Macabre Daily Reviews Scream Factory's Collector's Edition 4K of 'DOG SOLDIERS'!
It’s not a stretch to say Neil Marshall is the British equivalent of John Carpenter, but their career output has parallels. “The Descent” could be considered his gender-flipped “The Thing” remake, all claustrophobia and trust issues. “Doomsday” is obviously his “Escape From New York,” and while many are quick to call “Hellboy,” his “Ghosts of Mars,” you can't argue he wasn’t a great choice to direct it. Like my colleague Rich Harris says, “Dog Soldiers” is Marshall’s “Assault on Precinct 13,” an early-career “siege” film with lycanthropes replacing gang members.
When the film was released in 2002, werewolves were out of vogue. Even “Ginger Snaps” was still in the nascent stage of its cult status. It’s that much more impressive that Marshall was able to sell an idea that involves multiple creatures and a good amount of makeup and effects for such a small budget. We’re a long way from Blackwater, but even then he successfully staged an epic battle without a massive budget. There’s also Liam Cunningham as a military man with questionable alliances. He’s joined by other U.K. character actors like Sean Pertwee (“Event Horizon”) and Kevin McKidd (“Trainspotting”) as soldiers who seek refuge in a farmhouse, while fending off the beasts. Chaos and gore ensues, and with this transfer, it’s never looked better.
The Scream Factory standard of restoring the original camera negative is upheld here. The practical wolf costumes look their best. The 4K transfer and the bonus features are the same as the Second Sight release, which include all the original extras from the previous Scream Factory releases. There are some new ones like a new career retrospective interview with Neil Marshall and a nice featurette on werewolf cinema. It may not have the slipcover or booklet of the Second Sight release, but that’s never really been Scream Factory’s thing (aside from that baller Creepshow release).
Behind the scenes
There aren’t many great werewolf films, but Scream Factory has released 2 of them (yes, “Ginger Snaps.” Did you even need to guess?) Unless you’re fiending for a rigid slipcase, the “Dog Soldiers' ' 4K is a good value without the sometimes-hassle of international shipping. Plus it’s likely the last physical release for the film. Pick it up before the moon rises.
Full Special Features and Technical Specs:
NEW 4K Restoration from The Original Camera Negative by Second Sight Films – Approved by Director Neil Marshall and director of photography Sam McCurdy – Presented in Dolby Vision
NEW Audio Commentary by writer and associate professor of Film Alison Peirse
Audio Commentary with Director Neil Marshall
Audio Commentary with producers David Allen and Brian O’Toole
DISC TWO (BLU-RAY):
NEW 4K Restoration from The Original Camera Negative by Second Sight Films – Approved by Director Neil Marshall and director of photography Sam McCurdy
NEW Audio Commentary by writer and associate professor of Film Alison Peirse
NEW Werewolves, Crawlers, Cannibals and More – an interview with Neil Marshall
NEW A History of Lycanthropy – author Gavin Baddeley on Werewolf Cinema
NEW Werewolves, Folklore and Cinema – a video essay by author Mikel J. Koven
Audio Commentary with Director Neil Marshall
Audio Commentary with producers David Allen and Brian O’Toole
Werewolves vs. Soldiers – a look at the making of DOG SOLDIERS featuring Interviews with Director Neil Marshall, Producers Christopher Figg and Keith Bell, Actors Kevin McKidd, Sean Pertwee, Darren Morfitt, Leslie Simpson and Emma Cleasby, Special Effects Artist Bob Keen and more!
A Cottage in the Woods - a look at the production design with production designer Simon Bowles
UK Theatrical Trailers and U.S. Home Video Promo
Combat – A short film by Neil Marshall
Two Still Galleries – Photos from the Film and Rare Photos from Production Designer Simon Bowles and Special Effects Artist Dave Bonneywell's Archives
Order Dog Soldiers directly from ShoutFactory.com and get an exclusive 18" X 24" rolled poster featuring our brand-new artwork, only available while supplies last!
Dog Soldiers is available now on ScreamFactory.com.
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