Society (2-Disc Special Edition) [Blu-ray + DVD]

So, I had heard of this movie a long time ago but by then the original DVD of it had long since gone out of print and the only copies I could find of it were on video-tape-- and to top it off it was that weird point in history where we'd all accepted DVDs as our sole home video format and many of us, myself included, had let our VCRs fall into disrepair. That said, I didn't get to see this wonderful little film until it was delivered to my mailbox. "Society," is a rare breed of two film genres: political and horror. Think along the lines of "Bob Roberts" meets "Videodrome." A strange combination, but this weird blend creates a unique vision from legendary horror producer Brian Yuzna taking the director's chair for this film. I'd give a synopsis of the plot, but if you're reading this review, chances are you already know what it's about, so I'm going to talk about the product itself and what it offers. It comes in a very large digipak, which is nice to see-- it's wide-- and I mean WIDE for a Blu-Ray digipak. My "Trilogy of Life" Blu-Ray digipak from Criterion isn't as thick as this and it has some very deluxe three dimensional packaging. Inside is the digibook itself containing a Blu-Ray and identical DVD of the film and special features, there's also a miniature poster for the movie, a retrospective pamphlet and some advertisements for similar films, so that's nice to have. In addition to all of that is a small "perfect bound" comic book called "Society 2: Party Animal," which acts as a sequel to the film (because let's face it, the ending of the movie does make you go: 'Wait, what?'), I haven't read it yet, but it seems to be pretty solid in terms of art direction, but I'm not a big graphic novel aficionado so I can't tell you too much about it. The special features are plentiful, including a 15 minute retrospective with Brian Yuzna, a 20 minute look back with some of the actors, a 20 minute interview with "Mad George" who did the makeup effects in the movie and a music video that he helped make using similar special effects to those seen in "Society," and a Q&A with Brian Yuzna after a 2014 screening of the film. There's also a backstage interview with him (Yuzna) from the film's 1989 premiere and of course, what collector's edition would be complete without an audio commentary from the filmmaker himself? So that's all there. Like I said, the movie is good. I really liked it. It's certainly not for everybody-- if you're wigged out by sex and violence this movie sort of combines them into a singular entity. I also want to add that the lead actor, Billy Warlock sounds exactly like Michael J. Fox in "Back to the Future" when he talks. I'm serious! Close your eyes and listen to him talk in the movie and tell me you don't see Marty McFly!

This movie was probably the most unnerving movie I've ever sat all the way through. It's not perfect but it's still a gem of body horror and tension in my eyes. Let me preface this by saying I tend not to watch a lot of horror movies (or play horror games for that matter) because so many have jump-scares which just make me feel anxious, which is why I usually stick to horror comics and books. This movie made me deeply uncomfortable multiple times to the point where I had to pause throughout it on first viewing. Not just because of the subject matter and visuals as the movie goes on, but because of the fantastic way that tension riddles the movie due to the way it's shot. It was more uncomfortable and scary with ZERO jumpscares than any other horror movies I've seen. I seriously had to pause for several minutes after the ending to process. I'm personally avoiding spoilers because this a movie that's best to go into completely blind. I heard good things about it from the guys at RedLetterMedia on YouTube and went in without spoilers, and it was for the best. Of course the movie isn't perfect, the characters can make some stupid decisions and the acting is spotty (some scenes were pretty good, some... not so much). But this is one of the few movies where I didn't find myself paying attention to it much because the tension and unfolding story were enough to keep me on the edge of my seat and intrigued. So not 5/5 as a perfect movie, but 5/5 for the overall experience. Never been so captivated by a horror film in a manner where I wanted to stop watching because I was uncomfortable but couldn't stop because I had to see what it was building up to.

Awesome movie; awesome set. This is a great set that bests the used DVD copies people have been trying to sell upwards of $100. The movie itself was ahead of its time with a lot of themes and the imagery sticks with you for days. The Shunt remains one of the most gloriously revolting finales out there and the extras which feature Screaming Mad George and his practical creations are just groovy. My only issue is that the graphic novel which comes with the movie (and is the literary sequel to Society) isn't that good due to a lot of grossly overlooked typos and poorly drawn/confusing imagery which makes reading it rather annoying. It's a decent idea for a sequel (mainly how it ends), but it also seems to try and shock with a late-game reveal for no other reason other than to try and compete with its cinematic brethren--which it really doesn't and is actually kind of unsatisfying. Even still, this is a classic horror film and a wholly worthwhile set to invest in. I love what Arrow Video's done in reviving it and the limited edition box set is and should be an instant-buy for anyone even slightly interested.

Esta es una oscura alegoría al elitismo. La película es repugnante (sobre todo en el clímax), pero con mucha comedia negra y genuinos momentos de tensión. La edición de Arrow en steelbook es hermosa en su presentación, trae además de un folleto de más de 20 páginas de imágenes y un ensayo al respecto de sul valor cultural; por su parte el bluray contiene un buen numero de extras como entrevistas con los actores, el director (Brian Yuzna) y el encargado de los efectos de maquillaje (Mad George). La entrega fue rápida y el producto bien embalado.

Il DVD è in condizioni ottime. E il film un classico dell'horror che non poteva assolutamente mancare in una collezione per cinefili.

Society fait partie de ces films dont j'ai découvert des extraits alors que j'étais lycéen et auxquels j'ai décidé de ne me confronter qu'une fois adulte, il faut dire qu'en fonction des sensibilités il ne manquera pas de mettre mal à l'aise : visiblement je n'étais pas prêt lorsque j'étais plus jeune. Pour les amateurs du genre, c'est un classique à ranger aux côtés de Re-animator I et II ou From Beyond, mais celui-ci se différencie par sa critique virulente sur les castes de la haute société américaine. The Ecstasy of Films, non contente d'être dirigée par une personne passionnée et à l'écoute de ses clients, nous sert le film dans un écrin (comme à son habitude), permettant de découvrir ou redécouvrir Society dans une qualité particulièrement inespérée pour un film de genre. De quoi donner des leçons à bien des éditeurs. Je ne possède pas l'édition DVD mais à défaut de trouver l'édition Bluray si elle est épuisée, n'hésitez pas à vous la procurer, l'éditeur soignant toutes ses éditions.

Wow. Very interesting movie with very messed up scenes. Basically poking at the difference in classes and how rich people treat those not so fortunate. These "people" consume others and turn into blobs of arms and legs. Really interesting watch. A must for anh horror fan. The package itself came in great condition, no damage.

Nach Kosmokiller,Mächte des Wahnsinns und zig anderen Horrorfilmen damaliger Zeit war Society DIE Beute nur das es keinerlei gescheites Release gab bzw ist mir ausser rin überteuertes Bootleg keines bekannt...DOCH...dank Capelight sollte sich dieses ändern und sogar auf der feinen blauen! Die neue 16er Freigabe ist mir ein Rätsel aber gibt doch Hoffnung das in der FSK nicht ganz inkompetente Personen sitzen! Der Film ist komplett UNCUT obwohl es nicht angepriesen wird,aber ich vertraute Wikipedia und bestellte mir die Bluray! Kann echt nur TOP sagen! TOP BILD : Vollbild,durchgehend gute Schärfe und der Schwarzwert ist auch super,und das trotzdem es kein Blockbuster ist/war und somit auch sicher eine dementsprechende Ablichtung hatte! TON : Für diese Art Film auch sehr gut und vollstens ausreichend Gott sei Dank keine Neusynchro! FILM: Was soll man sagen,welcher Fan des 80er Horrors kennt Society von Brian Yuzna nicht? Für damalige Zeit sehr gute,gruselige und ekelhafte Effekte die auch in heutigen Zeiten nichts vom Charme einbüßen! Die Story und das ganze drumherum ist noch immer perfekt für einen spannenden Fernsehabend! Also man kann bedenkenlos ZUSCHLAGEN! :)