Many fans were highly anticipating a new 4K transfer of the cult British horror movie Dog Soldiers, now Second Sight who finally found the original negative which was thought lost, has gone back to do a new restoration from the Original Camera Negative approved by Director Neil Marshall and Director of Photography Sam McCurdy.
On a routine training mission in the Scottish Highlands, a small squad of British soldiers come across the bloody remains of a Special Forces team with a sole survivor. They soon discover the savage attackers are werewolves, and as the full moon rises they face a long night ahead and a fight for their lives.
A basic story which is enhanced by a great cast, especially Sean Pertwee and Kevin McKidd, atmospheric direction and great practical monster make-up effects courtesy of Bob Keen. The film is filled with great lines and some very brutal black humour and this, like American Werewolf In London, treads that line perfectly. The film does not take long to get going and wastes no time in establishing the threat involved and when they become trapped in a farmhouse in the middle of nowhere they have to use all the skills they have to stay alive.
In some ways, it is a horror version of Assault on Precinct 13 but rather than gang members attacking them it’s werewolves. It keeps you guessing and some of the twists are genuinely surprising and you really do wonder if anyone will survive. Full credit to director Neil Marshall for giving us a thrilling ride with such a low budget (remember it was shot on 16mm film) but with such great skill especially when you consider this was his first feature film. He is a director who should have been much bigger after this film and the other great horror The Descent, he sort of fell off the radar, although he did direct a few episodes of Game of Thrones.
This new 4K remastered transfer is fantastic and is far superior to any other release before, it looks incredible. Images are clean but with plenty of film grain and good detail and the contrast is superbly rendered making it look amazing. Audio gives you a stereo track and a great remastered DTS MA 5.1 MIX which both sound great.
The set comes with some great special feature which includes –
- Archive audio commentary by Director Neil Marshall
- Archive audio commentary by Archive audio commentary by Producers David E. Allen and Brian O’Toole
- New audio commentary by writer and Associate Professor of Film Alison Peirse
- Werewolves, Crawlers, Cannibals and More: a new 40-minute interview with Neil Marshall
- A History of Lycanthropy: author Gavin Baddeley on Werewolf Cinema
- Werewolves, Folklore and Cinema: a video essay by author Mikel J. Koven
- Werewolves vs Soldiers: The Making of Dog Soldiers with Neil Marshall, Producers Christopher Figg and Keith Bell, Actors Sean Pertwee, Kevin McKidd, Darren Morfitt, Leslie Simpson and Emma Cleasby, Special Effects Artist Bob Keen and more!
- A Cottage in the Woods: an interview with Production Designer Simon Bowles
- Combat: a short film by Neil Marshall
- Deleted Scenes and Gag Reel with optional commentary by Neil Marshall
- Trailers and Photo Gallery
Limited Edition Contents
- Rigid slipcase with new artwork by Chris Malbon
- 108-page book with new essays by Craig Ian Mann, Alison Peirse, Zoë Rose Smith, Anya Stanley, an exclusive interview with Neil Marshall by Matthew Thrift, plus Behind the Scenes photos
- 6 collectors’ art cards
3 editions are available, Limited edition 4K UHD / Blu Ray box set, 4K standalone edition and standard Blu ray release.
Whatever you decide to go for you will be very happy with the package put together for this great British horror classic.
FILM – 9 PICTURE – 10 AUDIO – 8 EXTRAS – 8.5
