THERE IS NO ESCAPE! In a small town near Denver, two young men begin to explore a long-abandoned old mine recently re-opened by a group of miners. When one of the men is discovered missing, his friends begin a search that leads them to horrifying consequences. They are all unaware of the evil that has been unleashed and soon, one by one, the townspeople are snatched up by a monster that no one has yet to see. Suddenly, the grisly truth is revealed and a young couple is forced to confront the unknown in order to save their lives…and the entire town. After 100 years they have reawakened…Prepare to meet The Boogens. Directed by James L. Conway (The Lincoln Conspiracy, Hangar 18) and starring Rebecca Balding (Silent Scream).

For thoughts on The Boogens, please check out our discussion on The Video Attic:

[youtube https://youtu.be/T7jBM3kHH9s?si=09d3VzrAdtLDHrNM&t=2296]

Video Quality

The Boogens debuts on 4K UHD Blu-Ray courtesy of Kino Classics with a 2160p/Dolby Vision transfer derived from a 4K scan of the 35mm Original Camera Negative which is one of the weakest transfers released by the label on the format to date. Given that this title is licensed from Paramount, we have to wonder if this is one of the titles handled by their in-house team that seems to ruin some of our favorite films. This release does come with a Blu-Ray disc which is derived from the same 4K master. The film was previously released on Blu-Ray in 2012 by Olive Films. While we may not have access to that disc, all indications are that it did not have many of the issues experienced with this remaster despite some areas of improvement when it comes to detail in brighter environments. As much as we love Kino Classics, this is a rare miss for them.

Even with the Dolby Vision engaged, the colors look a bit washed out and artificially boosted to try to mitigate this in key moments. What should be a transfer filled with natural, deep colors throughout misses the mark when it comes to unremarkable hues of the clothing, production design, and lighting choices. The most disappointing aspect of the film is the poor black levels that occasionally achieve inky black but are otherwise a sludgy mess with little in the way of depth and detail. Highlights fare a bit better with more stability while avoiding instances of blooming.

Some natural film grain remains intact while other times exhibiting an unnatural quality that seems to be overly sharpened. Skin tones are not natural, but the transfer gives you some amount of facial detail. The best thing you can say for this transfer is that print damage has been cleaned up immensely with not much at all present to foul up the viewing experience. Something went awry with this restoration, and if it isn’t going to be fixed, we can only hope it does not happen again.

Audio Quality

The 4K UHD Blu-Ray presents the movie with both a DTS-HD 5.1 and 2.0 Master Audio lossless track that does have a clear winner to our ears. The surround sound track offers up a decent expansion of the soundscape, but some moments get a bit overcooked sonically. The DTS-HD 2.0 track does not appear to be the original mono mix, but it does not exhibit these limitations as glaringly. The story provides some texture to the locale as each environment reveals distinct sonic details that flesh things out. The sound is rendered with great accuracy throughout with no careless placement. Dialogue comes through clearly with only subtle signs of age-related deficiencies. The low end does not get too wild even in the 5.1 track, but the extra texture is a nice touch. The score sets the appropriate tone which radiates out with pleasing fidelity. While we wish the DTS-HD 5.1 track had greater stability, the standard audio presentation is a good option. There are optional English SDH subtitles provided.

Special Features

Audio Commentaries: Two commentary tracks with different configurations of creative figures are provided in which they discuss various aspects of the production including the development of and ideas behind different scenes, the shooting conditions, the visual aesthetic of the film, the background of the various cast members, the challenges that were faced, and much more that makes for an enjoyable listen.

- Audio Commentary #1 (New): Actor Jeff Harlan and Film Historian Howard S. Berger

- Audio Commentary #2 (2012): Director James Conway, Writer David O’Malley, and Actress Rebecca Balding, Moderated by Jeff McKay

William Munns – The Man Who Made The Boogens: A 19-minute audio interview with the special effects artist who discusses his history in the business, how he got involved with special effects, his early projects, developing the look of the Boogens, and more.

TV Spots: A minute-long collection of TV Spots is provided.

Trailer: A two-minute trailer is provided for The Boogens. There are also trailers provided for Cujo, The Monster Squad, Without Warning, Parasite, Deepstar Six, and Rawhead Rex.

Final Thoughts

The Boogens takes its time to build up the characters before things start hitting the fan, and this approach does work in its favor. This patient approach will not work for some, but those who want to feel invested in the fates of their characters will lock into this one. The cumulative chaos is a little quaint compared to other films of its ilk, but there are still plenty of memorable moments that will make you squirm. It is far from a classic, but it stands out in the genre in a way we admire. Kino Classics has given this one a 4K UHD Blu-Ray upgrade that misses the mark with the A/V presentation but delivers with the special features. We want to endorse this release, but the problems with the transfer are too egregious to recommend spending your hard-earned money on.

The Boogens is currently available to purchase on 4K UHD Blu-Ray and Blu-Ray.

Note: Images presented in this review are not reflective of the image quality of the 4K UHD 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.