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Swamp Thing

Swamp Thing

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Rating: 5 stars
Summary: A cool classic
Review: "Swamp Thing" isn't one of the best movies ever made, but it's still great. Dr. Alec Holland (Ray Wise) has just made a formula that will make plants grow tremendously in a short period of time. All is going well until some madmen show up wanting to steal his formula, and they won't let anything stand in their way of doing so. Dr. Alec Holland is nearly killed by the madmen, but instead, the new formula changes him into Swamp Thing. That's an interesting twist. If a person drinks the formula, it will change them into what they really are inside. For example, if you have strong wills and power, it will change you into something even more powerful and smart. On the other hand, if you're crazy and not so powerful, the formula will make you crazier and weaker. Dr. Alec Holland turns into a smarter and more powerful creature with healing powers called Swamp Thing.

It's up to Swamp Thing to survive the terror of the bad guys and rescue Cable (Adrienne Barbeau).

If you like sci-fi movies with interesting twists, I recommend getting "Swamp Thing." It's a great movie and it's a good movie to watch even after you've seen it several times.

Rating: 5 stars
Summary: A cool classic
Review: "Swamp Thing" isn't one of the best movies ever made, but it's still great. Dr. Alec Holland (Ray Wise) has just made a formula that will make plants grow tremendously in a short period of time. All is going well until some madmen show up wanting to steal his formula, and they won't let anything stand in their way of doing so. Dr. Alec Holland is nearly killed by the madmen, but instead, the new formula changes him into Swamp Thing. That's an interesting twist. If a person drinks the formula, it will change them into what they really are inside. For example, if you have strong wills and power, it will change you into something even more powerful and smart. On the other hand, if you're crazy and not so powerful, the formula will make you crazier and weaker. Dr. Alec Holland turns into a smarter and more powerful creature with healing powers called Swamp Thing.

It's up to Swamp Thing to survive the terror of the bad guys and rescue Cable (Adrienne Barbeau).

If you like sci-fi movies with interesting twists, I recommend getting "Swamp Thing." It's a great movie and it's a good movie to watch even after you've seen it several times.

Rating: 4 stars
Summary: 10 reasons why Swamp Thing is a great DVD
Review: 1) Wes Craven directs. First big budget film for him and arguably paves the way for "Nightmare on Elm Street". 2) Adrienne Barbeau bouncing about through the film, including a bathing scene in the swamp with her exposed flotation devices. 3) Great transfer. If you remember seeing this washed out, muddy film in the theatres, you will be thrilled to see it on DVD. An unrestored trailer on the DVD unintentionally highlights the incredible difference. 4) Choice of widescreen or full screen. Some people HAVE to have one or the other. 5) Hard to find, impossible to rent. After a mother a couple years back raised such a stink at Blockbuster for the nudity in the film (it is PG, but as it was made in 1981 and there was no PG-13 rating yet, basic nudity WAS ok), it was pulled from the entire chain. Ramifications reached all the way to MGM who discontinued the DVD. It is now out of print with no talk of being rereleased. 6) Big monsters in silly rubber suits fighting. Enough said. 7) Incredible cinematography. Don't let the cheesiness of the movie fool you. The swamp locations in this now restored version are rarely seen on film. 8) Barbeau escapes from the para-military unit no less than three times in the movie. Where did these guys get their training? 9) Four page leaflet included. Don't you hate DVDs without a chapter card? Don't you wish DVDs with a chapter card gave more info? There are some tasty tidbits on this one. 10) It's a movie of a comic book character. These will ALWAYS be collectible sought after. Go ahead, buy it!

Rating: 4 stars
Summary: 10 reasons why Swamp Thing is a great DVD
Review: 1) Wes Craven directs. First big budget film for him and arguably paves the way for "Nightmare on Elm Street". 2) Adrienne Barbeau bouncing about through the film, including a bathing scene in the swamp with her exposed flotation devices. 3) Great transfer. If you remember seeing this washed out, muddy film in the theatres, you will be thrilled to see it on DVD. An unrestored trailer on the DVD unintentionally highlights the incredible difference. 4) Choice of widescreen or full screen. Some people HAVE to have one or the other. 5) Hard to find, impossible to rent. After a mother a couple years back raised such a stink at Blockbuster for the nudity in the film (it is PG, but as it was made in 1981 and there was no PG-13 rating yet, basic nudity WAS ok), it was pulled from the entire chain. Ramifications reached all the way to MGM who discontinued the DVD. It is now out of print with no talk of being rereleased. 6) Big monsters in silly rubber suits fighting. Enough said. 7) Incredible cinematography. Don't let the cheesiness of the movie fool you. The swamp locations in this now restored version are rarely seen on film. 8) Barbeau escapes from the para-military unit no less than three times in the movie. Where did these guys get their training? 9) Four page leaflet included. Don't you hate DVDs without a chapter card? Don't you wish DVDs with a chapter card gave more info? There are some tasty tidbits on this one. 10) It's a movie of a comic book character. These will ALWAYS be collectible sought after. Go ahead, buy it!

Rating: 4 stars
Summary: A word about the rating....
Review: A recent write up in the Dallas Morning News told about local Blockbuster stores removing this from their shelves. It seems that the internationl release master was used in producing this DVD, instead of the domestic cut. Thus, the movie contains nudity despite its PG rating.

Rating: 2 stars
Summary: For Adrienne Barbeau fans, primarily.
Review: Adrienne Barbeau, in tight shirts or low-cut gowns, sometimes running, sometimes wet. Oh, and in one scene for DVD viewers only, bathing in the swamp for some gratuitous topless shots. That, in short, is about all this movie has going for it.

Adapted from a DC Comics character, Swamp Thing joins the ranks of comic adaptations that should never have been. On the side of evil is a 2-dimensional evil botanist (Louis Jourdan) and an incompetent band of commandos (David Hess, Nicholas Worth, et al). The hero is a GOOD botanist (Ray Wise) who transforms into the rubber-suited title character (Dick Durock) and is lovesick for Barbeau. They all muck about in the swamp searching for the ultimate glowing green fertilizer.

If you have a hankering to see director Wes Craven at his worst or Barbeau's breasts at their best, this is a must-see. There's no other reason to go near it.

Rating: 2 stars
Summary: Okay afternoon dvd fodder.
Review: Dr. Alec Holland (Ray Wise) is a scientist/botonist deep in the swamps of Louisiana. He, along with government agent Alice Cable (Adrienne Barbeau), come up with a formula that could end world hunger forever. Little do they know that that the evil genius Arcane (Louis Jordan) is plotting to steal the formula for his own purposes.

After a raid at Dr. Holland's laboratory, he is set on fire and the serum is splashed all over him. He jumps in the swamp and disappears. Agent Cable returns to find the lab a smoldering ruin, and most of the notes for the formula missing. She gets out of there but is caught by Arcane's men (the leader is played by David Hess from "Last House on the Left"). She manages to escape and during the pursuit for her Swamp Thing makes his first appereance. He saves the day and she manages to escape and makes it to a small store run by a small boy named Jude (Reggie Batts). He helps her get out of there but they are pursued and she is caught (again) and taken to Arcane's sumptious estate in the swamps. They use her for bate and of course Swamp Thing comes to the rescue and, of course, he is captured. Arcane's men manage to lock him up in a dungeon (a dungeon in the swamps?!) and he has an arm cut off during the struggle.

By this time Arcane has found the last notebook for the formula and has managed to duplicate it. He slips some of the formula to one of his men during a victory party and everyone watched as he turns into a midget, pig-like creature. Arcane is upset that the formula did not give the man the powers and size that Swamp Thing has and he questions him under duress. Of course the duress is agent Cable being threatened while in chains. Swamp Thing tells him that the serum amplifies the essence of whatever the person is. Of course Arcane decides to take the serum, and then, of course, tunrs into a hideous monster.

Swamp Thing and Cable escape from the dungeon out to the swamp and Arcane, in his new monster persona, follows them. The battle of good vs. evil comes to a predictable end Swamp Thing says goodbye to Cable and walks out to where he now belongs, the swamp. Yawn. Okay, there were some okay special effects like when Arcane transforms into the monster he truly was, and watching Adrienne Barbeau bounce around the screen certainly didn't hurt. But the best character in the film, and who certainly had and delivered the best lines, was the character played by Reggie Batts, Jude. His dry, deadpan delivery of them was quite something and almost makes the movie. As far as I cen tell this is the only film he was ever in.

The dvd is somewhat infamous in that it was mistakingly released as PG even though it contains a very naked Adrienne Barbeau bathing in the swamp. There is also a party scene in the movie where a couple girls take their tops off. These scenes were in the European theatrical release only, they were not shown in theaters or on video in the U.S. The limited number of copies of the dvd that were sold before the "PG" mistake was discovered and the dvd recalled back to MGM, are now quite collectable and rare. It is a two sided disk in both 1:85.1 and fullscreen formats. The only extra is a single trailer. The sound and video are fine with no complaints.

Rating: 2 stars
Summary: Another just "okay" comic adaption.
Review: First off, I've seen some people (Usually auction sellers trying to cash in)exaggerate about what is contained on the MGM "recalled" version dvd of this movie. The nude scene with Adrienne was in fact in the original American release of this film. And therefore probably will still be, when and if MGM re-releases this DVD. In fact there is only one extra scene contained within the now "recalled" version of this film... Which does feature some brief upper torso nudity on some not too attractive women, one of which is a belly-dancer. So before you go dropping a mint on this now collectible DVD, be forewarned as to what you'll actually be getting in term of extra footage.

Now as far as the flick. I think it's only "okay" all around, and I have been a big fan of the comic series for decades. The Swampthing costume... It's not too bad nor too great even for that era when this film was made.... Looks like what it is... A molded, green, rubber suit. Definitely not as cool as the USA TV series one was! The movie concepts are about as faithful to the comic books as Batman movies were to Batman comics... Some faithfulness and differences, about a 50/50 split. Happily enough though, most of the Swamp_Thing/Alec Holland origin scenario, and his emotional struggle with regaining humanity, stays true. Diehard Swamp Thing purists will probably have a fair share of complaints however. At least this flick is not as butchered from the original source as say... The Punisher movie! I enjoyed this flick much more in my youth when they aired the hell out of it on HBO back in the day. Nowadays, in my late 20's, I consider it a decent view and worth a look, but something that I'd probably only throw in the DVD maybe once every year or two. I'd still say it's worth the buy if you can obtain one for around the MSRP. Paying much more than that and you'll likely find yourself rather disspointed.

Rating: 5 stars
Summary: Swamp Thing Delivers A Power Punch.
Review: Great movie for action fans. It has some great thrill sequences. Recommened this film for any action fan and any Wes Craven fan.

Rating: 4 stars
Summary: A word about the rating....
Review: I first saw Swamp Thing on HBO waaay back in the early eighties. As a young teen male with my nose constantly buried in comic books, I was certainly part of the target demographic for this low-budget Wes Craven adventure. Admittedly, I didn't think too much of Wes's efforts; It seemed pretty bland, not colorfully action-packed like the comic book, and silly all at the same time. However, it did have the not-inconsiderable presence of Ms. Barbeau(Mrs. Carpenter), whom I had seen the year before in Escape From New York and The Fog, when she had her image(and figure)indelibly burned into my long-term memory. In regards to this new DVD, I have to say that the 30 seconds of restored bathing sequence is a pleasant surprise, especially since it is mentioned nowhere on the case. It should also be noted that more <gratuitous> nudity was re-inserted into the party sequence at Arcane's mansion, and the DVD should have been re-rated from PG to UNRATED(at least PG-13, possibly R) to account for these changes. Additionally, the new widescreen (albeit non-anamorphic) transfer is the best this film's ever looked, and I must say I have a new appreciation for it. What I remembered as being a bland film of murky and monochrome green and brown, now seems to be much more vibrant thanks to DVD. One last quibble...as a general rule, MGM needs to use the original press art for its movie releases. Although I can live with the cover for SW, I prefer the painting of Swampy carrying Cable in her white nightgown. At the very least, they could include the art in the "Collector's Booklet".


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