DOOMED! explores the circumstances surrounding the legendary cult classic Roger Corman film, THE FANTASTIC FOUR. In 1994, Mr. Corman was asked to produce this classic story on a small budget. The film was ultimately shelved prior to distribution, but a VHS copy was mysteriously leaked and the movie became a “must have” by all.
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Video Quality
Doomed! The Untold Story Of Roger Corman’s The Fantastic Four comes to MOD Blu-Ray in its original aspect ratio from a good high definition master. The 2015 film is made up of newer interviews with excerpts from various archival sources interspersed for additional context, but don’t expect to see full clips from the unreleased film. The interview footage looks as bright and clear as you would expect modern cameras to achieve in a controlled location. The footage of the older material is inconsistent, yet it seems to be in the best condition you could ask for from this particular footage.
The colors on display are fetching as they provide a nice visual pop off the screen. Interview segments deliver natural skin tones and detailed facial features in front of dark backgrounds. Black levels are strong and do not showcase any egregious crush. The transfer appears to have a fair amount of room to breathe as there are no issues with major compression artifacts, banding or other digital nuisances. Uncork’d Entertainment has delivered a welcome presentation for audiences.
Audio Quality
This Blu-Ray comes with a lossy Dolby Digital 2.0 track that presents the material well enough without getting a full lossless experience. Dialogue is the star here, and it is never overshadowed by competing elements. The archival material sometimes shows its deficiencies, but for the most part the track never lacks when it comes to clarity. The contained presentation rarely looks to break boundaries, but the music fills the room nicely. The audio track is somewhat muted but only by degrees. There are no subtitles provided on this disc.
Special Features
- Cast/Crew Panel: A 21-minute post-screening panel hosted at the Aero Theatre in Santa Monica, CA on August 13, 2015, in which the cast and creative team behind the original The Fantastic Four film gather to discuss their appreciation to the fans for supporting them after all of these years, the gratitude that the story is out now through this documentary, their relationship with the material since production and more that is worth a watch.
- Unused Roger Corman Footage: There are seven minutes of interview material with Roger Corman provided here which expands on his thoughts on the creation of the film.
- Goofing Off: Nearly two minutes of some of the subjects goofing off during their interviews.
- Spotlight On Director: An eight-minute interview with director Marty Langford who discusses his decision to tell this story, the challenges of telling the story of a movie that has not been legally cleared to be released, gathering the interview subjects, and more.
- Joseph Culp On Set: A six-minute piece with Dr. Doom himself putting on the costume again and sharing more of his experiences in the role.
- Complete Sean Howe Interview: A 21-minute uninterrupted interview with the entertainment journalist who has some great insights into this production.
- Revisiting Film Locations: A two-minute visit to the exterior of Roger Corman’s production offices in Brentwood, CA with some brief verbal insights.
- Trailer: The two-minute trailer is provided here.
Final Thoughts
Doomed! The Untold Story Of Roger Corman’s The Fantastic Four is a straightforward but pretty nifty documentary that does a nice job of both exploring its subject and explaining to audiences unfamiliar with it why they should care. The interviews are lively and engaging, yet there is no looking past the fact that most hardcore fans will already know what is explored here. The filmmaking fails to elevate the material, but those who just want the story told in a level-headed manner by those who lived it should feel this is a worthwhile endeavor. Uncork’d Entertainment has released a new MOD Blu-Ray that features a good A/V presentation and some pretty solid special features. If you want a broad overview of this subject, you will not go wrong here. Recommended
Doomed! The Untold Story Of Roger Corman’s The Fantastic Four can be purchased on Blu-Ray directly through MovieZyng or various other online retailers.
Note: Images presented in this review are not reflective of the image quality of the Blu-Ray.
Disclaimer: Uncork’d Entertainment 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.
Dillon is most comfortable sitting around in a theatre all day watching both big budget and independent movies.