1982’s Liquid Sky is one of those odd ’80s cult movies that not many remember, even fewer remember fondly, but is reveried among those who do. But it is for those latter people that the new Liquid Sky Blu-ray/DVD combo pack is made, as it not only presents the film with better picture and sound than any previous home version, but also has almost every extra you’d want, including some new ones.
For fans of the film, the best thing about the Liquid Sky Blu-ray/DVD combo pack is the movie itself; specifically, how it looks and sounds here. Granted, its picture isn’t as good as something new like Star Wars: The Last Jedi, but it is crisp and clean and looks better than a lot of thirty-six year-old movies we’ve seen on Blu-ray. And the same can be said for the sound as well.
Augmenting the movie on the Liquid Sky Blu-ray/DVD combo pack is a short but interesting introduction from director, co-writer, and co-producer Slava Tsukerman, as well as an in-depth running commentary by Tsukerman co-writer and star Anne Carlisle (though why the box and menu only mentions Tsukerman is a bit odd). Granted, Tsukerman is a little hard to understand here, given his thick Russian accent, but this commentary still manages to be both informative and entertaining without being too film school-esque.
Similar territory is also explored in “Liquid Sky Revisited,” a new and nearly hour-long documentary on the Liquid Sky Blu-ray/DVD combo pack that explores the making of this movie. It is joined by new (though short) interviews with Tsukerman and Carlisle, as well as footage from a thirty-seven-minute-long audience Q&A with Tsukerman, Carlisle, and co-composer Clive Smith that was part of a 2017 screening held at the Alamo Drafthouse Yonkers. All of which give further insight into the film’s creation, often touching upon things not covered in the commentary.
Further adding to the experience, the Liquid Sky Blu-ray/DVD combo pack has thirteen minutes of previously unseen footage, as well as an alternate opening. And while they’re interesting, they could’ve used something that explains why they weren’t used in the movie. There’s also nearly a dozen minutes of the cast rehearsing which — though crude, both visually and aurally — is still interesting to watch, if only once.
The Liquid Sky Blu-ray/DVD combo pack also includes an option to watch the movie with just the score, no dialog, which is especially good for fans of the movie’s music, given that the soundtrack is out of print (though you can find copies on vinyl if you look hard…or click here).
Rounding out the Liquid Sky Blu-ray/DVD combo pack is a two-minute-long video of promotional photos and production stills, as well as the movie’s original trailers and commercials. The latter of which is especially welcome if, like me, you believe a movie’s Blu-ray/DVD combo pack should present the complete story of a film, and you’re annoyed at how often they don’t include the trailers.
Now, normally, when I get to this point in a review of a movie’s Blu-ray or DVD — including one for movies this old — this would be where I’d mentioned what’s missing or doesn’t work as well as it could. But the Liquid Sky Blu-ray/DVD combo pack actually has everything a hardcore fan of this film would want from its home edition, save for some commentary on the outtakes. (Though an argument could be made that this should’ve also included the soundtrack on CD or digitally). Sure, Liquid Sky isn’t something that has the audience of, say, Star Wars: The Last Jedi, but for fans of this cult classic, this Blu-ray/DVD combo pack is a spot-on collection.
SCORE: 9.0/10
