Retro-active: The Best from the Cinema Retro Archive

By Todd Garbarini 

Swamp Thing (1982) is a peculiar entry in the Wes Craven canon.  For a director who cut his teeth in porn (most directors began their careers as editors in this field in the early 1970s) and directed such fare as The Last House on the Left (1972) and The Hills Have Eyes (1977), Swamp Thing is a much gentler film.  One of the few PG-rated entries to his credit, it was made just a few years prior to his very own A Nightmare on Elm Street (1984), the movie that turned the horror film industry on its ear with the introduction of Fred Krueger and which spawned one of the most successful franchises in the genre. 

Released on Friday, February 19, 1982 by the late Joseph E. Levine’s long-defunct Embassy Pictures, Swamp Thing is a film version of the DC Comic that was created by Len Wein and Bernie Wrightson. Set in the swamps of Louisiana (though filmed in South Carolina), brother and sister scientists Alec and Linda Holland (Ray Wise and Nannette Brown) are hard at work on an experiment that is designed to create a plant and animal hybrid that can withstand the extreme temperatures of various environments. Alice Cable (Adrienne Barbeau) works for the government and makes a trip to the lab to see how things are coming along. Just as it appears that the government has spent its money well, the henchmen of one sinister Dr. Anton Arcane (Louis Jourdan), headed by the late cinema baddy David Hess, attempt to steal the written magic formula and the serum from the clutches of its rightful owner. Linda is killed, and Alec gets doused with the new concoction, ends up on fire (yes, that is stunt man Anthony Cecere running outside engulfed in flames, a feat he would repeat in A Nightmare on Elm Street) and jumps into the swamp, reemerging as the titular creature who is henceforth played by Dick Durock. Dr. Arcane believes that this serum will make him immortal and he will therefore stop at nothing to make sure that he gets his hands on the complete formula. Alice begins to fall for Alec/Swamp Thing as she is eluding Dr. Arcane's machine gun-toting minions. Mr. Hess, who appeared in the aforementioned Last House, plays the usual crazy, bullying nut job that he did so well in Hitch Hike (1977) and House on the Edge of the Park (1980), and the supporting cast that surrounds him are a terrific group of menaces. Reggie Batts nearly steals the film in his turn as Judd, a young store proprietor who does everything he can to help Alice avoid capture. There are various animated wipes, dissolves, and visual transitions/segues that take you from one piece of action to the next in an effort to emulate the look of a comic book. For the most part, the film succeeds.

Swamp Thing was originally available on home video on capacitance electronic disc (CED), laserdisc (LD), and the ubiquitous VHS cassette. Although it made its DVD debut in 2000, the discs were pulled from the shelves when it was discovered that the DVD was sourced from the international print which ran 93 minutes in length and contained an additional two minutes of nudity that was not seen in the original 91-minute PG-rated 1982 domestic theatrical exhibition. Bowing to some consumer complaints, MGM reissued the movie on DVD in 2005 in its original version, minus the nudity. It is this version that appears on both the new DVD and Blu-ray. It would have been nice if the missing footage had been included as an extra (if it is here as an Easter egg, kudos to those of you who can find it!).

The transfer of the film is excellent; there are a few spots and very small scratches here and there but nothing to distract from your pleasure of watching the image. Scream Factory, an imprint of Shout! Factory, is to be commended for continually putting out our favorite genre films in these new versions with top-notch extras. Best of all, this is a DVD/Blu-ray combo. I don't know what the criteria is (or who the decision maker is) when it comes to deciding to release a title in separate formats or as a combo, but I sincerely wish that all of Scream Factory's titles were sold as combos forthwith. That being said, both formats boast excellent transfers, with Blu-ray obviously being the sharper and clearer of the two.

There are some really nice extras on the discs (which are presented equally on both formats). The movie contains two separate full-length commentaries. The first is with writer/director Wes Craven and it is moderated by Sean Clark of Horrors Hallowed Grounds. Mr. Clark is a walking/talking encyclopedia and asks Mr. Craven lots of interesting and intelligent questions about the production and the people involved.

The second commentary is with makeup effects artist William Munns, moderated by Michael Felsher of Red Shirt Pictures. This track is an absolute joy to listen to as Mr. Munns remembers a great deal about the making of the film. Growing up in Studio City, CA, he speaks quite eloquently about his experience in the film business prior to Swamp Thing, in addition to the issues that began to flourish when the film was green-lighted. He recalls having to wait a long time as the financing was secured, and even went to work on a film initially called Witch (later released as Superstition) in the interim. Since the sex of the Swamp Thing was an issue, he had to work around the anatomically correct creature and his recollections are humorous in how this was handled (he says that the film needed a PG-13 rating, however Swamp Thing was shot in the summer of 1981 and this rating was not used until 1984 with the release of John Milius’ Red Dawn). He talks about fitting the suit, discusses how the makeup crew became the scapegoat when filming came to a crawl due to the other departments that were behind, the dangers of wearing the Swamp Thing suit, the stunts that needed to be done, and how he took over as Swamp Thing when Mr. Durock could no longer perform.

The bonus features consist of:

Tales from the Swamp is an interview with Adrienne Barbeau. The segment runs 16:56 and Ms. Barbeau is a delight to listen to. Jovial and funny, she recalls the time that she spent on the film and talks about the bacteria and parasites in the water, the long hours on the set while they were in South Carolina, and the challenging elements around them. The original script that was given to her by Wes Craven was far more audacious than what ended up on screen. Unfortunately, just as the film went before the cameras, the production company began to chip away the film's budget, necessitating constant rewriting during the course of shooting and many concessions needed to be made. Ms. Barbeau is rather candid and pulls no punches in explaining her disappointment with the final product at the time, however she has developed an appreciation of the film in the years since its release.

Hey, Jude is the name of the second segment, and this is a fun and entertaining interview with actor Reggie Batts who plays Jude (hence the name!). It runs 14:30. Mr. Batts explains how he got the role in the film and was a fan of DC comics. Following the release of Swamp Thing, he also appeared in the North and South (1985) miniseries on television.

The last segment is titled That Swamp Thing, and it’s a look back with creator Len Wein who explains how he came up with the name for the creature and how he got his start as an animator. The segment runs 13:19.

The original theatrical trailer is also included, and this is in excellent condition, not the usual scratch-ridden mess that we’re used to seeing.

The photo galleries consist of posters and lobby cards; photos from the film; William Munn’s behind-the-scenes photos; and behind-the-scenes photos by Geoffrey Rayle.

As an added bonus, the DVD/Blu-ray sleeve is reversible and has the French poster artwork under the title of La Creature Du Marais, which translates to “The Creature of the Swamp”.

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