The mad geniuses at Unearthed Films have pulled out all the stops for the cult sci-fi classic The Guyver. Their 4K UHD edition comes overstuffed with special features, a new 4K Restoration, and the iconic soundtrack on CD!
The Film
Los Angeles Comic Book Convention.
In the early to mid-90s, for this reviewer, that was church. On the last Sunday of the month at the Shrine Auditorium collectors, fanboys, grey market sellers, and the occasional celebrity would show up to do their respective buying and selling of their wears. It was the first open-world market for me that spoke to my specific tastes. Comic books, Movies, Anime, Manga, replica props, movie posters, models… all for the taking. It was the place where I discovered the anime Guyver. This was an era where, as was the case with Guyver, friends and I would routinely purchase things WITHOUT SUBTITLES. None of us spoke Japanese mind you. We still would purchase these VHS tables willingly.
I mention all this to give context. Because I had seen Guyver in its anime form, but only understood the broad strokes of the anime itself. It was dark, weirdly sexual (on the cusp of being hentai), excessively violent, in a word designed for the teenagers that loved science fiction and Tokusatsu.
Imagine the surprise a few years later when seeing The Guyver’s live-action film. It had some of the checkboxes for something that could be cool.
The Suit Design – pretty badass.
The Make-Up FX – WOW!
The Minature FX Work – double wowzas!!!
Mark Hamill – still cool as hell.
Michael Berryman – horror icon.
Vivian Wu – a star on the rise.
These were markers that made one think it would be a great Tokusatsu entry… It wasn’t. It wasn’t even Jimmie Walker – a bit of casting that many find umbridge with but considering the kid-friendly tone of the whole piece it does make sense. It was disappointing in a way that I would come to know. That feeling of being let down on the promise you were sold by production stills, a cool trailer, the VHS cover art. It was the old bait and switch.
Cut to 2024.
The memory hazy of what the film really was, I decided to give it another chance. Much to my delight The Guyver is as strange as anything adapted to live-action based on a manga/anime property. The film has been wiped clean of its darker creepier aspects. What is left is this strange mixture that feels like Paul Verhoeven was given $3 million dollars to make The Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles circa 1990. The mixture of gross-out gore FX, childish humor, and equally immature dramaturge gives The Guyver the kind of midnight movie appeal that could only happen by accident. There isn’t an insincere moment in the film, even when it’s wildly off base.
Yes, the story is monomyth recycled nonsense but what film in 2024 that’s labeled a “superhero” film isn’t? I will say this much The Guyver at least attempts to make it interesting and not the sort of Lego building block nonsense we often get from studios nowadays. The film’s weakest point is it needs to be funny every two minutes leading to some eye-rolling liners or comedy bits. However, at a certain point, it all becomes both good and bad, part of the milieu of the entire film.
There is in fact a charm to the way that the film builds to its FX-laden finale which works beautifully. None of the badly composited CGI effects that would later riddle the lower-budget film world. The FX work is a combination of make-up FX, suit work, and stop motion/optical composites – which are outright amazing. There care and time taken in these moments are truly astounding and thrilling in a “can they pull this off” meta-textual layer that those who have not seen the film will appreciate.
If one gives it a little leeway, one will find a truly surprising and entertaining action-adventure film that delivers on no uncertain terms. The Guyver is a dare-to-be-great film that lands almost all of its punches. One will be rooting for this scrappy low-budget flick as much, maybe even more, than you’ll be rooting for its hero.
Also, Mark Hamill’s mustache!!!
The Transfer
The all-new 4K restoration of the original R-rated 35mm camera negative by Unearthed Films presented in its original 1.85:1 aspect ratio in HDR is a marvel of what a restoration can do. My memories are quite clear of The Guyver in its murky VHS form. To call it a mess was putting it nicely. Unearthed Films has done an exceptional job of bringing the film’s image to life in a way that the film has never looked. The restoration and HDR have taken all the murkiness away from the darkly lit movie. The film is positively luminous during the night scenes (most of the film takes place at night in dark alleyways or low-lit corridors of concrete-lined research centers – as so many 90s low-budget action films do). Those dreaded crushed blacks are nonresistant here. There isn’t a scratch or blemish on the image as well. All leading to a restoration that feels clearer and more accurate than probably the filmmakers have ever seen or has been projected in theaters. Unearthed films have taken a giant leap into the 4K UHD market. One that will have this reviewer eagerly awaiting their next UHD restoration title.
The Extras
They include the following;
DISC ONE – FEATURE (4K ULTRA HD BLU-RAY)
NEW Commentary with co-directors Screaming Mad George and Steve Wang, moderated by Dom O’Brien, the author of Budget Biomorphs: The Making of The Guyver Films
NEW Commentary with actor/SFX artist Evil Ted Smith and creature shop lab tech / miniature supervisor Wyatt Weed
DISC TWO – FEATURE & EXTRAS (BLU-RAY)
NEW Commentary with co-directors Screaming Mad George and Steve Wang, moderated by Dom O’Brien, the author of Budget Biomorphs: The Making of The Guyver Films
NEW Commentary with actor/SFX artist Evil Ted Smith and creature shop lab tech / miniature supervisor Wyatt Weed
NEW Interview with producer Brian Yuzna
NEW Interview with co-director Screaming Mad George
NEW Suit Tests with commentary by co-directors Screaming Mad George and Steve Wang
NEW Outtakes with commentary by co-directors Screaming Mad George and Steve Wang
NEW Gag Reel with commentary by co-directors Screaming Mad George and Steve Wang
NEW Production & Artwork Gallery
Alternate Title Sequence
Trailers
DISC THREE – SOUNDTRACK (COMPACT DISC)
The Guyver Soundtrack composed by Matthew Morse
Note: the commentary track is the only special feature to appear on the 4K UHD disc. All other special features as noted are on the second Blu-ray disc with the BD version of the film.
The first of two all-new commentary tracks is by co-directors Screaming Mad George and Steve Wang, moderated by Dom O’Brien, the author of Budget Biomorphs: The Making of The Guyver Films. The track opens with both co-directors jokingly saying O’Brien knows more about The Guyver than they do. Some of the details include the opening scroll on the first assembly was far too fast for the narration; the reason for the opening title crawl; the reason why the cast Jimmie Walker; George’s connection to Steven Seagal in his early days of moving to LA – and Seagal’s connections to this production; a discussion of why they cast Mark Hamill and Vivian Wu; working with David Gale – and a wild story about script changes; the reason why George and Steve Wang became co-directors; working / directing Hamill – including a great story about Empire Strikes Back; the production schedule and budget they had – and as being newer directors the trouble with both; a detailed account of the work division in creation of the Zoanoids and the “big boss” Zoanoid and how they were all accomplished; the various VFX and Makeup FX artists that worked on the production to accomplish the various FX set pieces – including the Guyver transformation that was done traditionally with make-up FX, miniature, composites et. al.; a larger influence of The Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles (1990) to turn this from a dark film into a “kids” film and lighter than the dark source material; the various influences of the film including Jackie Chan, Ultraman and others; a larger discussion of the gore and violence that did not mix with the more “kid-friendly” aspects of the film; a larger discussion of the various cast and stuntmen that populate the various roles and costumed characters; the finale and how exactly it was accomplished using practical FX, and miniatures; and much more. This track is wildly entertaining with the guys laughing and giving the kind of details about the production and going on tangents that the best commentary tracks offer.
The second and final of the all-new commentary tracks is by actor/SFX artist Evil Ted Smith and creature shop lab tech / miniature supervisor Wyatt Weed. The commentary track opens with each discussing what they did (and they did a lot) on the production. Some of the details include discussing the opening which they both feel is unnecessary; the challenges of working on a low budget feature and the surprising large amount of creature FX/suits they did; a discussion of the title credit sequence; the viewing of the rough-cut assembly vs. the final theatrical cut; the work of Mark Hamill; how they both met Steven Wang and Screaming Mad George – and how it lead them to working on Kung-Fu Rascals then The Guyver; a great discussion of the scooter that features in the film – including that it was the only Harley Davidson scooter ever made; a great story about Hamill and the script and something that illogical that happened in a scene and how he dealt with it; a great discussion of the various Guyver elbow blades they had to create; a larger discussion of the various artists created each of the various monsters; a discussion of the various props and how they were created and designed; a larger discussion of the various action set pieces – including the ones they were involved with; and much more. Smith and Weed provide a great track that’s filled with anecdotes from the production.
Interview with producer Brian Yuzna (35:39) – In this all-new interview with Yuzna the producer discusses when he began his career at 30 years old and his work before taking on film as a career. Some of the details include his early career that eventually led to Re-Animator; how he got involved with the live action version of The Guyver; how they casted the film – including a discussion of the lengths they went to get Vivian Wu; working with Steve Wang – and what he brought as a director; working with Screaming Mad George – and what he brought as a director; how the two co-directed on set; his role of Producer – and how it differed from the other work he did up until that time (e.g., From Beyond which he had worked on right before this production); his role in the film’s sales – and being purchased by New Line Cinema; the disappointment of the film going direct to video; working with Jimmie Walker – who had wanted to cast him and some stories from the set; the casting of Mark Hamill – and how that casting came about; working with Hamill and a great personal note about the actor and what he collected; the misleading advertisements with Hamill’s face in the US and how it differed outside of the US; the optical effects they used and how different it is from the CGI that was on the horizon; New Line Cinema taking away the film and cutting it differently; and much more. Yuzna gives a wonderfully detailed interview discussion of the making of the film.
The Altered States of Screaming Mad George (56:48) – In this all-new interview with George begins with the influence of Salvador Dali in his artwork and what eventually led to film directing. Some of the details include his love of Toho Kaiju movies and their influence on his career; the story behind almost working for Rick Baker but why it didn’t happen; working with Greg Cannom, Steve Johnson, BOSS Films – including some truly fascinating stories from various projects including Poltergeist 2, Big Trouble in Little China, Predator and more; meeting and beginning to collaborate with Steve Wang – and why he chose to leave FX work at BOSS Films; a detailed account of the FX work that was done on The Guyver – which feels like more expounding on what he discussed during the commentary track; a detail discussion of the giant final boss and how it was developed, created, and just various thoughts on how he achieved this; and much more. Screaming Mad George discusses much of his career more than just focusing on The Guyver which makes for a truly interesting interview.
Suit Tests (7:06) – this all-new featurette comes with commentary by co-directors Screaming Mad George and Steve Wang AND by actor/SFX artist Evil Ted Smith and creature shop lab tech / miniature supervisor Wyatt Weed. The suit test itself just shows the various suits (not just the Guyver suit) while actors do various things like walk, spin around, and fight to get an idea of how the suit will work on film with proper lighting. The tracks by both parties add context to what they’re doing and what they developed for the film.
Outtakes (14:31) – this all-new featurette comes with commentary by co-directors Screaming Mad George and Steve Wang. The outtakes are various odds and ends without any context other than the clapper that comes up before the outtake begins. Most of the outtakes, if not all, come from the final. The best part is that they include the Mark Hamill transformation. The only unfortunate part is that there is no way to turn on the production sound from the outtakes – though when the duo is not commentating on the images the score by Matthew Morse does play.
Gag Reel (10:55) – this all-new featurette comes with commentary by co-directors Screaming Mad George and Steve Wang. The gag reel is more of the short ends before and after the scene and the end of the film reel (as Wang says during the commentary track). The only unfortunate part is that there is no way to turn on the production sound from the outtakes – though when the duo is not commentating on the images the score by Matthew Morse does play.
Alternate Title Sequences (6:10) – the featurette lets you play the English, German, and Spanish language alternate versions of the opening title sequence. The biggest difference is the opening crawl is not present and the alternate title for the European releases.
Production Gallery (6:22) – this 65-image gallery includes the original EPK images and guide, poster artwork, ads, home video art, and most importantly… if you read my review you’ll see a flyer for the Los Angeles Comic Book and Science Fiction Convention. The gallery runs automatically with the film score by Matthew Morse accompanying during the runtime.
Artwork Gallery (19:35) – this 235-image gallery includes the original production art, behind-the-scenes photos from the model/makeup shop, storyboards, and more. The gallery runs automatically with the film score by Matthew Morse accompanying during the runtime.
Trailers – The “Mutronics” trailer comes in various flavors: English (1:45); German (2:32); Spanish (0:54); and French (2:15). Each trailer is cut differently enough to make it very interesting how they approached the style of marketing the film. This reviewer’s favorite is the German trailer just for how serious it makes everything sound.
The Guyver Soundtrack composed by Matthew Morse (44:29) – for an extra bit of greatness Unearthed Films has included the full original score by Morse on a separate CD. The 19-track soundtrack sounds beautiful having listened to the entire score on my own AV setup. The track listing is provided in the booklet including on the set. Huge bonus points for them including this as added value content.
The Final Thought
Unearthed Films continues to prove to be a force to be reckoned with in the boutique label market. The Guyver has been given a truly revelatory edition. Highest possible recommendations!!!
The mad geniuses at Unearthed Films have pulled out all the stops for the cult sci-fi classic The Guyver. Their 4K UHD edition comes overstuffed with special features, a new 4K Restoration, and the iconic soundtrack on CD!
The Film
Los Angeles Comic Book Convention.
In the early to mid-90s, for this reviewer, that was church. On the last Sunday of the month at the Shrine Auditorium collectors, fanboys, grey market sellers, and the occasional celebrity would show up to do their respective buying and selling of their wears. It was the first open-world market for me that spoke to my specific tastes. Comic books, Movies, Anime, Manga, replica props, movie posters, models… all for the taking. It was the place where I discovered the anime Guyver. This was an era where, as was the case with Guyver, friends and I would routinely purchase things WITHOUT SUBTITLES. None of us spoke Japanese mind you. We still would purchase these VHS tables willingly.
I mention all this to give context. Because I had seen Guyver in its anime form, but only understood the broad strokes of the anime itself. It was dark, weirdly sexual (on the cusp of being hentai), excessively violent, in a word designed for the teenagers that loved science fiction and Tokusatsu.
Imagine the surprise a few years later when seeing The Guyver’s live-action film. It had some of the checkboxes for something that could be cool.
The Suit Design – pretty badass.
The Make-Up FX – WOW!
The Minature FX Work – double wowzas!!!
Mark Hamill – still cool as hell.
Michael Berryman – horror icon.
Vivian Wu – a star on the rise.
These were markers that made one think it would be a great Tokusatsu entry… It wasn’t. It wasn’t even Jimmie Walker – a bit of casting that many find umbridge with but considering the kid-friendly tone of the whole piece it does make sense. It was disappointing in a way that I would come to know. That feeling of being let down on the promise you were sold by production stills, a cool trailer, the VHS cover art. It was the old bait and switch.
Cut to 2024.
The memory hazy of what the film really was, I decided to give it another chance. Much to my delight The Guyver is as strange as anything adapted to live-action based on a manga/anime property. The film has been wiped clean of its darker creepier aspects. What is left is this strange mixture that feels like Paul Verhoeven was given $3 million dollars to make The Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles circa 1990. The mixture of gross-out gore FX, childish humor, and equally immature dramaturge gives The Guyver the kind of midnight movie appeal that could only happen by accident. There isn’t an insincere moment in the film, even when it’s wildly off base.
Yes, the story is monomyth recycled nonsense but what film in 2024 that’s labeled a “superhero” film isn’t? I will say this much The Guyver at least attempts to make it interesting and not the sort of Lego building block nonsense we often get from studios nowadays. The film’s weakest point is it needs to be funny every two minutes leading to some eye-rolling liners or comedy bits. However, at a certain point, it all becomes both good and bad, part of the milieu of the entire film.
There is in fact a charm to the way that the film builds to its FX-laden finale which works beautifully. None of the badly composited CGI effects that would later riddle the lower-budget film world. The FX work is a combination of make-up FX, suit work, and stop motion/optical composites – which are outright amazing. There care and time taken in these moments are truly astounding and thrilling in a “can they pull this off” meta-textual layer that those who have not seen the film will appreciate.
If one gives it a little leeway, one will find a truly surprising and entertaining action-adventure film that delivers on no uncertain terms. The Guyver is a dare-to-be-great film that lands almost all of its punches. One will be rooting for this scrappy low-budget flick as much, maybe even more, than you’ll be rooting for its hero.
Also, Mark Hamill’s mustache!!!
The Transfer
The all-new 4K restoration of the original R-rated 35mm camera negative by Unearthed Films presented in its original 1.85:1 aspect ratio in HDR is a marvel of what a restoration can do. My memories are quite clear of The Guyver in its murky VHS form. To call it a mess was putting it nicely. Unearthed Films has done an exceptional job of bringing the film’s image to life in a way that the film has never looked. The restoration and HDR have taken all the murkiness away from the darkly lit movie. The film is positively luminous during the night scenes (most of the film takes place at night in dark alleyways or low-lit corridors of concrete-lined research centers – as so many 90s low-budget action films do). Those dreaded crushed blacks are nonresistant here. There isn’t a scratch or blemish on the image as well. All leading to a restoration that feels clearer and more accurate than probably the filmmakers have ever seen or has been projected in theaters. Unearthed films have taken a giant leap into the 4K UHD market. One that will have this reviewer eagerly awaiting their next UHD restoration title.
The Extras
They include the following;
DISC ONE – FEATURE (4K ULTRA HD BLU-RAY)
DISC TWO – FEATURE & EXTRAS (BLU-RAY)
DISC THREE – SOUNDTRACK (COMPACT DISC)
Note: the commentary track is the only special feature to appear on the 4K UHD disc. All other special features as noted are on the second Blu-ray disc with the BD version of the film.
The first of two all-new commentary tracks is by co-directors Screaming Mad George and Steve Wang, moderated by Dom O’Brien, the author of Budget Biomorphs: The Making of The Guyver Films. The track opens with both co-directors jokingly saying O’Brien knows more about The Guyver than they do. Some of the details include the opening scroll on the first assembly was far too fast for the narration; the reason for the opening title crawl; the reason why the cast Jimmie Walker; George’s connection to Steven Seagal in his early days of moving to LA – and Seagal’s connections to this production; a discussion of why they cast Mark Hamill and Vivian Wu; working with David Gale – and a wild story about script changes; the reason why George and Steve Wang became co-directors; working / directing Hamill – including a great story about Empire Strikes Back; the production schedule and budget they had – and as being newer directors the trouble with both; a detailed account of the work division in creation of the Zoanoids and the “big boss” Zoanoid and how they were all accomplished; the various VFX and Makeup FX artists that worked on the production to accomplish the various FX set pieces – including the Guyver transformation that was done traditionally with make-up FX, miniature, composites et. al.; a larger influence of The Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles (1990) to turn this from a dark film into a “kids” film and lighter than the dark source material; the various influences of the film including Jackie Chan, Ultraman and others; a larger discussion of the gore and violence that did not mix with the more “kid-friendly” aspects of the film; a larger discussion of the various cast and stuntmen that populate the various roles and costumed characters; the finale and how exactly it was accomplished using practical FX, and miniatures; and much more. This track is wildly entertaining with the guys laughing and giving the kind of details about the production and going on tangents that the best commentary tracks offer.
The second and final of the all-new commentary tracks is by actor/SFX artist Evil Ted Smith and creature shop lab tech / miniature supervisor Wyatt Weed. The commentary track opens with each discussing what they did (and they did a lot) on the production. Some of the details include discussing the opening which they both feel is unnecessary; the challenges of working on a low budget feature and the surprising large amount of creature FX/suits they did; a discussion of the title credit sequence; the viewing of the rough-cut assembly vs. the final theatrical cut; the work of Mark Hamill; how they both met Steven Wang and Screaming Mad George – and how it lead them to working on Kung-Fu Rascals then The Guyver; a great discussion of the scooter that features in the film – including that it was the only Harley Davidson scooter ever made; a great story about Hamill and the script and something that illogical that happened in a scene and how he dealt with it; a great discussion of the various Guyver elbow blades they had to create; a larger discussion of the various artists created each of the various monsters; a discussion of the various props and how they were created and designed; a larger discussion of the various action set pieces – including the ones they were involved with; and much more. Smith and Weed provide a great track that’s filled with anecdotes from the production.
Interview with producer Brian Yuzna (35:39) – In this all-new interview with Yuzna the producer discusses when he began his career at 30 years old and his work before taking on film as a career. Some of the details include his early career that eventually led to Re-Animator; how he got involved with the live action version of The Guyver; how they casted the film – including a discussion of the lengths they went to get Vivian Wu; working with Steve Wang – and what he brought as a director; working with Screaming Mad George – and what he brought as a director; how the two co-directed on set; his role of Producer – and how it differed from the other work he did up until that time (e.g., From Beyond which he had worked on right before this production); his role in the film’s sales – and being purchased by New Line Cinema; the disappointment of the film going direct to video; working with Jimmie Walker – who had wanted to cast him and some stories from the set; the casting of Mark Hamill – and how that casting came about; working with Hamill and a great personal note about the actor and what he collected; the misleading advertisements with Hamill’s face in the US and how it differed outside of the US; the optical effects they used and how different it is from the CGI that was on the horizon; New Line Cinema taking away the film and cutting it differently; and much more. Yuzna gives a wonderfully detailed interview discussion of the making of the film.
The Altered States of Screaming Mad George (56:48) – In this all-new interview with George begins with the influence of Salvador Dali in his artwork and what eventually led to film directing. Some of the details include his love of Toho Kaiju movies and their influence on his career; the story behind almost working for Rick Baker but why it didn’t happen; working with Greg Cannom, Steve Johnson, BOSS Films – including some truly fascinating stories from various projects including Poltergeist 2, Big Trouble in Little China, Predator and more; meeting and beginning to collaborate with Steve Wang – and why he chose to leave FX work at BOSS Films; a detailed account of the FX work that was done on The Guyver – which feels like more expounding on what he discussed during the commentary track; a detail discussion of the giant final boss and how it was developed, created, and just various thoughts on how he achieved this; and much more. Screaming Mad George discusses much of his career more than just focusing on The Guyver which makes for a truly interesting interview.
Suit Tests (7:06) – this all-new featurette comes with commentary by co-directors Screaming Mad George and Steve Wang AND by actor/SFX artist Evil Ted Smith and creature shop lab tech / miniature supervisor Wyatt Weed. The suit test itself just shows the various suits (not just the Guyver suit) while actors do various things like walk, spin around, and fight to get an idea of how the suit will work on film with proper lighting. The tracks by both parties add context to what they’re doing and what they developed for the film.
Outtakes (14:31) – this all-new featurette comes with commentary by co-directors Screaming Mad George and Steve Wang. The outtakes are various odds and ends without any context other than the clapper that comes up before the outtake begins. Most of the outtakes, if not all, come from the final. The best part is that they include the Mark Hamill transformation. The only unfortunate part is that there is no way to turn on the production sound from the outtakes – though when the duo is not commentating on the images the score by Matthew Morse does play.
Gag Reel (10:55) – this all-new featurette comes with commentary by co-directors Screaming Mad George and Steve Wang. The gag reel is more of the short ends before and after the scene and the end of the film reel (as Wang says during the commentary track). The only unfortunate part is that there is no way to turn on the production sound from the outtakes – though when the duo is not commentating on the images the score by Matthew Morse does play.
Alternate Title Sequences (6:10) – the featurette lets you play the English, German, and Spanish language alternate versions of the opening title sequence. The biggest difference is the opening crawl is not present and the alternate title for the European releases.
Production Gallery (6:22) – this 65-image gallery includes the original EPK images and guide, poster artwork, ads, home video art, and most importantly… if you read my review you’ll see a flyer for the Los Angeles Comic Book and Science Fiction Convention. The gallery runs automatically with the film score by Matthew Morse accompanying during the runtime.
Artwork Gallery (19:35) – this 235-image gallery includes the original production art, behind-the-scenes photos from the model/makeup shop, storyboards, and more. The gallery runs automatically with the film score by Matthew Morse accompanying during the runtime.
Trailers – The “Mutronics” trailer comes in various flavors: English (1:45); German (2:32); Spanish (0:54); and French (2:15). Each trailer is cut differently enough to make it very interesting how they approached the style of marketing the film. This reviewer’s favorite is the German trailer just for how serious it makes everything sound.
The Guyver Soundtrack composed by Matthew Morse (44:29) – for an extra bit of greatness Unearthed Films has included the full original score by Morse on a separate CD. The 19-track soundtrack sounds beautiful having listened to the entire score on my own AV setup. The track listing is provided in the booklet including on the set. Huge bonus points for them including this as added value content.
The Final Thought
Unearthed Films continues to prove to be a force to be reckoned with in the boutique label market. The Guyver has been given a truly revelatory edition. Highest possible recommendations!!!
Unearthed Films 4K UHD Edition of The Guyver is out July 2nd
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