Olive Films Blu-ray: Creature (1998)

Peter Benchley’s Creature (1998)

Blu-ray Company: Olive Films

Starring: Craig T. Nelson, Kim Cattrall, Colm Feore, Cress Williams, Michael Reilly Burke, Michael Michele, Matthew Carey, Megalyn Echikunwoke, Blue Mankuma, John Aylward, Giancarlo Esposito.

Plot: Product Description: When a top-secret government project – a creature that’s a hybrid of a human being and shark – breaks free of its environment and eventually finds its way into the sea, no one is safe. Wreaking havoc and terror on a small coastal community, it falls to marine biologist Dr. Chase and Dr. Macy to pursue, capture or kill the creature.

My Review and Thoughts:

I was jumping for joy when I heard Olive Films was bringing this to Blu-ray. I am a huge Peter Benchley fan and equally a fan of TV movies, specifically when they are based on awesome books. I remember watching this on TV when it ran the first time. I had read the book and was so excited that it was going to be a TV film. There are two TV films of Peter Benchley’s that I love, one being this one, Creature, and the other being the great, underappreciated, The Beast. Both are fantastic to the fantasy, sci-fi, horror lover of the deep, dark recesses of the fathom’s and unexplored regions of the ocean. This is a perfect transfer, and new outlet to this TV film. A golden ticket in my viewpoint. This is pure creature feature horror at its wildest, and old-school, late night, Drive-in wonderment.

This has all the mentality of the classic creature feature films of the 50’s and 60’s. Directed by a wonderful director Stuart Gillard. Mainly a TV director, but he has also done feature films for the theater run, such as the often underappreciated entry of the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles film series, 1993’s Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles 3. He has done other feature films, but his main claim to fame is, TV movies and TV series. I think he gave Creature a great old-school feel, mixed with the page turning reality of a classic creature feature, horror book.

This stars the wonderful Craig T. Nelson as Dr. Simon Chase. I have always been a huge fan of Nelson. Growing up watching him in the Poltergeist films and the TV series Coach has left an affection for his craft within me. I have often thought he was an overlooked and underappreciated performer. I think he is an excellent actor that should be praised and honored for his wonderful talent in cinema. I loved him in Creature. He gave his all and everything to the part.

Another spectacular example of creating a worthy Blu-ray to own. Olive Films knows how to award the movie lover with great products.

Also starring the amazing, beautiful and stunning Kim Cattrall in the part of Dr. Amanda Mayson. Cattrall is also another performer I feel is often not given the praise she deserves. The craft of both Nelson and Cattrall come off wonderful together. They make you believe there parts and the emotional reality taking place in the film.

Also starring the equally amazing Colm Feore, he starred in one of my favorite Stephen King TV films, Storm of the Century. He is always never without excellence in any part he does, no matter if the film is horrible, his part is always high class. Also starring Giancarlo Esposito. I am probably his biggest fan. I seek out all acting performances by him. I think he is an extraordinary, sophisticated actor that leaves the viewer awe struck. I have to mention the young actor Matthew Carey in the part of Maxwell Bishop. Carey is also a great performer and is able to own and create his character in a believable way.

Now Peter Benchley needs no introduction. He was one of the great’s writers of thrillers’, horrors, terror and the fantasy sci-fi realm of creatures, and monsters of the sea. From his masterpiece, the one and only, JAWS, to his unique vision of a giant Squid in the homage and favorite of mine, Beast, which came out in 1991. I was so sad when Peter passed away, but the defining reality is, he left us with a vast array of excellent books and movies, based on his books. I think what needs to be said about Benchley is he was a man that wrote and advocated the protection of marine life, and most of all sharks. In his later career he wrote and spoke about how media and the sensationalism of creating stories in the news of shark attacks, can lead to devastating affects, when the public get bad impressions of marine life.

Now Creature is based on Benchley’s book titled, White Shark which was published in 1994. In 1997 it was re-titled to Creature, and the White Shark title was dropped. Creature has everything that the old style of creature feature films are famous for. Outlandish creatures, Outlandish plot, mixed with the over the top imagination. This is everything that a 50’s or 60’s sci-fi film created. In this you have a, half-man, half-shark creature, that is able to haunt the water and haunt the land. A creature so fanciful that it’s utterly, silly perfection. I never understood why this film got so much hate or negative reviews, it’s simple, silly wonderful popcorn creature feature entertainment, but with great acting. I loved this trip back into the days when cinema was all about entertainment and giving you the imaginative exploration of things so far out there, yet so Drive-In worthy, that you follow along cult style with its uniqueness and charm.

Now this film looks amazing on Blu-ray. I am reviewing the Blu-ray, but you can also buy it on DVD. Olive Films did a fantastic job in picking this creature feature and giving it a lovely home on Blu-ray.

Audio/Video:

Aspect Ratio: 1.78:1 Color
Audio 5.1

Overall:

Old-school beauty. 90’s TV feature film at its finest. It created a fanciful imaginative exploration of the sci-fi fantasy realm, that transcended the aspect of 50’s and 60’s horror. 

This is a Blu-ray that in my viewpoint is a golden ticket. I highly recommend this creature feature film. Olive Films aced this product with sound quality and video. A beautiful transfer. Highly recommended. 

INFO:

It will be released on May 19th 2015.

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