Is Body Melt a Hidden Treasure or Dumpster Fire?
Blu-ray Distributed By: Vinegar Syndrome / September 25, 2018
Residents of the placid suburban cul-de-sac of Pebbles Court have started receiving unexpected samples of a new and experimental vitamin, manufactured by a strange health spa named Vimuville. However, shortly after adding the mysterious green powder to their diets, users begin to experience strange and increasingly macabre visions, and worse, their bodies start to mutate, ooze, and eventually melt! As visits from the coroner to the sleepy street become a nearly daily experience, Detective Sam Phillips becomes increasingly suspicious of the goings on at Vimuville, but will he be able to uncover its diabolical motives before the whole of Australia is subjected to BODY MELT?
Writer/director/composer Philip Brophy’s notorious slime-filled cult classic BODY MELT remains one of the last great Ozploitation films. Packed with gross-out gore effects, biting black comedy, and a throbbing techno-esque score, Vinegar Syndrome proudly presents BODY MELT on Blu-ray for the first time in North America, and in an all new 2k restoration sourced from the original 16mm negative, exclusive to this release.
Jimbo’s Take 
(4 / 5)
Jimbo’s Take 
At times audacious, trashy, gross, icky, and incredibly funny, Body Melt is an Australian cousin to Director Peter Jackson’s (Lord of the Rings) earliest works. Fans of Bad Taste, Braindead (aka Dead Alive), and Meet the Feebles will no doubt see the tonal “slapstick” similarities. But Director Philip Brophy isn’t simply making a carbon copy of Jackson’s (best?) films. Body Melt feels like an older brother to Braindead, pushing bad taste further up the chain with heightened sexuality, nudity, and violence. The result is something that will part viewers into two camps: Those of us that love this movie, and the rest that will probably hate it. I very much doubt there is a middle ground for Body Melt.
And the blu-ray special features aren’t only numerous but also very entertaining and insightful. I honestly haven’t been this engaged in a movie’s special features since Peter Jackson’s extensive Lord of the Rings DVDs. Two commentary tracks, and tons of interviews and documentaries (details listed below) overwhelm this release.
For your money, it’s easily one of the best releases I’ve ever seen VinSyn put out. And they give loving attention to everything, including a lot of stuff that probably doesn’t deserve it. This probably won’t earn VinSyn any industry recognition or awards, but in the grand award show of public opinion this one is a major winner.
Hidden Treasure/Dumpster Fire?
I don’t recall this title ever being available in my local video store in the United States. This one went completely undetected when I was discovering Peter Jackson’s gross-out comedies. Ultimately, this release exemplifies why we need to continue our support for indie distributors like Vinegar Syndrome. Many movies that deserve our attention get overlooked and lost. Thanks to Vinegar Syndrome, many of us can discover Body Melt 25 years a little late. But better late than never!
Jimbo says: Hidden Treasure!
| Jimbo's Take: |  (4.0 / 5) |
| Blu-ray Extras: |  (5.0 / 5) |
| Average: |  (4.5 / 5) |
Special Features
- Region free Blu-ray/DVD combo
- Newly scanned & restored in 2k from its 16mm original camera negative (exclusive to this release)
- Commentary track with writer/director/composer Philip Brophy, writer/producer Rod Bishop and producer Daniel Scharf
- Commentary track with Philip Brophy, focused on the sound design and film score
- “Melting Away: The Deconstruction of Body Melt” – 2018 featurette with Philip Brophy and Rod Bishop
- “Body Building: The Making of Body Melt” – 2018 interview with Daniel Scharf
- “Adrenal Glands” – 2018 interview with actor Neil Foley
- “Making Bodies Melt: The Making of Body Melt”
- “Behind-the-Scenes Featurette”
- Extensive behind-the-scenes stills and prop gallery
- Complete storyboard gallery
- Original theatrical trailer
- Reversible cover artwork
- English SDH subtitles
