Verdict
Summary
Based on a story by Clive Barker, George Pavlou’s Underworld – released in a longer cut called Transmutations in the U.S. – has aged remarkably well and plays much better in its 92-minute version. If you’re a fan of Barker, you’ll recognize some familiar themes such as the freakish subterranean society (think Nightbreed) and a private eye who goes up against a supernatural force (think Lord of Illusions), and these are all elements that help make Underworld a cool little hybrid.
Plot:
An underground society of freaks kidnaps a high-class hooker, who has three different lovers searching for her.
Review:
A high-end brothel catering to an elite clientele is infiltrated by a mutant freak who kidnaps a comatose hooker named Nicole (Nicola Cowper) and whisks her away to an underground lair full of mutated people who’re hooked on a powerful drug that hasn’t yet hit the streets of London. A gangster (played by Steven Berkoff) hires a private eye named Roy Bain (Larry Lamb) to find her. Both the gangster and Bain have experienced the pleasures that Nicola is known for offering, and while Bain begins investigating he soon finds that the brothel is a hub where drugs come in and out, but the drug that Nicole was hooked on comes from a different source – a scientist named Savary (Denholm Elliot) has created the highly addictive drug, and he’s deliberately misled various lowlifes to participate in his experiments, including Nicole, his favorite hooker. The only difference is that while everyone Savary has given his drug to turns into horrible, disfigured mutants desperate for their next fix, Nicole has developed other supernatural abilities that don’t affect her appearance. The mutants think that by kidnapping Nicole they can use her as a bargaining chip for Savary to supply them with all the drugs they need, but with Bain and the gangster and his goons on the warpath to figure out what’s happening in the underworld, Nicole reveals herself to be a true wildcard in the mix, as she might very well become a savior to the mutants and bring a close to Savary’s diabolical plans to become his own drug lord in the midst of a very competitive narcotics marketplace.
Based on a story by Clive Barker, George Pavlou’s Underworld – released in a longer cut called Transmutations in the U.S. – has aged remarkably well and plays much better in its 92-minute version. If you’re a fan of Barker, you’ll recognize some familiar themes such as the freakish subterranean society (think Nightbreed) and a private eye who goes up against a supernatural force (think Lord of Illusions), and these are all elements that help make Underworld a cool little hybrid. Pavlou’s film is incredibly stylish and colorful with neon lighting and its score was by the rock group Freur, which sounds great if you’re a fan of the band (I am). Interestingly enough, Freur became the band Underworld in 1988, so this film clearly had an influence on them. I’d only ever seen the murky Vestron VHS tape of Transmutations before, but that version paled in comparison with this vibrant version of Underworld. Pavlou also directed another Barker adaptation called Rawhead Rex, and both of his Barker movies are underrated.
Kino Lorber’s new sub-label “Kino Cult” has just released Underworld (#5 on the spine) on a 4K Ultra HD / Blu-ray combo pack, and the picture quality is really amazing with a perfectly crisp transfer that made the movie seem brand new to me. The discs also come with the longer 103-minute Transmutations version, but that version didn’t look as crisp or clear, but it’s nice to have both versions available in the same package. There’s a new audio commentary by Pavlou, behind the scenes footage, and some bonus artwork, stills, storyboards, and Barker’s original designs as well. The sleeve is reversible, plus a slipcover.
