Body Double – Indicator Series (Blu-ray)

Theatrical Release Date: USA, 1984
Director: Brian De Palma
Writers: Robert J. Avrech, Brian De Palma
Cast: Craig Wasson, Gregg Henry, Melanie Griffith, Deborah Shelton, Guy Boyd, Dennis Franz, Barbara Crampton, Brinke Stevens

Release Date: October 16th, 2017
Approximate running time: 114 Minutes 44 Seconds
Aspect Ratio: 1.85:1 Widescreen / 1080 Progressive / MPEG-4 AVC
Rating: 18 (UK)
Sound: DTS-HD 5.1 English, LPCM Stereo English
Subtitles: English SDH
Region Coding: Region Free
Retail Price: £14.99 (UK)

"Jake Scully (Craig Wasson), an unemployed actor, is asked to house-sit at a luxurious hillside apartment. As a bonus, the home offers Jake a telescopic peek into the bedroom of Gloria Revelle (Deborah Shelton), who performs an arousing striptease. When Jake discovers another man is also spying on Gloria, he begins an obsessive surveillance of her. Soon a grisly murder leads him into the world of adult cinema where he meets sexy adult film star Holly Body (Melanie Griffith), who is a key to the crime…." - synopsis provided by the distributor

Video: 5/5

Here’s the information provided about the transfer, "4K restoration".

Body Double comes on a 50 GB dual layer Blu-ray.

Disc Size: 45.4 GB

Feature: 36.4 GB

The source looks excellent; it is easily the best that Body Double has ever looked on Blu-ray. Flesh tones look correct, color saturation, image clarity, black levels, and compression are solid, and the image always looks organic.

Audio: 5/5 (DTS-HD 5.1 English, LPCM Stereo English)

This release comes with two audio options: a DTS-HD 5.1 mix in English and a LPCM stereo mix in English. Both audio mixes are in excellent shape; dialog comes through clearly, and everything sounds balanced and robust when it should. Included are removable English SDH.

Extras:

Extras for this release include an image gallery, a theatrical trailer (1 minute 29 seconds, LPCM stereo English, no subtitles), an isolated score track, an archival featurette titled The Setup (16 minutes 54 seconds, Dolby Digital stereo English, no subtitles), an archival featurette titled The Seduction (16 minutes 43 seconds, Dolby Digital stereo English, no subtitles), an archival featurette titled The Mystery (12 minutes 15 seconds, Dolby Digital stereo English, no subtitles), an archival featurette titled The Controversy (5 minutes 31 seconds, Dolby Digital stereo English, no subtitles), an archival interview with actor Craig Wasson (7 minutes 26 seconds, Dolby Digital stereo English, no subtitles), and  an interview with first assistant director Joe Napolitano titled Pure Cinema (38 minutes 16 seconds, Dolby Digital stereo English, no subtitles).

Summary:

An actor’s voyeurism leads to his obsession with a beautiful woman, whom a killer targets as his next victim.

In response to the controversy surrounding Scarface, Brian De Palma made Body Double. He was more determined than ever to push boundaries after the censorship issues he faced because of Scarface. And with Body Double, he would set out to make what is arguably his most audacious film of his career. And creatively, with Body Double, he would once again pay homage to Alfred Hitchcock. The premise of the film draws inspiration from Vertigo and Rear Window.

Though there is some familiarity with the subject, the end result is something that far exceeds its inspirations and stands firmly on its own. The meticulously laid-out narrative is a deception-laced labyrinth that culminates in a very satisfying resolution. The narrative moves briskly, and it does a superb job building momentum, ensuring that pacing is never an issue.

Visually, Body Double does not miss a beat, especially when it comes to moments of deception. Also, Body Double’s tongue and cheek title provides a clue about the mystery that unfolds. Another area where Body Double excels is its ability to create sustained moments of suspense. And nowhere is this clearer than moments where the protagonist sees that the woman he had watched is in peril.

Performance-wise, the entire cast is very good in their respective roles. The most memorable performance is by Melanie Griffith (Fear City) in the role of Holly Body, an adult film star who holds the key to discovering the truth. Craig Wasson (Ghost Story), in an unexpected turn, delivers a striking performance as Jack Scully, the peeping-tom protagonist who becomes ensnared in a tangled web of deceit. Ultimately, the thriller genre, like all genres, has its tropes, and with Body Double, Brian De Palma pushes these elements to their breaking point.

Body Double gets an exceptional release from Powerhouse Films that comes with a solid audio/video presentation and insightful extras, highly recommended.

Written by Michael Den Boer