Beastmaster, The: Limited Edition (4K UHD Review)
Director
Don CoscarelliRelease Date(s)
1982 (February 18, 2026)Studio(s)
MGM/UA Entertainment Co. (Imprint Films/Via Vision Entertainment)- Film/Program Grade: B-
- Video Grade: A-
- Audio Grade: A-
- Extras Grade: A
Review
[Editor’s Note: This is a Region-Free Australian 4K Ultra HD import.]
The legacy of The Beastmaster as a cable TV staple throughout the 1980s and 1990s has been firmly established but somewhat lost in the shuffle when it comes to modern home video releases. In the film, Marc Singer stars as Dar, a warrior with the ability to communicate with animals and bend them to his will. After his village is attacked and his father is murdered by the invading forces of Juns, he sets out on a journey of revenge against the high priest Maax (Rip Torn), meeting a beautiful slave (Tanya Roberts) and a fellow warrior (John Amos) along his way.
Don Coscarelli helmed this swords and sandals fantasy adventure, but it was subsequently relinquished from his hands during post production when he was basically locked out of the editing room for reasons unknown, having no control over the final product. The Beastmaster ultimately didn’t do well upon its initial theatrical release, but thanks to cable, it had a major second life.
Unfortunately, the film and its sequels not being in circulation more frequently is a real shame, meaning that a generation or two has passed since their popularity on TV was at an all-time high. However, no one should ever accuse The Beastmaster of not being entertaining. It’s mostly lighthearted fun with occasional bits of drama and darkness, even horror, but also a reminder of a simpler time when movies like it were being made on a regular basis for markets all over the world.
Cinematographer John Alcott shot The Beastmaster on 35mm film using Arriflex cameras and spherical lenses, the results of which were finished photochemically and presented theatrically in the aspect ratio of 1.85:1. Imprint Films brings the film to Ultra HD for the fourth time worldwide utilizing Vinegar Syndrome’s 2020 4K 16-bit restoration from an interpositive, which was supervised by Don Coscarelli. This presentation has been newly-graded for Dolby Vision as well as HDR10, and encoded to a triple-layered BD-100 disc.
While we don’t have access to the ESC Editions UHD released in France, we can make direct comparisons to the Scream Factory and Vinegar Syndrome UHD releases since all of them use the Vinegar Syndrome restoration as a base master. Those releases are more or less the same, right down to the encoding with maxed out bitrates sitting in the 90 to 110Mbps range. The Scream Factory disc was the first to feature a Dolby Vision grade, which deepened black levels more than was perhaps necessary. Both discs also feature aggressive reds and greens with very hot flesh tones, though not in all cases. Since these masters were supervised by Don Coscarelli, it’s fair to say that they’re definitive, at least for the film’s director.
Now we come to the Imprint Films UHD release, which at first glance merely ports over the Scream Factory master and grades, particularly since the Shout! Studios logo is plastered all over the packaging and opens the presentation. What’s been dropped from the opening is the note about the restoration, originally instituted by Vinegar Syndrome, which partially states that “Due to the many effects sequences created during the film’s post-production, some damage was unable to be removed without compromising the integrity of the image. Furthermore, due to various lab techniques utilized during production, the size and color of the film grain will fluctuate. This is neither a defect in the film elements utilized to create this restoration nor in the disc itself. It is inherent to the film.”
What’s more, this is an entirely different beast (no pun intended) when its comes to encoding and grading. Bitrates move between the 30 to 50Mbps and 70 to 80Mbps ranges, while the palette is less overtly saturated with more natural flesh tones. Grain is a little chunkier, but fans of the film who might want a more balanced presentation may find this one to be the most appealing. Contrast levels are still rich, but you can see much more in the shadows now than before. (The film was shot by John Alcott, who also lensed Barry Lyndon, which is known for its extremely low levels of light.) The same defects of the interpositive are present, including random shots appearing out of alignment, effects shots featuring coarser grain levels, and occasional molding, the latter of which couldn’t be repaired. Outside of the original camera negative being found, which is currently lost, there’s truly no right or wrong UHD presentation of The Beastmaster available anywhere. But in the case of Imprint’s release, your mileage will definitely vary.
The audio is included in English 5.1 DTS-HD Master Audio and 2.0 LPCM with optional subtitles in English SDH. Having the original stereo mix is a real treat, but the 5.1 is no slouch either. Both tracks excel when it comes to panning and surround activity, giving the world of the film life sonically. Dialogue reproduction is excellent, even the obvious overdubbing. Sound effects, particularly the growls of Ruh, have great depth. The same can be said of Lee Holdridge’s gorgeous score, which is staged well from speaker to speaker. Both tracks are also free of leftover hiss and damage, with only minor moments of distortion.
Like the other aforementioned previous 4K releases, this set features three discs: one UHD and two Blu-rays. The UHD and first Blu-ray contain the original theatrical version of the film. The second Blu-ray is the most curious of all as it includes a slightly altered version of the film, changing five visual effects shots. The two shots (separated by a cut) of the Juns approaching Dar’s village of Emur originally featured a faded smoke in the distance. This new version features a more substantial billowing smoke instead. The two shots later in the film (also separated by a cut) of the Juns approaching Aruk have also been altered in this way. Lastly, a single shot of the eagle rescuing and carrying away Sacco’s child during Maax’s sacrificial ceremony features a more blurry shot of the child, possibly to hide the original and obvious effect a bit more. Why these changes were made is unclear as they have no impact on the film at all and are so minor that they could easily be missed since the rest of the film’s content remains the same. However, including them on a separate disc and not as the main presentation was probably the best option.
The Limited Edition Imprint Films 3-Disc 4K Ultra HD release of The Beastmaster sits in Steelbook packaging featuring the original theatrical artwork and containing one UHD and two 1080p Blu-ray discs. Alongside it is a large double-sided poster featuring the original theatrical artwork on one side and the Japanese theatrical artwork on the reverse. Everything is housed in a 3D lenticular hardcase, which is limited to 1,500 units. The following extras are included on each disc:
DISC ONE: UHD (THEATRICAL VERSION)
- Audio Commentary with Don Coscarelli, Paul Pepperman, and Joe Lynch
- Audio Commentary with Don Coscarelli and Paul Pepperman
- Theatrical Trailer (HD – 2:18)
DISC TWO: BD (THEATRICAL VERSION)
- Audio Commentary with Don Coscarelli, Paul Pepperman, and Joe Lynch
- Audio Commentary with Don Coscarelli and Paul Pepperman
- The Beastmaster Chronicles (HD – 83:53)
- Theatrical Trailer (HD – 2:18)
DISC THREE: BD (NEW VFX VERSION)
- Audio Commentary with Don Coscarelli, Paul Pepperman, and Joe Lynch
- Audio Commentary with Don Coscarelli and Paul Pepperman
- The Saga of The Beastmaster (Upscaled SD – 55:07)
- Super 8mm Home Movies with Commentary by Coscarelli & Pepperman (Upscaled SD – 27:30)
- Archival Interview with Actor Marc Singer (SD – 3:56)
- Outtakes (Upscaled SD – 2:25)
- Image Gallery (HD – 107 in all – 9:10)
These extras are nearly identical to Vinegar Syndrome’s and Shout! Studios’ 4K UHD releases, with one exception.
The audio commentary with Don Coscarelli, writer/producer Paul Pepperman, and moderator Joe Lynch is mostly Lynch asking Coscarelli and Pepperman questions. And since Lynch enthusiastically loves the film and has his own podcast, he dominates the conversation. The older audio commentary with Coscarelli and Pepperman, which was recorded for Anchor Bay’s 2001 DVD release, is a more satisfactory listen as the two men speak with each other about the making of the film in a more natural way.
Elijah Drenner’s The Beastmaster Chronicles is a six-part documentary about the film that dives deep into the production and release of the film with filmmakers Adam Wingard and Joe Lynch, screenwriter Robert Cargill, Don Coscarelli, Paul Pepperman, actors Marc Singer, Tanya Roberts, Josh Milrad, John Amos, associate producer Frank K. Isaac Jr., makeup effects artist Mark Shostrom, animal trainer Boon Nar, costumer designer Betty Pecha Madden, son of the film’s swordmaker John Anselmo, composer Lee Holdridge, and sound designer Jeremy Hoenack.
Next is Perry Martin’s 2005 documentary The Saga of The Beastmaster, which contains interviews with Don Coscarelli, Paul Pepperman, production designer Conrad E. Angone, Marc Singer, Tanya Roberts, and Josh Milrad. The Super 8mm Home Movies are silent, but feature additional commentary by Coscarelli and Pepperman, which is a more nostalgic discussion as they watch the various behind-the-scenes footage together. The Outtakes are also silent, but do offer a glimpse at a deleted love scene between Dar and Kiri.
Exclusive to this release is an Archival Interview with Actor Marc Singer, conducted by NBC-5 reporter and critic Bobbie Wygant. It’s a very brief piece that’s incomplete as the original interview appears to be lost. A watermarked version of the same interview that’s about forty seconds longer can be found on Youtube, if you’re so inclined. The Image Gallery features 107 images of conceptual art, behind-the-scenes photos, continuity photographs, Japanese film programs, newspapers clippings, and multiple posters. Last is the theatrical trailer.
The only missing items of note are included on the 2025 4K Ultra HD and Blu-ray releases of the film by ESC Editions in France, which contain an introduction and interview with French film critic Antoine Desrues. Otherwise, this is a solid compendium of the various home video releases of The Beastmaster, with the addition of the brief interview with Marc Singer, and a very nice package to boot. Your preference of presentation will come into play on this one, but outside of the original camera negative turning up, this is as good as it gets. Highly recommended.
- Tim Salmons
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