The year is 2003. Chaank Industries, ruthless world leaders in future weapons technology, hires a new Chief Executive, Hayden Cale. Cale soon uncovers a secret and unethical weapons project the company is involved in. Her first order of business is to shut it down. Her troubles just begin as she also tries to fire the company technological mastermind, Jack Dante—a childlike psychotic with a dark genius for exotic weapons design. Dante retaliates by unleashing into the corporate headquarters the Death Machine—the ultimate killing unit. A weapon that tracks its target by sensing fear and has the power to rip through walls with its hard steel strength and razor teeth. Cale must wage a desperate bloody battle with the terrifying force that has no mercy, no pity and no fear in this cutting-edge cyberpunk classic from filmmaker and SFX wizard Stephen Norrington (Blade, The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen). Dante is played with oddball relish by Brad Dourif (Child’s Play, Spontaneous Combustion) in a cast featuring Ely Pouget (The Rift), William Hootkins (Star Wars, Hardware), John Sharian (The Machinist), Richard Brake (3 from Hell) and Rachel Weisz (The Mummy). This 2-disc special edition loaded with extras includes three cuts of the film, The 100-minute U.S. version, the 122-minute foreign version and newly created 106-minute director’s cut in 7.1 surround sound.

For thoughts on Death Machine, please check out my thoughts on No Streaming Required:

Video Quality

Kino Classics presents Death Machine with a surprisingly robust number of options for viewing this one for the first time domestically on Blu-Ray. The film has been released overseas on Blu-Ray before including in 2019 in Germany courtesy of Turbine. We do not have that release, but it is likely it is the same transfer as the “Foreign Version” that comes on its own disc here and is noted as coming from a 2019 restoration. The other disc contains two additional cuts of the film for a grand total of three ways to watch the film. The first is the U.S. version that has been given a 2K scan of the 35mm Interpositive. The other is a newly created Director’s Cut courtesy of Stephen Norrington that appears to be made from the 2019 restoration. All sources are in the original 2.35:1 and look tailor-made for the format. The amount of care put into the release is thrilling for fans.

The new transfer retains the natural film grain free of any major compression artifacts or other notable digital anomalies. The grain resolves favorably without swarming or clumping. The film looks impeccable with no egregious instances of damage or dirt detected here. The 2019 restoration seems to be in great shape, but the new 2K scan for the U.S. Cut finesses things a bit. The film features a lot of metallic and nondescript elements, but there are some rich colors within the lighting and other elements that saturate the screen. Skin tones look natural and the presentation offers up deep black levels that stay strong even in shadow. The uptick in fine detail is a joy and reveals subtle nuances within the backgrounds. Kino Classics made this one of their standout releases of the month.

Audio Quality

The Blu-Ray comes with an array of different audio choices to go along with the different cuts of the film. Every version of the film has a DTS-HD 2.0 Master Audio stereo track that maintains its original intent. The Foreign Version also gets a DTS-HD 5.1 Master Audio track that opens things up a bit more, while the new Director’s Cut gets a DTS-HD 7.1 Master Audio track that is the most dynamic of all. We are glad the stereo tracks are present, but those who want the most immersive experience will be pleased by the upgraded audio in the two longer versions of the film. None of these tracks seem to fail the film in any obvious way.

Dialogue and background noises are in harmony to ensure every element has its place in the mix. This is a sci-fi thriller, and the violent onslaught brings great sonic complexity to the speakers. All of the sound effects and music appear to be accurate to the creative team’s intent. This disc maintains a complete sense of fidelity that complements this pulse-pounding narrative. This track shows no egregious age-related wear and tear such as drop-outs, hissing, or popping. The score comes through with a significant prominence. Even with the strength of this element, nothing ever drowns out the dialogue or other important information. There is not much room to improve upon this one. Optional English (SDH) subtitles are included. Special Features

Disc One

U.S. Version and New Director’s Cut (1:45:47)

Audio Commentaries: There are a slew of commentary tracks that approach the film from an array of different angles. The U.S. Version gets an objective assessment from some genre enthusiasts while the Director’s Cut gets various takes from Stephen Norrington that range from a career assessment to a focused excavation of the film. You could scarcely ask for more from this package.

- Audio Commentary (U.S. Version): Horror-Fix.com’s James G. Chandler and Ash Hamilton

- Audio Commentary #1 (Director’s Cut Version): Writer/Director Stephen Norrington and Film Historian Michael Felsher

- Audio Commentary #2 (Director’s Cut Version): Writer/Director Stephen Norrington and Creature Creator & Make-up Artist Alec Gillis

- Audio Commentary #3 (Director’s Cut Version): Writer/Director Stephen Norrington (Technical)

Isolated Original Score (Director’s Cut Version): An option to watch the film with only the score audible.

Trailers: This disc provides the minute-and-a-half-long U.S. trailer for Death Machine. There are also trailers provided for Neon City, Leviathan, Underworld, and Programmed to Kill (Retaliator).

Disc Two

Foreign Cut (2:02:16)

Conducting Chaos – Composer Crispin Merrell on the Sound of Death Machine: A 26-minute conversation with the composer in which he discusses his relationship with Stephen Norrington, the influences on the sound, creating otherworldly soundscapes, the notes he received from the filmmaker, and more.

Cutting Edge Action – Editor Paul Endacott Talks About Death Machine: A 19-minute interview with the editor in which he discusses working with Stephen Norrington, his refusal to let him editor until the shooting was complete, the charisma of Brad Dourif, honing in on the tone, and more.

Cyberpunk on a Budget – Costume Designer Stephanie Collie on the Costumes of Death Machine: An 18-minute interview with the costume designer in which she discusses landing the job on Death Machine, creating the look of the film, the inspiration for certain designs, and more.

Looking Death In The Eye – Producer Ray Burdis Talks About Death Machine: A nearly 17-minute interview with the producer in which he discusses the decision to make this film, working with Stephen Norrington, his love of sci-fi films, challenges during the production, and more.

Mechanical Mayhem – Co-Producer Stuart St Paul Remembers Death Machine: A 21-minute interview with the co-producer in which he discusses meeting Stephen Norrington on Aliens, how the movie got financed so quickly, the legacy of the film, and more.

Vintage BTS Promo from Japanese LaserDisc: A seven-minute piece showing sketches and promo videos.

Artwork & Design Still Gallery (4:01)

Behind-the-Scenes Still Gallery (9:13)

Trailers: This disc provides the German Trailer (3:00) and the Japanese Trailer (3:10).

Final Thoughts

Death Machine is a pastiche of various sci-fi concepts executed with a light touch. The film is far from a masterpiece, but there is a lot of fun to be had with its onslaught of thrills from the killer technology. The cast is mostly just passable, but Brad Dourif brings a level of mania to the proceedings that is not to be missed. One of the things that impresses us the most is the insane production design that executes the vision of Stephen Norrington on a rather small budget. It is entertaining within its ambitions. Kino Classics has provided a stacked new Blu-Ray featuring three versions of the film, a fantastic A/V presentation, and a wonderful selection of special features. If you are a fan of the film, this release is a dream come true. Recommended

Death Machine will be available to purchase on Blu-Ray.

Note: Images presented in this review are not reflective of the image quality of the Blu-Ray.

Disclaimer: Kino Classics has supplied a copy of this disc free of charge for review purposes. All opinions in this review are the honest reactions of the author.