Flowers in the Attic is a movie prior I had heard of but never had much desire to see, and while the film had its problems, but the performances by the cast, particularly Louise Fletcher, were impressive.
Flowers in the Attic
(1987)
Genre(s): Drama, Mystery
Arrow Video | PG13 – 93 min. – $39.95 | November 12, 2019
Date Published: 11/14/2019 | Author: The Movieman
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Arrow Video provided me with a free copy of the Blu-ray I reviewed in this Blog Post.
The opinions I share are my own.
PLOT SYNOPSIS |
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When her husband dies in a tragic accident, widow Corrine Dollanganger (VICTORIA TENNANT) takes her four children to the ancestral family home she fled before they were born. Locked away in the attic by their tyrannical grandmother (LOUISE FLETCHER), it falls to older brother Chris (JEB STUART ADAMS) and sister Cathy (KRISTY SWANSON) to care for their younger siblings. But with their mother growing increasingly distant and erratic and a mysterious sickness taking hold, will any of the Dollanganger children survive to escape the clutches of the house’s cruel matriarch? |
SPECIAL FEATURES – 4.0/5 |
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This release comes with a 28-page essay booklet and the single disc housed in a clear HD keep case. Audio Commentary — Author Kat Ellinger (Editor-in-chief of “Diabolique Magazine”). I like these kind of tracks as Ellinger gives a historical view of the project from the source material, changes made by the director and the studio’s demanded ending with a new director. Interviews:
Production Gallery (4:51) containing behind-the-scenes images, illustrations and storyboards. Also included, and probably the most interesting of the features, is the Original, Studio-Vetoed Ending (7:53) and the Revised Ending (11:03) with commentary by replacement director Tony Kayden. On the former, it was taken from the only source available, an archival Betamax tape meant only for test audiences. Original Theatrical Trailer (1:37) |
VIDEO – 4.5/5 |
| Arrow Video releases Flowers in the Attic onto Blu-ray. Not much information in the booklet on the 1080p high-definition transfer, only that it was obtained from Lakeshore Entetainment, and that it was restored in some way. Although there is some noticeable dust marks and scratches every so often, it’s not overly distracting and the original film grain and noise, which was rather heavy, had been retained. Colors are vibrant throughout and this is likely the best this movie has ever looked. |
AUDIO – 4.0/5 |
| The disc comes with a PCM Stereo track which is perfectly serviceable, especially for a movie which is mostly filled with dialogue and some modest depth for the ambient noises and Christopher Young’s score. |
OVERALL – 3.0/5 |
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Flowers in the Attic is a movie prior I had heard of but never had much desire to see (and needless to say, never read the novel), and while the film had its problems, thanks in part to changes made by the studio, but the performances by the cast, particularly Louise Fletcher, were impressive. This special edition Blu-ray release from Arrow Video has great video and audio transfers to go along with a fine selection of bonus material. |