Based on the riveting best seller, Stephen King’s Thinner stars Robert John Burke (RoboCop 3) and Joe Mantegna (House Of Games) in a story of supernatural terror as one man faces a countdown to the ultimate excruciating payback. A 109-year-old Romani man (Michael Constantine, My Big Fat Greek Wedding), hell-bent on revenge for the death of his daughter, exacts a shocking curse that compels its victim to gorge himself in an effort to avoid shrinking away to nothingness. With time running out from this bizarre and relentless torture, the accursed man must find a way to reverse his predicament, though death is quickly becoming his only option.
For thoughts on Thinner, please check out our discussion on The Video Attic:
Video Quality
Thinner comes to Blu-Ray via Scream Factory with a 1080p transfer that is not listed as being from a new scan on the label’s website, but they did say it was a new scan on social media. This film was first released on Blu-Ray in 2012 courtesy of Olive Films. Unfortunately, we don’t have that disc, making comparisons impossible at this time. From what we have read, that release was nice enough for the time. Whatever the case may be, this new transfer is really pleasing with a naturally filmic presentation. Nicks and scratches are virtually nonexistent, but some small things remain without ruining the viewing experience. The transfer does not showcase anything in the realm of density fluctuation.
The most eye-catching visual elements are the details of the special effects makeup, production design, and clothing. The transfer spotlights some favorable detail throughout. Colors are vibrant during the brighter daytime portions of the film, and the hues retain a significant amount of nuance in the shadows. Black levels never really struggle during the nighttime scenes, as they provide a strong amount of depth. It feels like a missed opportunity not to give this one a 4K UHD Blu-Ray release given the popularity of Stephen King. Despite this, this new Blu-Ray release is very good overall and should be enjoyed by fans.
Audio Quality
The Blu-Ray disc comes with both a DTS-HD 5.1 and 2.0 Master Audio track that represents the feature exactly as intended. Dialogue comes through clearly even when the track gets a bit more active, primarily in dream sequences but also in some third-act madness. Environmental noises such as the chatter in the courtroom or the noises throughout the gypsy compound are represented well. The music comes through without any signs of damage or distortion. The low end does not contribute too much heft, but it provides some texture within the source roots. The audio experience comes through with welcome fidelity. Scream Factory has provided a robust audio experience that handles this one well. English SDH subtitles are provided for those who want them.
Special Features
- Audio Commentaries: This new release provides an archival commentary track and two new commentary tracks that offer a fun reflection on the production including memories of the casting process, getting makeup effects applied, the technical nature of shooting certain scenes, and much more from the creatives along with insightful analysis from film historians.
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- Audio Commentary #1 (Archival): Tom Holland And Joe Mantegna
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- Audio Commentary #2 (New): Producer Mitchell Galin And Actor Joe Mantegna moderated by Film Critic/Historian Lee Gambin
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- Audio Commentary #3 (New): Film Critic/Historian Lee Gambin And Novelist Aaron Dries
- Weight of the World – Interview with Director Tom Holland: A nearly 17-minute new interview with the director who discusses his first exposure to the novel, the themes of the story, his thoughts on and relationship with Stephen King, the makeup effects, cutting special effects moments for budgetary reasons, his medical ailments during production, and more.
- Thick and Thin – Interview with Actor Lucinda Jenney: A 13-minute new interview with the actress who plays the wife Heidi who discusses the ambiguous nature of her character, the casting process, her appreciation of Stephen King, the direction of Tom Holland, memories of her fellow cast members, filming the infamous accident sequence, and much more that is a great watch.
- The Incredible Shrinking Man – Interview with Special Effects Artist Vincent Guastini: A 15-minute new interview with Guastini in which he discusses how he first got involved with Tom Holland and Stephen King, getting recruited to Thinner, the work of his colleagues, the most challenging effects, continuity errors, and more.
- Vintage Featurette – The Magic Of Special Effects Make-Up: An archival 20-minute featurette in which all of the key creative figures dive into the special effects work of the movie.
- Theatrical Trailer: The nearly two-minute trailer is provided here.
- TV Spots: A minute-long collection of TV Spots is provided here.
- Still Gallery: A four-minute assortment of photos of the special effects process, marketing material, and more is provided here.
Final Thoughts
Thinner is one of the more misguided Stephen King adaptations that we have seen, and this is not simply due to the dated elements. The dark comedy that is woven into the fabric of this story does not play well on screen and causes the stakes of the story to become less compelling. The more interesting facets of the narrative, the other people who have curses put on them, are not explored to their full potential, and the characters we do focus on have no redeeming qualities. This is just a cold-hearted exploration of guilt and payback that only works when it comes to the special effects. Scream Factory has provided the film with a Blu-Ray release that delivers a really good A/V presentation and a stellar amount of special features. If you are a fan of the movie, this release is the one to get.
Thinner (Collector’s Edition) will be available to purchase on Blu-Ray on January 23, 2024.
Note: Images presented in this review are not reflective of the image quality of the Blu-Ray.
Disclaimer: Scream Factory 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.