascinating! The various shapes and faces are endlessly interesting. Peloquin has red skin and seems to have hair also made of flesh. Shuna Sassi has a back and head covered with quills. There is much to see in Midian!
This film is a wonderful way to look at hate, be it based on race, religion, sexual orientation or whatever. The hate for Midian's people is based on an irrational fear, for Midian laws do not allow them come in contact with humanity. It is also borne of envy-these strange looking people can change their shapes, or fly. They can also live forever. Who wouldn't want that?
All the actors are enjoyable to watch, but David Cronenberg stands out. He is very chilling as the psychopath Decker, especially in his Button-Head mask. He sure scared me!
Danny Elfman wrote some music for this film. Elfman evokes a mysterious and tribal atmosphere for Midian like no one else could. If you listen close, you can even hear Oingo Boingo's song 'Skin' done up in country style.
I love this movie. Clive Barker adapted his own novel, and the result is a beautiful and creepy film about being different and surviving hatred. Humans can be so stupid sometimes.
Rating:
Summary: Just a shaper version of the video, the original theatrical
Review: film offers nothing we haven't seen before, no re-mastered sound, no commentary or deleted scenes, but it does give those of us who've owned the video cassette for the last ten years, at last, a wide-screen, clear, clean print to enjoy. Then, sometime Barker hopes, next year the full, directors cut will finally surface. The most commonly pointed out flaw in NIGHTBREED is it's pace, grueling quick the story does not take anytime to explain itself, this was not Barkers fault as the studio forced him to keep the filmunder 2 hours and the MPAA forced him to make more cuts (I really want to know if there is an expanded love scene in the jail cell like in the novella!)leaving little of Clives vision left. Really a brilliant and original story NIGHTBREED is the first film to really begin to show Clives talent as a writer on screen. But the edits make the movie choppy at best This is yet another example where the studio killed the movie (check out Joe Berlingers commentary on Blair Witch II and you'll know what I'm saying) It's time the studios stop worrying about length so much. We'll let Coppola Re-Release the tire Apocalypse Now with an hour of footage added to slow down the already boring film, but the can't let a master like Clive Barked have fifteen minutes over Two hours and a little adult material (in an R rated movie!!!!) so that his film makes sense. Buy this DVD to hold you over until the real cut comes out latter.
Rating:
Summary: GOOD FILM BAD DVD
Review: First off the extras? What extras? I have always liked this movie and jumped at the chance to own it on DVD but to find it in this condition is rather a shame. None of the deleted scenes are added or any extras of any kind really. Saying that if you have never seen it or are a fan of Clive Barkers other works it is still a worthy purchase. Particularly if you are a fan of the Hellraiser series you will enjoy it. It is rumoured that their will be a special directors cut released in the near future so if you can wait I would urge you to do that. Unless of course your a total Barker head like me and can't!
Rating:
Summary: Mystical, intelligent and imaginative...but
Review: Framed as a killer by unstable pyschiatrist (David Cronenberg), Aaron Boone (Craig Sheffer) runs away to a graveyard called Midian, a place where "the monsters live" so his sins can be forgiven. Then once becoming one of them, he realises its his duty to save them from their enemies...man! Clive Barker's second feature as director is, like HELLRAISER, interesting, visually compelling and entertaining. But its flavour of cheesy comedy (that of course works well at times) takes over its gothical horror premise which makes the film a bit too hard to get into.
This is the first time NIGHTBREED has been released on DVD and fans of the film are in for a treat. The picture is presented in widescreen and although shows some level of grain at times (especially around Midian), its rich in colour and contrast and is overall nice and clear, the soundtrack is a remastered Dolby 5.1 which sounds as good as can be expected, a theatrical trailer (as usual) and cast and crew biographies. So, although limited in extras, the films presentation is a welcome treat for its DVD debut. Director's cut is rumoured for 2002 release.
Rating:
Summary: Clive Barker's NIGHTBREED
Review: From horror-master Clive Barker comes a horror/thriller called NIGHTBREED. The story concerns a man named Boone who is having dreams of a mysterious place called Midian, which is a civilazation populated by monsters (the Night Breed). Boone is actually one of the Night Breed and he is destined to join them and help defend them from society, but his girlfriend Lori wants him to stay with her instead. There is also a savage serial killer who follows Boone to Midian in hopes of destroying the Night Breed. This movie has a good story with good special effects and decent acting. Any fan of Clive Barker or horror in general should pick this up!
Rating:
Summary: slick
Review: Heres a really cool looking movie that just misses 5 stars. If only it darkened the mood and played up the sinister aspects instead of the fantasy...oh well. Its still excellent. The story involves boone and his belief that he is responsible for a series of murders. Through a bizarre turn of events, he seeks out midian, "where the monsters live..." for refuge. But there is someone else who also seeks out midian, the evil "buttonhead", whos mission is to destroy midian and those who dwell there.
As with other clive barker films, there is more than meets the eye here. Moral issues about what constitutes humanity and who the real monsters are are fleshed out as the film progresses. The film lacks a central protagonist (such as Pinhead in hellraiser or NIx in Lord of Illusions) and instead opts to focus on mankind as the force that drives the film. Barker holds up the mirror and we can see ourselves both in man and in the breed.
The Dvd Is clear and crisp, with the score really standing out. There isn't a whole lot in the way of features other than a theatrical trailer and some cast notes.
Rating: 
Summary: Hellraiser it's not.
Review: I am a big fan of the Clive Barker novels and loved his film Hellraiser. That's why I gave Nightbreed a try, since it is based on his novel Cabal and he directed it himself. This proves that even the writer himself can have trouble putting his image of his novel on the big screen. It does portray an interesting story with some imaginative "demons" (even though most of them are corny at best), the film still comes out way to cheesy for my taste of horror films. Even more cheesy than Hellraiser III, with all those wierd "new" cenobites like camerahead. Sadly to say, I was disappointed with Nightbreed. With Barker at the helm, one would think it should've been great and refreshing. It's not. Does not come near the impact of Hellraiser and only slightly begins to tread the same grounds of that film.I still enjoyed Nightbreed, but it didn't impress me. Other Barker fans will probably like.
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