Raising Cain – Shout! Factory (Blu-ray)

Theatrical Release Date: USA, 1992
Director: Brian De Palma
Writer: Brian De Palma
Cast: John Lithgow, Lolita Davidovich, Steven Bauer, Frances Sternhagen, Gregg Henry, Tom Bower, Mel Harris, Teri Austin, Gabrielle Carteris, Barton Heyman, Amanda Pombo

Release Date: September 13th, 2016
Approximate Running Times: 91 Minutes 31 Seconds (Theatrical Cut), 91 Minutes 58 Seconds (Directors Cut)
Aspect Ratio: 1.85:1 Widescreen / 1080 Progressive / MPEG-4 AVC (Both Versions)
Rating: R (Theatrical Cut), NR (Directors Cut)
Sound: DTS-HD Stereo English, DTS-HD 5.1 English (Both Versions)
Subtitles: English SDH (Both Versions)
Region Coding: Region A
Retail Price: $34.93

"Carter Nix (John Lithgow, Interstellar, Rise of the Planet of the Apes) is a respected psychologist, a loving husband and a devoted father who decides to take a year off to help raise his daughter. Carter's wife Jenny is pleased to have her attentive husband home – at first. When Carter shows obsessive behavior toward their daughter, Jenny becomes concerned, and to complicate matters, Jenny's old flame re-enters her life. But nothing can prepare her for the emergence of Carter's multiple personalities, and a fiendish plot to recreate the infamous experiments of his deranged father." - synopsis provided by the distributor

Video: 4.25/5 (Both Versions)

Raising Cain, the theatrical cut, comes on a 50 GB dual layer Blu-ray.

Disc Size: 43.2 GB

Feature: 27.6 GB

Raising Cain, the directors cut, comes on a 50 GB dual layer Blu-ray.

Disc Size: 30.7 GB

Feature: 27.6 GB

Though these two versions come from a dated source, it has been cleaned up. Quality-wise, there are no discernible differences between these two versions. Flesh tones look healthy, colors look correct, and image clarity and black levels are strong. Also, there are no issues with compression, and though grain is present, it is more prominent in some scenes.

Audio: 4.25/5 (All Audio Tracks)

This release comes with two audio options, a DTS-HD stereo mix in English and a DTS-HD 5.1 mix in English. Both audio tracks are in great shape; dialog always comes through clearly, and everything sounds balanced. Range-wise ambient sounds are well-represented, and the score sounds appropriately robust. Included are removable English SDH.

Extras:

Extras on disc one include an image gallery (23 images - posters/stills), a theatrical trailer (2 minutes 5 seconds, DTS-HD stereo English, no subtitles), an interview with actress Mel Harris (8 minutes 43 seconds, DTS-HD stereo English, no subtitles), an interview with actor Tom Bower (8 minutes, DTS-HD stereo English, no subtitles), an interview with actor Gregg Henry (15 minutes 47 seconds, DTS-HD stereo English, no subtitles), an interview with editor Paul Hirsch (10 minutes 49 seconds, DTS-HD stereo English, no subtitles), an interview with actor Steven Bauer (24 minutes actor, DTS-HD stereo English, no subtitles), and an interview with actor John Lithgow (30 minutes, DTS-HD stereo English, no subtitles).

Extras on disc two include an appreciation by filmmaker Peet Gelderblom titled Changing Cain (2 minutes 23 seconds, DTS-HD stereo English, no subtitles), and a video essay by Peet Gelderblom titled Raising Cain Re-cut (13 minutes 2 seconds, DTS-HD stereo English, no subtitles).

Other extras include reversible cover art and a slipcover (limited to the first pressing).

Summary:

Doctor Carter Nix is a prominent child psychologist who decides to spend his time at home raising his daughter and furthering his studies in child psychology. On the surface, he appears to be the perfect husband and father. Then a traumatic event occurs, shattering the world he once knew.

For Brian De Palma, the 1980s can be split into two distinctive halves; the first half saw him pushing the boundaries in regard to censorship, while the latter half he ventured into mainstream cinema. After Body Double he would return to the comedy genre with Wise Guys after a lengthy absence. The 1990s would see him once again in the comedy genre with The Bonfire of the Vanities before returning to the thriller genre. When all of his films from Body Double onward failed to live up to expectations, he would then finally make a grand return to the thriller genre with Raising Cain.

Raising Cain did not connect as well as Brian De Palma's previous thrillers when it was initially released. The main reason for this disconnect is that many viewers found the story to be too confusing in its present form. It has been reported that the version released in theaters was not Brian De Palma's original edit for Raising Cain. Flash forward; along comes a release like this one, which includes Brian De Palma’s original edit for the film. Besides strengthening characters and their motivations, another area where this new edit excels is its more linear structure than its predecessor.

All around, the entire cast is outstanding, especially John Lithgow (Blow Out), who takes on multiple roles and multiple personalities. He delivers a tour de force performance that easily ranks amongst his best work as an actor. Another performance of note is Lolita Davidovich (Gods and Monsters), who portrays Carter Nix’s adulterous wife, Jenny. The supporting cast features a few actors who previously worked with Brian De Palma: Steven Bauer (Scarface) and Gregg Henry (Body Double).

Brian De Palma’s films are known for their influences, and Raising Cain even has a few moments where he references his own films like Dressed to Kill. Alfred Hitchcock is a filmmaker who he’s drawn from in many films, and the scene where a car is being submerged in water is an homage to Psycho. In the finale there is a moment that looks eerily similar to a scene from Dario Argento’s Tenebre.

From a production standpoint, Brian De Palma is clearly in his element, and he fully exploits his resources. Though the story is well-defined, they take a backseat to the visuals, which are filled with techniques and style one has come to expect from a Brian De Palma film. The most notable moment is an 8-minute tracking shot where characters speak as they walk through hallways and downstairs. Another strength is composer Pino Donaggio’s (Carrie) exemplary score, which does a phenomenal job heightening the mood. Ultimately, when it comes to building and sustaining suspense, Raising Cain does not miss a beat.

Raising Cain gets a solid release from Shout! Factory that comes with a strong audio/video presentation and a wealth of insightful extras, highly recommended.

Written by Michael Den Boer