New to 4K and Blu-ray in the UK this week is the twin-release of horror classic Alligator and its sequel, Alligator II: The Mutation. Released through 101 Films, the four-disc boxset contains both movies housed in limited edition packaging, and nestled alongside a wealth of bonus features, as well as some supplementary content.
For those not familiar with the films, Alligator was released in 1980 from director Lewis Teague, and stars Robert Forster and Robin Riker. The film follows the story of a police officer and a reptile expert who have to stop an enormous rampaging alligator from attacking the locals.
In the movie, a pet alligator is flushed down a toilet and into the sewers, where it grows in size after eating discarded animal carcasses which have been used in illegal experimentation. Fourteen years later, the ravenous reptile surfaces and starts looking for a new food supply.
Meanwhile, in 1991’s Alligator II: The Mutation, from director Jon Hess, another baby alligator feeds on experimental animals and grows in size. The creature then goes on a feeding frenzy, resulting in a search-and-destroy mission.
Of the two movies in the boxset, Alligator is the gem here because a.) it’s an oft-overlooked B-movie with great special effects, and b.) it’s simply the better of the two films. Alligator II: The Mutation is fine, but it’s standard sequel stuff and not as impressive as its predecessor.
Alligator on the other hand works as well as it does because it is a fun monster movie which pushes beyond its limited budget. It offers some genuinely enjoyable moments of horror, as well as some impressive creature effects, and it’s very entertaining.
The over-sized alligator at the centre of the film is a mix of life-sized models, and close ups of real-life gators. The combination of the two creates some creepy sequences, as well as some good action scenes, and these still stand up today.
Nowadays, the creature would be slung together with some shoddy CGI which would look dreadful in a few years time. But back in 1980 the effects team had to come up with something that was practical, and as realistic as possible, and they nailed it!
As noted above, Alligator is the big draw in this boxset and this is why the film takes up three of the four discs in the set. The first disc is a 4K edition of the film, while disc two is a Blu-ray copy of the film, and disc three is another Blu-ray reserved for the special features.
The special features on the Alligator Blu-ray include:
- Alternate TV cut
- 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
The fourth disc in the set is a Blu-ray copy of Alligator II: The Mutation and all the associated special features. These features include:
- From the Echo Lake Lagoon – An interview with director John Hess
- Dead in the Water – An interview with special effects co-ordinator 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
In addition to all of the above, the two films are housed in individual cases, which both come with reversible sleeves. The cases are then slipped inside a limited edition, double-sided cardboard outer box.
The outer box also houses a fold-out poster, featuring newly commissioned artwork, as well as a limited edition booklet. The booklet contains two essays: A Genre with Bite: The Alligator Films and the Natural Horror Film by Liam Hathaway, and When the Past Comes Back to Bite You: Making the Alligator Movies by Scott Harrison.
The Alligator boxset retails for £39.99, and is currently available from the 101 Films Store, via Amazon, or through retail stores HMV and Fopp. However, do be warned this is a limited edition release, so if you want a copy, don’t sit on it for too long.
This is a slick-looking release, with gorgeous packaging, which has been given the bells-and-whistles treatment. As with previous releases from 101 Films, the Alligator boxset is definitely worth picking up if you’re a horror fan, or if you simply love a good creature feature.
—
—
Thank you for taking the time to read this review on It’s A Stampede!. For more reviews, check out the recommended reads below.
It's A Stampede! 
Leave a comment