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Blu-Ray : Recommended
Ranking:
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Release Date: November 26th, 2019 Movie Release Year: 1962

Eegah!

Overview -

Drive-In terror looms large with Richard Kiel as the caveman Eegah! from The Film Detective. This independent monster mash and MST3k favorite clubs Blu-ray over the head with a new 4K restoration and a smattering of fun bonus features. It may not be the greatest B-movie ever made, but it's a hell of a great time and looks better than ever! If you're a fan you'll want this one in the collection. Recommended. 

riginally designed as a vehicle for his son, filmmaker Arch Hall Sr. assumed the roles of writer, producer, director, and actor to bring the film to fruition, utilizing pseudonyms like "Nicholas Merriwether" and "William Watters" to prevent his name from appearing multiple times in the credits.

Incorporating all of the rock 'n' roll, pop culture staples of the '60s, he added a rampaging, seven-foot-tall Neanderthal to create the thrilling comedy, which follows Eegah (Richard Kiel), a prehistoric caveman who is nearly run over by Roxy Miller (Marilyn Manning) on her way to a party. Forming a romantic interest in the young beauty, Eegah holds Roxy and her father (Hall Sr.) captive in his lair. It's up to local gas station attendant Tom Nelson (Hall Jr.) to rescue his sweetheart from the raving brute.

Matching the whimsical tone of the movie itself, Arch Sr. once said, "It was always sort of a subject of laughter that the darned thing did so well."

Despite its campy prehistoric origins, the legacy of Eegah has stood the test of time. In 1993, the movie was picked up for an episode of MST3K (1988-1999), a comedy series that made playful commentary on entertainment's most-notorious Bmovies, recently revived on Netflix in 2017. The episode further immortalized the film's most famous, satirical line, "Watch out for snakes," a comment noticeably dubbed during post-production. Eegah embedded itself so deeply into the culture of MST3K, that the show took to the road in 2017 for a live Watch Out for Snakes Tour.

MST3K is not the only organization with a longtime appreciation for the legacy of Eegah. Something Weird Video, an American film distributor dedicated to the preservation of exploitation films, has served as an integral part of Eegah's preservation. Commented owner Lisa Petrucci, "Something Weird is pleased that Eegah is getting the deluxe Blu-ray video release that it deserves! This will be the best version of the film ever made available!"

OVERALL:
Recommended
Rating Breakdown
STORY
VIDEO
AUDIO
SPECIAL FEATURES
Tech Specs & Release Details
Technical Specs:
BRAND NEW 4K RESTORATION OF THE FILM
Video Resolution/Codec:
1080p/AVC MPEG-4
Length:
92
Aspect Ratio(s):
1.66:1
Audio Formats:
English DTS-HD MA 2.0
Subtitles/Captions:
Optional English subtitles for the main feature
Special Features:
Joel Hodgson, creator of MST3K, gives his take on the Hall family and his evolving appreciation for the film following the 1993 episode; and the star himself, Arch Hall Jr., shares personal insights on his father's spur-of-the-moment plot idea, reveals which of his family members appear in cameos throughout the film and offers behind-the-scenes details from production.
Release Date:
November 26th, 2019

Storyline: Our Reviewer's Take

Ranking:

"Watch out for snakes!"

If you ever wondered where James Bond's most fearsome foe Jaws got his start, now you know! A Drive-In classic, Eegah! plays to the groovy swinging 60s monster movie vibe with Richard Kiel as a long lost caveman who falls in love. Played as a tribute to classic monsters like the Hunchback or the Phantom of the Opera, Eegah! isn't quite as memorable - but he's a good time!

For those who missed out on the original Drive-In experience, Eegah! found new life as a fan-favorite episode of Mystery Science Theater 3000 under the Joel years. Even unriffed, the movie is still a cheesy riot and a crowd-pleaser. It's wild to see a movie of this vintage and budget and marvel at how good it looks restored and preserved on Blu-ray. There are major studio films that don't get this level of restoration effort! To see how far the film has come, The Film Detective was able to include the MST3k episode in the extras and it really shows the effort to restore details and colors. If you love your horror movies with a little extra level of camp, it doesn't get much better than Eegah! 

Vital Disc Stats: The Blu-ray

Eegah! creeps out onto Blu-ray thanks to The Film Detective in a single disc release limited to 1500 copies. Pressed on a Region Free BD-25 disc, the disc is housed in a standard sturdy case. Also included is a booklet with an essay by Don Strandley. The disc loads to a static image main menu with traditional navigation options. 

Video Review

Ranking:

I never thought Eegah! would get a 4K restoration effort, but here we are! For this 1.66:1 1080p transfer, Eegah! has never looked better. Given the filming and budget limitations, this one practically sparkles like it's brand new! There are a couple of rough reels still that are baked into the source, an early investigation scene after their first run-in with Eegah is a notable stretch of discoloration. However, the rest of the show shines with a well-detailed image, bold colors, a natural grain presence, and some nice impactful black levels! 

Audio Review

Ranking:

Sporting a DTS-HD MA 2.0 audio mix, Eegah! also sounds great - but again with a lot of baked-in issues. Slight hiss and popping are evident throughout, but it's never overly distracting. If anything these side effects lend themselves to the show a bit. Dialog looping is also in and out with some lines in the same scene recorded at different times or randomly added in to fill an exposition gap. Sound effects are pretty in your face. Again a lot of the effects sound like they were added in post-production. When the sound is sourced from the on-set recordings you can tell. They're more hollow and tinny without impact. But again, this is nitpicking pieces of an independent B-movie made nearly 60 years ago. For what it is, it sounds great! 

Special Features

Ranking:

Eegah! climbs out of his cave with a great assortment of bonus features to pick through. If you're a fan, you'll want to check everything out. The MST3k episode is classic stuff but the interview material is also pretty cool and insightful material.

  • Mystery Science Theater 3000 - Eegah (SD 1:32:10) 

  • Interview with Joel Hodgson (HD 6:58)

  • Interview with star Arch Hall Jr. (HD 13:29)

Final Thoughts

If you love cinematic cheese, it doesn't get much better than Arch Hall Sr.'s Drive-In classic Eegah! Probably better remembered because of MST3k and a deep cut joke on The Office, Eegah is a wild flick that never fails to entertain - even if you're not watching it riffed! The Film Detective delivers a terrific Limited Edition Blu-ray sporting a splendid image transfer sourced from a 4K restoration, a solid audio track, and some good bonus features including the amazing MST3k episode! If you're a fan - pick it up. If you love schlocky B-movie horror flicks, you'll have a blast too. Recommended.