When the wealthy Andrew Marsh is found dead of a heart attack in bed, the police don’t know what to make of the homemade sex tape he died watching, nor the fact that he was discovered handcuffed. As it comes out that his much younger, BDSM-inclined girlfriend Rebecca Carlson was not only on that sextape, but also in his will for an $8M inheritance, district attorney Robert Garrett goes after her. Accusing Rebecca of having cunningly made her own body the murder weapon, and with public opinion against her, only Carlson’s defense attorney, Frank Dulaney, seems to believe that she’s innocent. But that’s before things get considerably rougher, both in the court and in the uneasy confidence between Rebecca and her chosen counsel.
Released at the height of the 1990’s erotic thriller boom, BODY OF EVIDENCE took the bold step of casting a pop culture superstar arguably at the peak of her fame, Madonna (Desperately Seeking Susan). Helmed by a master of the complicated character drama, Uli Edel (Christiane F.), with a nail-biting performance from four-time Oscar® nominee Willem Dafoe (To Live and Die in L.A.), this racy noir builds tension and mood to a dizzying climax. It also boasts a stacked supporting cast including Joe Mantegna (House of Games), Anne Archer (Fatal Attraction), Jürgen Prochnow (In the Mouth of Madness), and Julianne Moore (The Big Lebowski). Vinegar Syndrome is achingly excited to present the UHD debut of this twist-filled thriller in both its unrated director’s and R-rated theatrical cuts, in brand-new, director-approved 4K restorations.
For thoughts on Body of Evidence, please check out my thoughts on No Streaming Required:
Video Quality
Vinegar Syndrome presents Body of Evidence with an exceptional 2160p Dolby Vision/HDR transfer in its original 1.85:1 aspect ratio sourced from a 4K restoration of the Original 35mm Camera Negative for both the R-Rated Theatrical and Unrated Director’s Cut versions of the film. Having both cuts available in unbelievable quality is a major win for fans of erotic thrillers. If anyone was going to go above and beyond for this, it makes sense that it is Vinegar Syndrome. There are no observable variances in quality for the unique material in the unrated cut, so fans are in for a treat with this one. When it comes to encoding, there do not seem to be any digital shortcomings such as compression artifacts, banding, or any other such nuisances.
The film grain renders naturally and consistently, lacking the standard signs of unwanted manipulation, as everything resolves impeccably. There are no traces of print damage or stray specks throughout this ideal restoration. The texture present in the costumes and within the production design is invaluable. Even minute details, such as small shards of glass, stand out with this format. The implementation of Dolby Vision for expanded color output benefits this production immensely. There is a depth to the courtroom and the interior of the house that adds some nice dimension to the experience. Bold colors saturate the screen and reveal a level of accuracy that is awe-inspiring. The contrast is in great shape with deep black levels free of crush and brilliant highlights with no blooming. Vinegar Syndrome continues to treat this subgenre with a great deal of care.
Audio Quality
The 4K UHD Blu-Ray of the film comes with the original DTS-HD 2.0 Master Audio stereo track that holds its own for a first-rate sonic experience. Dialogue comes through clearly without being drowned out by the sound effects or music. Nothing ever gets too bustling outside of some scuffles, but every noise is distinguished with meaning and precision. The fairly contained group of environments is brought to life splendidly. Most of the activity shows up in the courtroom with the din of the crowd, along with some moments of rainfall, which provide some impeccable ambient details. All of the various sounds in the mix seem faithfully rendered so that nothing ever feels inauthentic. The soundtrack and the moody score from Graeme Revell establish the appropriate tone for this feature that never falters in its fidelity. This presentation avoids any hiss or other age-related wear and tear. Vinegar Syndrome has done nice work here. Optional English SDH subtitles are provided.
Special Features
- Theatrical Cut (1:39:15) and Unrated Cut (1:41:02)
- Seamless, Sensual Cinematography – An Interview with Cinematographer Douglas Milsome: A new 12-minute interview with the Director of Photography in which he discusses his first meeting with Madonna, collaborating with director Uli Edel, creating the look of the film, the challenges of shooting the sex scenes, and more.
- The Production of Provocation – An Interview with Director Uli Edel: A nearly 17-minute new interview with the filmmaker in which he discusses his early career, collaborations with David Bowie, the time constraints that came with working with Madonna, the issues with the script that were not addressed, the talents of the ensemble, and more.
- The Madonna and the Whore – Visual Essay by Jennifer Moorman, PhD on Body of Evidence: A great 20-minute visual essay that explores how this fits into the erotic thriller genre, the themes of the story, and more.
- Love or Murder – An Archival Making-Of Featurette: A six-minute vintage look at the production of the film.
- Still Gallery: A six-minute collection of photos from the production and marketing materials.
- Theatrical Trailer (2:04)
Final Thoughts
Body of Evidence falls on the lower side of studio-released erotic thrillers, but it has a messy, sleazy vibe that keeps you from taking your eyes off of it. Madonna makes some bold choices with her performance that make sense for the subgenre, but ultimately fall short of what she had created earlier in her career. Willem Dafoe seems a bit out of place here, yet our love for him keeps us fixated on his crash-out. Julianne Moore gives the best performance of the bunch, but the movie does not really give her anything to do. The script takes some baffling turns, but if you are bought into the chaos of the subgenre, and you want to see some familiar faces bump uglies, you will leave entertained. Vinegar Syndrome has delivered a 4K UHD Blu-Ray featuring a stellar A/V presentation and a welcome array of special features. Recommended
Body of Evidence is currently available to purchase on 4K UHD + Blu-Ray.
Note: Images presented in this review are not reflective of the image quality of the 4K UHD Blu-Ray.
Disclaimer: Vinegar Syndrome has supplied a copy of this set free of charge for review purposes. All opinions in this review are the honest reactions of the author.
Dillon is most comfortable sitting around in a theatre all day watching both big budget and independent movies.
