The Hidden - Laserdisc Preservation - Blu Ray Artwork

SPECIAL FEATURES

Something hideous is changing law-abiding citizens into monstrous, hyperviolent psychopaths. Now, only Kyle MacLachlan (Dune, Twin Peaks) and Michael Nouri (Flashdance) can halt the terrifying rampage of The Hidden! A series of bizarre, inexplicable robberies and murders have L.A. police detective Tom Beck (Nouri) totally baffled. And it doesn’t help when mysterious FBI agent Lloyd Gallagher (MacLachlan) tells him that a demonic extraterrestrial creature is invading the bodies of innocent victims – and transforming them into inhuman killers with an unearthly fondness for heavy-metal music, red Ferraris and unspeakable violence! This chilling, high-velocity sci-fi horrorshow that captures a long-gone and way-gone Los Angeles has emerged from the shadows to epitomize ‘80s cult cinema - and now it’s looking show room fresh!

C O L L E C T O R ’ S

THE

300003654

THE

n n n n

Audio Commentary by Director Jack Sholder and Tim Hunter Isolated Music and Effects Track Never-Before-Seen Special Effects Production Footage The Director’s Shooting Script and the Original Screenplay, including the original ending and scenes cut or changed from the film n Behind the Scenes Photos, Production Material, Original Sketches and Original Storyboards n Filmographies of Principal Cast and Crew n Theatrical Trailer and Television Spots

ANYTHING ICKS, IT KILLS E. K IS H T E G ING PLAC MERICA. TO THE RUN IN A S THE BODY AS A NEW HID N O IS N E LI A AN USE ITS WAY, AND THAT GETS IN

AL

A NEW BREED OF CRIMIN

TERMS: THIS COPYRIGHTED PRODUCT IS AUTHORISED FOR SALE OR RENTAL FOR PRIVATE HOME USE ONLY IN THE USA ONLY DIGITAL MOVIE OFFERS TERMS: Consumer must reside in the U.S. and register for a digital service provider account (go to wb.com/RedeemDigitalMovie for a list of digital providers [e.g., Movies Anywhere, Ultraviolet]).

May only include main feature. NOT COMPATIBLE WITH ALL DEVICES. SOME DISPLAY RESOLUTIONS MAY NOT BE AVAILABLE FOR STREAMING OR DOWNLOAD ON ALL DEVICES FROM ALL DIGITAL SERVICES. Consult your digital service provider for compatible devices, available display resolutions, streaming and download capability and Terms of Service. Ultimate display resolution on playback is dependent upon connection and device characteristics, including screen resolution. High-speed internet connection required. Go to wb.com/RedeemMovie for additional details, requirements and technical support. Neither Warner Bros. Entertainment Inc, nor any affiliate is responsible for maintaining any digital service. THIS DIGITAL MOVIE OFFER MAY NOT BE RESOLD OR OTHERWISE TRANSFERRED. BLU-RAY DISCTM SPECIFICATIONS

MAIN FEATURE* SPECIAL FEATURES*

1080P High Definition, 16x9, 1.78:1

English DTS-HD 2.0

SDH: English, French, German, Spanish

May not be in High definition. Audio & subtitles may vary.

*High Definition Playback requires Blu-Ray Disc player and HDTV.

Bonus Material / Trailer Not Rated.

Design and Layout - pineapples101@gmail.com

98 Mins.

E D I T I O N

H I D D E N

H I D D E N

MAN IT’S ONLY HU ...

IDE ON THE OUTS

THE

H I D D E N

“Two Thumbs Up!” - Sisley & Ebert

“Wildly Entertaining!”

- Sneak Preview

“Keeps you on the edge of your seat!

Never a dull moment!”

- Rex Reed

THE

H I D D E N

With this cold-hearted exclamation the nemesis of The Hidden unflinchingly dispatches another victim. A cold-blooded killer, it turns an ordinary social convention into a death sentence. It loves to drive Ferraris, listen to loud rock and roll music, and wants to be the president of the United States.

As if these hedonistic pursuits aren’t bad enough it has the ability to swap bodies like a crab changing shells, and inhabiting any poor living soul which crosses it’s path. If all this seems like some physical manifestation of the collective id run amok in L.A, think again, because The Hidden is that and much, much more. Extraordinary in many ways, but perhaps most of all, this film takes some of the most ordinary conventions, in both cinema and life, and turns them on their head – in a style that hits you like a sucker punch. On the surface, a high voltage thriller with aliens, cars, guns, cops and strippers. Hidden within the film are sophisticated examinations of family and trust, the selfish desire for power and fame, and male friendship. The Hidden is one of the finest examples of the modern, intelligent, low-budget science fiction film; directed with exceptional style and a sensitive eye, satisfyingly populated with scenes of sure wit, rich characterizations, clever dialogue, and a thematic core that’s soft but never mushy. A successful amalgamation of many genres, here is a film which aspires to be more than very entertaining, and no less than to be great science fiction cinema with a little more chutzpa than most films of its kind.

Produced in 1987 under the auspices of New Line Cinema, The Hidden followed that studio’s very successful A Nightmare On Elm Street, where both films fell under the stewardship of New Line president Robert Shaye. As was the case with many of New Line’s early successes, The Hidden was provided with a fairly low budget, compared to many of it’s contemporary films, of only $4.5 million dollars. The film had a shooting schedule of approximately 43 days, extremely short by major studio standards. This wouldn’t be so remarkable but for the fact that the film looks as if it was made for much more and took much longer to make. Before directing The Hidden, Jack Sholder (an experienced editor) had helmed the box office success A Nightmare On Elm Street Part 2 a few years earlier for New Line as well as other projects for the neophyte studio. In its theatrical run, The Hidden managed to bring in over 9 million dollars to the box office after opening one day before Halloween in 1987.

The films initial release was met with mixed reviews. Siskel and Ebert liked it, but The New York Times didn’t. The Hollywood Reporter called it “The best of it’s kind since The Terminator”, while Variety labeled it “stale” and “spare”. Many syndicated and local papers praised the film highly for its unusual style, clever construction, and high-speed thrills. Released in a climate when many other science fiction horror films contained copious amounts of blood-flow (films such as Kathryn Bigelow’s Near Dark, John Carpenter’s Prince of Darkness, Renny Harlin’s Prison, and most importantly Paul Verhoeven’s Robocop), many critics focused on little else but the high body count and extensive

gunplay. Since its theatrical release, however, The Hidden has in many instances been reappraised as one the better science fiction films of the Eighties. Premier Magazine called The Hidden one of the most underrated films of that decade, and Cinescape called it one of the 10 great films that nobody talks about. When released on video, the film soon developed a cult following and a strong appreciation for it’s off-beat style and unusual tone. In 1993, New Line released an inferior sequel, The Hidden 2, with the principle cast and crew of the original all but completely absent.

At the tail-end of its theatrical run, the film just happened to win the top prize at a major film festival. The Hidden was the surprise Grand Prize winner at the 1988 Avoriaz Fantasy Film Festival in Paris, a prestigious and competitive European film festival. In taking the press and jury (chaired by the venerable Sidney Lumet) by surprise the decision created an upset by snubbing Verhoeven’s critical darling Robocop, a favorite of several influential critics and a French box-office success. Verhoeven’s film was a sure favorite, but when The Hidden was screened near the end of the festival, it caught the jury and spectators by surprise, and the festival ended with a dark horse victory. It was such a surprise that New Line Cinema didn’t even have a representative at the festival to promote the film and negotiate a deal for its French theatrical release (leaving most of the publicity and preliminaries to Jack Sholder, who had attended). This only seemed fitting as the director was responsible for so much of the film’s artistic success.

Considering the budget, the shooting schedule, the break-neck pace and the action beats the film’s production initially called for, it is a testament to the talents of Jack Sholder that The Hidden is what it is. Not only did he add to some of the films more humanist themes but, at times, he managed to weave these into such an implausible storyline where others would rightly fear to tread. A director who still maintains a distinctive, intelligent, and fresh style, he has left an indelible stamp on each of his projects (often with interesting trademarks such as thematic opening title sequences). Sholder has sustained this style while working in Hollywood, all the more impressive given how many motion picture directors of similar repute have left little or no mark of creative residue whatsoever. Many of the elements which really work in the film are the result of his attention. The camaraderie among the principle characters would utterly collapse without a visionary hand. The film is foremost an action packed thriller, and yet the different levels and numbers of sophisticated intimate relationships which he is able to develop is astounding from: central characters Lloyd and Beck, to Beck and his men, from Beck to Willis, Beck and Masterson, Beck and his wife, Lloyd and Beck’s daughter, and on and on, many established in only a scene or two! How these are maintained while the chase is constantly “on” is ingenious and inspired – the ark of a talented director. The scene between Lloyd and Beck’s daughter is especially touching, proving that the director is in tune with much more than just the exciting pace of the action. Other scenes for example, where Lloyd puts his hand on Beck’s forehead as he leaves for the hospital, or

the expression on Beck’s face when he realises Willis is dead, are representative of Sholder’s sensitive touch with his actors and his discreet sense of humanism.

With a somewhat simple premise and an impressive list of plotline borrowings, some critics labeled The Hidden’s screenplay derivative. This might be so if it weren’t for its utter originality. In fact, New Line Cinema files suit against NBC in 1988 for copyright infringement on The Hidden for the miniseries Something Is Out There. The series certainly appeared similar to The Hidden, with the good alien being a drop-dead gorgeous female (so much for male bonding)! But the source or sources which inspired The Hidden’s script is academic – the screenplay comes alive as an exceptional story in its own right. With the exception of some of the very best films, perhaps no other science fiction film has dealt so underhandedly and subtly with ideas of trust, responsibility, humanity and, above all, friendship. The Hidden is very much a buddy movie, written by a screenwriter who penned Stakeout, one of the most successful buddy movies of its time.

The script for The Hidden is also very funny. Many critics pointed to the film’s satire and black humor, and The Hollywood Reporter called it “one of the funniest movies of the year”.

The Hidden’s screenplay is credited to one Bob Hunt, a pseudonym for the very successful screenwriter Jim Kouf, who wrote the screenplay for Stakeout the same year he wrote The Hidden.

Upset by the changes made to his script, originally titled Hidden, Kouf withdrew his name in frustration. Especially annoying were additions which radically altered the film’s ending (which can be examined in the supplemental section here) and further additions which he considered created something altogether wrong (in hindsight, Mr. Kouf approves of the film, and his real name appears for the first time in the production credits of this special edition). The original screenplay has moments which separate it from the area of mere narrative or entertainment and onto a realm of something genuinely unique. There are dramatic, fecund scenes which place the film in a strict fraternal context.

When out of a violation of trust and friendship, Beck demands an explanation from Lloyd, or when Beck learns of the death of Lloyd’s partner and wife – these scenes have an uncommon sense of timing and compassion rarely seen in scripts of similar films.

Often overlooked is what the film steadfastly builds toward – an unusual friendship between Lloyd and Beck. Although never simpatico, these two characters are bridged together in the final minutes of the film where, essentially, they are merged into one in a sort of spiritual possession, providing an uncommonly satisfying resolution to the film.

It was extremely important that the principle actors Michael Nouri (well known for his role in Flashdance) and Kyle MacLachlan (fresh here from David Lynch projects Blue Velvet and Dune) worked well together. MacLachlan remarked in an interview “Michael and I said when we started making the film that one of the most important elements of this film was the relationship between our characters and all the way through, we fought and

sweated and bled to make the relationship work. It does”. And he’s right. Of the many exceptional pieces of ensemble acting in the film, Nouri’s and MacLauchlan’s is the finest. Believable, affable, and genuine, their relationship is carefully developed into a mutual friendship based at first on paternal feelings and finally on trust and the mutual desire to love individuals close to them. The other cast members all turn in excellent performances, with Ed O’Ross as detective Willis especially outstanding. Ross’ performance exemplifies the cynical yet fraternal sneer with which most of the other officers tend to communicate, often with very humorous effects.

Technically this film is a paragon of precision and expressive filmmaking from everyone involved. Michael Knue’s editing is sharp, fast, and impressively resolute. Jacques Haitkin’s cinematography is exemplary down to the smallest details.

Notice how carefully he lights Kyle MacLachlan in the scene where Lloyd and Beck’s young daughter exchange glances. The production design by C.J. Strawn and Mike Strawn is superbly packed and cluttered in all the right places, and wide open in the awkward ones. James Thornton’s sound design is both humorous and grotesque, providing the largely unseen alien with a life of its own. Last, but not least, are Kevin Yagher’s brilliant special effects which are so extremely effective that there is no point in seeing the alien creature perform another transfer after his first incredible, gruesome display.

If The Hidden leaves any legacy to that discriminating world of fantasy filmdom, it must be its wit and its dark sense of humor coupled with its inherent humanism. This is a fast, violent, edgeof-your-seat thrill ride of a movie, with images often blazing across the screen while others slow to scenes of soft repose.

The Hidden is a fast and kinetic film, yet it takes its time to cut several pretty interesting figures, and to try to figure out some interesting details about the colorful characters that populate the textured corner of L.A. it inhabits. If the movie leaves anyone with a single pronounced feeling, it should be that hiding amongst the really BIG pictures, And the really small pictures, and then just the lousy pictures, are pictures which somehow slipped through the cracks and became something altogether different and kind of… “special”.

- Richard Steiner

THANKS TO: Jack Sholder, Kevin Yagher, Jim Kouf, and Tim Hunter whose generous help made this special edition possible. Special thanks for Micheal Knue for his help in assembling supplemental materials. Also thanks to Ron Biggs, Jeff Halsey, Robin Zlatin, Julie Tsao, and Michael Thomas at New Line Cinema. Steve Van Anda and everyone at Foto-Kem Industries, Peter Von Sholley and Chuck Lomis. Original Special Edition produced by Richard Steiner

9

orig ina

l, u

na lte re d

re ta il r

el

ts righ the

r th eC

ct

und e

e sp

of

sm ici rit

co py

, rch sea , re

an d

p is com

copyright holders and pu rcha of the se a

falls

re

letely nonprofit; it

e,

HI DDE N

THE

e s ea Pl

ct of 1

s version, you must own v e th i t he

e.

op yri gh tA

17

a To h

as

, 76

C S. U.

tio ec .s

07 . n1

el

te ea

d

rc fo

th e o rig in al r

ea

se

u yo if

t no do

ow

ne a no

y lread

.

Disclaimer: This

is a fa n pr ese r

vat ion pro

j ec t; it

w as

cr

The Hidden - Laserdisc Preservation Hidden, The: Special Edition (1987) [LVD9526] https://www.lddb.com/laserdisc/10251/LVD9526/Hidden-The:-Special-Edition Blu Ray - Region A/B/C Audio: English DTS-HD 2.0 Subtitles: English, French, German, Spanish Main title: 1080p Supplementary material: 480p Laserdisc / DVD source

Artwork Standard Blu Ray Case - Inlay 269mm x 148mm Standard 4 Page Booklet - Exterior Fold down middle 235mm x 145mm Standard 2 Page Leaflet Fold down middle 235mm x 145mm Blu Ray Disc Art 115mm x 115mm