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Dom Robinson reviews
Tartan Video
- Cert:
- Cat.no: TVD 3388
- Running time: 95 minutes
- Year: 1989
- Pressing: 2002
- Region(s): 0, PAL
- Chapters: 16 plus extras
- Sound: Dolby Digital 2.0 (Dolby Surround)
- Languages: English
- Subtitles: None
- Widescreen: 1.85:1
- 16:9-Enhanced: Yes
- Macrovision: No
- Disc Format: DVD 9
- Price: £12.99
- Extras: Trailer, Filmographies, Production Notes, Film Notes, TartanTerror Trailer Reel
Director:
- Brian Yuzna
(Society)
Producers:
- Keith Walley
Screenplay:
- Woody Keith and Rick Fry
Original Score :
- Mark Ryder and Phil Davies
Cast :
- Bill Whitney: Billy Warlock
Nan: Connie Danese
Dr Cleveland: Ben Slack
Milo: Evan Richards
Clarissa Carlyn: Devin DeVasquez
Jenny: Patrice Jennings
Blanchard: Tim Bartell
Jim: Charles Lucia
Shauna: Heidi Kozak
Petrie: Brian Bremer
Ferguson: Ben Meyerson
Mrs Carlyn: Pamela Matheson
Are Billy’s psychotic fears for real?
Societywas the first ever legal 18-certificate film I saw at the cinema, on my 18thbirthday in fact, April 14th 1990, and I thoroughly enjoyed it.
It takes the idea that when you’re in your teens the one doubt you might havefrom time to time is that there’s something going on and your insecuritiesmake you wonder whether your parents are real, or are they some breed of robot,or something worse, or was that just me?
Well, it can’t be just me because high-school jock Bill Whitney (Baywatch‘s Billy Warlock)gets these fears, only they turn out to be perfectly realised and, courtesyof special effects from the appropriately-named Screaming Mad George,it turns out that the Society his family want Bill to join is the kind thathas parties where everyone uses the ultimate lubricant that bonds their bodiestogether like plasticene (see the “Butthead” on the front cover), which naturallyscares Bill half to death.
Talking of death, when friends of his get a little too close to the truth,that’s where they’re headed, and in a world where he can’t trust anyone, youhave to ask, just who the fuck is that fat woman walking around who Billybumps into frequently?
All of the cast act in keeping with the film, but none of them stand out amongstthe rest and since none of them have gone on to star in any number of filmsI’ve seen since there’s nothing more I can add about them, but at least theymade their mark in this excellent movie.
The mayor on his day off.
The print is clean with little or no defects and is presented in the original1.85:1 widescreen ratio and is anamorphic, although it can look a little softat times.
The sound is plain Dolby Surround, and is okay when it needs to be but neverreally stands out. Some good squelchy noises though.
The extras are rather on the thin side, sadly, starting with a 2-minutetrailer in anamorphic 1.85:1 widescreen, although looking slightly cropped topand bottom because it was a 1.85:1 film and nothing wider. There are filmographiesfor the director Brian Yuzna, Warlock and Connie Danese.
More pages of text come from Mark Kermode’s Film Notes, who generallywaffles total nonsense whenever he opens his mouth, and Brian Yuzna’sProduction Notes.
Add to this, the Tartan Terror Trailer Reel, a collection of sixhorror films also on the label, and that’s your lot. The recent Region 1 DVDcontained an audio commentary from the director.
There are no subtitles, sparse chapters at 16, and a few seconds of theSociety chant on the main menu, which soon grates as it goes round and round.Still, at least the film looks good.
Milo’s favourite song was
Diana Ross’ Inside Out.
PICTURE QUALITY
SOUND QUALITY
EXTRAS
OVERALL
Reviewer of movies, videogames and music since 1994. Aortic valve operation survivor from the same year. Running DVDfever.co.uk since 2000. Nobel Peace Prize winner 2021.