Review: Alligator & Alligator II: The Mutation Limited Edition 4K UHD & Blu-ray
101 Films Black Label series of releases continue to hit it out of the park with the release of Alligator (1980) & Alligator II: The Mutation (1991) on Limited Edition 4K UHD & Blu-ray.
A favourite of mine back on VHS, Alligator looks like it could have been made yesterday thanks to this superb 4K UHD release. Crisp, detailed and with a vibrant colour palette that isn’t over saturated yet still pops, the many night time and underground dimly lit scenes now reveal more details than ever before, yet still retain a subtle film grain.
Full of great characters, plenty of humour and some bloody practical effects, Alligator is a fun movie to watch, encapsulated by the iconic wedding scene, which if you’ve never seen before you’re in for an absolute treat.
The narrative is a simple one; a pet baby alligator is flushed down a toilet and survives in the city sewers. Twelve years later, it grows to an enormous size thanks to a diet of discarded laboratory dogs injected with growth hormones. Upon escaping the sewers it discovers a taste for human flesh.
It’s then up to cop David Madison (Robert Forster) to try and convince the bumbling Mayor (Jack Carter) that it really is a rogue alligator that’s responsible for the spree of killings. Cue alligator Col. Brock (Henry Silva) to appear on the scene…including an unforgettable moment when he looks deep into a woman’s eyes and makes alligator love noises at her.
While the sequel has nothing really to do with the original, apart from another killer alligator on the loose, it ups the silly comedy, yet lowers the quality of the practical effects.
The ‘wedding massacre’ of the first movie is replaced by a fairground massacre, but not quite having the bite of the original…pun fully intended. With a few other mirroring of scenes, none of which hit the spot as well as they could.
It’s great to have both movies in one package, especially with the original being in 4K, and the special features add even more enjoyment to both too.
Another great Black Label release by 101 Films.
ALLIGATOR SPECIAL FEATURES
- Theatrical cut (4K & Blu-ray)
- Alternate TV cut (Blu-ray)
- Everybody In The Pool – An interview with actress Robin Riker
- Wild In The Streets – An interview with Director Lewis Teague
- It Walks Among Us – An interview with screenwriter John Sayles
- Luck Of The Gator – An interview with special makeup effects artist Robert Short
- Gator Guts, The Great River, and Bob – An Interview With Bryan Cranston
- Additional Scenes From The TV Version
- Teaser Trailer
- Theatrical Trailer
- TV Spots
ALLIGATOR 2 SPECIAL FEATURES
- From The Echo Lake Lagoon – An Interview With Director Jon Hess
- Dead In The Water – An Interview With Special Effects Coordinator John Eggett
- Cutting With Teeth – An Interview With Editor Marshall Harvey
- Becoming The Hunted – An Interview With Actor Kane Hodder
- Blood Brothers – An Interview With Second Unit Director Eugene Hess
- Theatrical Trailer
Review by Dave from discs kindly supplied by 101 Films.
