By MICHAEL GINGOLD
Just out on special-edition Blu-ray from Shout! Factory, Larry Fessenden’s DEPRAVED is a fascinating and acclaimed variation on the Frankenstein theme, one he discusses in an exclusive excerpt from the disc’s bonus features that you can see after the jump.
DEPRAVED stars David Call, Alex Breaux and Joshua Leonard, and is presented on the Blu-ray in 2.35:1 widescreen. “The synopsis: Suffering from PTSD following his stint as an army medic, Henry [Call] now works feverishly in his Brooklyn laboratory to forget the death he witnessed overseas…by creating life in the form of a man cobbled together from body parts. After he procures a brain from an unwitting victim, his creation—Adam [Breaux]—is born. Soon, it becomes apparent that giving life to Adam was the easy part, and teaching him how to live in a dark and troubled world may be perilous. A complex, emotionally shattering tale about what it means to be human, DEPRAVED reimagines Mary Shelley’s immortal fable as a modern-day tale of terror.”
The special features, including four featurettes created by Adam Barnick, are:
- Audio commentary by writer/director/editor/producer Larry Fessenden
- FESSENDEN’S DEPRAVED: MAKING FRANKENSTEIN IN A BROOKLYN LOFT: 75-minute documentary directed and edited by Larry Fessenden.
- “DEPRAVED—The Journey to Day One” (excerpted in the clip below): Larry Fessenden and his Glass Eye Pix collaborators detail the 10-year journey to bring the stripped-down, DIY version of DEPRAVED to the screen.
- “Acting Adam”: Fessenden and actor Alex Breaux discuss in depth the casting, development, and choices made in advance and on set in bringing this modern Frankenstein’s monster to vibrant life.
- “Stitched—A Conversation on Makeup Effects”: An informal chat between Peter Gerner and Brian Spears on their stunning makeup effects creating the monster of DEPRAVED.
- “Filmworkers: Building the Visuals of DEPRAVED”: Larry and his team examine everything from the writing process to set design, photography and even animation, in order to craft layered, striking visuals on an indie budget.
- Theatrical trailer
- Eight-page collectible booklet featuring photos and posters
Retail price is $22.97, and it can be ordered at the Shout! Factory website for $18.97.
