The Stuff (1985) (4K Ultra HD Review)
DIRECTED BY: Larry Cohen
STARRING: Michael Moriarty, Andrea Marcovicci, Garrett Morris
RATED: R/Region: O/1:85/2160P/NUMBER OF DISCS 2
AVAILABLE FROM Arrow Video
Oh, The Stuff—the movie that asks the bold question: what if yogurt was evil, but also kind of dumb?
Larry Cohen’s 1985 satire wants desperately to be a sharp jab at consumerism, corporate greed, and America’s insatiable appetite for literally anything marketed with a smile. Instead, it often settles for being a goofy, uneven blob of ideas that never quite congeal. The premise is inspired—mysterious dessert goo takes over the country—but the execution waffles between clever commentary and scenes that feel like they were improvised five minutes before lunch. Michael Moriarty hams it up like he’s being paid per eyebrow raise, and while that’s occasionally fun, it’s just as often exhausting.
The pacing is a mess, the tone can’t decide if it’s parody or straight-faced horror, and the scares are about as threatening as expired Cool Whip. When it works, it’s sly and sarcastic; when it doesn’t, you’re left watching people argue with sentient dairy substitute and wondering how this became a feature-length film instead of a killer Twilight Zone episode.
That said—credit where it’s due—Arrow Video’s 4K transfer is fantastic. This movie has never looked this good. The grain is beautifully preserved, colors are shockingly vibrant, and the white-on-white goo chaos is rendered with startling clarity. It’s almost unfair how pristine the presentation is compared to how sloppy the film itself can be.
The Stuff is a cult oddity with a great hook and a weak follow-through. It’s more amusing than scary, more smug than smart—but thanks to Arrow’s excellent 4K release, at least the nonsense looks absolutely delicious.
Extras
4K UHD Disc
- Commentaries
- Audio Commentary by writers and critics David Flint and Adrian Smith*
- Archival Commentary by writer / director Larry Cohen*
- Can’t Get Enough of the Stuff: Making Larry Cohen’s Classic Creature Feature (HD; 52:10) is a great retrospective, featuring good interviews with Cohen and others involved in the production.
- Enough is Never Enough* (HD; 16:44) is “newly edited” and features previously unseen interviews with Larry Cohen and producer Paul Kurta, originally shot for the 2017 documentary King Cohen.
- 42nd Street Memories: The Rise and Fall of America’s Most Notorious Street* (HD; 1:21:45) is a fascinating time capsule of what midtown Manhattan used to be like, and includes interviews with Cohen and a number of others.
- Original Trailer (HD; 1:34)
- Alternate Trailer (HD; 1:10)
- TV Spot (HD; 00:31)
- Arrow Trailer (HD; 1:33)
- King Cohen Trailer (HD; 2:39)
- Image Gallery (HD)
1080 Disc
- Pre-release Version (HD; 1:58:49) offers an early cut of the film featuring 30 minutes of additional footage and a different music score. Audio is LPCM Mono.
