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Body Parts (1991) 4K Ultra HD Review

REVIEW OVERVIEW

The Film
The Video (Overall)
HDR Effect
The Audio
The Supplements
Overall

SUMMARY

After losing his arm in a car accident, a criminal psychologist gets the transplanted arm of a serial killer that begins to operate on its own.

Estimated reading time: 4 minutes

Body Parts is the 1991 sci-fi body horror film by director/co-writer Eric Red, based on the horror novel the horror novel Choice Cuts by Pierre Boileau and Thomas Narcejac.

The film features Jeff Fahey, Kim Delaney, Brad Dourif, Zakes Mokae, and Lindsay Duncan. It tells the story of Bill Chrushank (Fahey), a criminal psychologist who receives a human arm transplant following the loss of his arm in a car accident. The innovative procedure, led by Dr. Agatha Webb (Duncan), initially appears successful as Bill embarks on extensive physical therapy. However, Bill soon observes that his new arm exhibits autonomous behavior contrary to his intentions. Further investigation reveals that Bill is among several individuals who have undergone this experimental surgery, all experiencing similar complications. One such individual that Bill follows nearly causes a street accident when his legs lose control while driving.  

The plot thickens when people who had the transplants begin turning up dead, their transplanted limbs removed. Someone is out to get the members of this small club of patients, but Dr. Webb seems less than willing to look into it. She seems to be covering up something.

As far as body horror films are concerned, Body Parts offers a certain level of gore, though it does not quite reach the heights of genre masters such as David Cronenberg. The film primarily operates within the framework of a standard crime thriller, incorporating elements of neo-noir. Director Eric Red provides exceptional visual camerawork, occasionally employing unconventional angles, while cinematographer Theo van de Sande frequently shrouds scenes in shadow. Additionally, Loek Dikker’s somber orchestral score contributes an atmosphere of terror. While Jeff Fahey’s performance is central to the film, the supporting roles, particularly those played by Brad Dourif and Lindsay Duncan, effectively maintain the dramatic tension.

The Video

Body Parts is from a brand new HDR/Dolby Vision master – from a 4K scan of the 35mm original camera negative. The film is presented on 4K Ultra HD in a 2.35:1 HEVC 2160p (4K UHD) Dolby Vision encodement. This transfer captures the dense, organic film grain perfectly, with a thin layer consistently across the image. Detail is very crisp, while the Dolby Vision grading provides high contrast, inky shadows, and natural colors along with excellent pop in the highlights.

The Audio

Body Parts comes with lossless DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 and 2.0 stereo mixes. The 5.1 mix offers natural dynamic range that also provides a lot spaciousness for the moody orchestral score by Loek Dikker.

The Supplements

KL Studio Classics offers featurettes all ported over from the previous Blu-ray release from Shout! Factory, all on a separate Blu-ray Disc. The 4K disc also has an audio commentary from Eric Reed.

Bonus Features:

  • Audio Commentary by Co-Writer/Director Eric Red

Special Features Blu-ray:

  • Deleted Footage w/Optional Audio Commentary by Eric Red (1080p; 00:10:03)
  • Interview with Co-Writer/Director Eric Red (1080p; 00:52:16)
  • Interview with Editor Anthony Redman (1080p; 00:22:33)
  • Interview with Actor Paul Ben-Victor (1080p; 00:13:41)
  • Interview with Actor Peter Murnik (1080p; 00:17:15)
  • Body Parts – Stills Gallery (1080p; 00:02:44)
  • Body Parts – TV Spots (1080i; 00:01:33)
  • Body Parts – Trailer (1080p; 00:02:34)
  • Link – Trailer
  • Leviathan – Trailer
  • Without Warning – Trailer
  • Parasite — Trailer

The Final Assessment

Body Parts is an enjoyable body horror, one that genre fans can pass the time with, and it looks fantastic in this new 4K restoration from Kino Lorber Studio Classics.


Body Parts (1991) is out on 4K Ultra HD February 25, 2025 from Kino Lorber


  • Rating Certificate: R (for violence and gore, language and a scene of sensuality)
  • Studios & Distributors: Paramount Pictures | Kino Lorber
  • Director: Eric Red
  • Written By: Pierre Boileau (novel) | Thomas Narcejac (novel) | Patricia Herskovic (screen story) | Joyce Taylor (screen story) | Eric Red (screenplay) | Norman Snider (screenplay)
  • Run Time: 88 Mins.
  • Aspect Ratio: 2.35:1
  • Video Format: HEVC 2160p (4K UHD)
  • HDR Format: Dolby Vision (HDR10 Compatible)
    • HDR10 Metadata:
    • MaxLL: 748 nits
    • MaxFALL: 167 nits
    • Max. Luminance: 1000 nits
    • Min. Luminance: 0.0001 nits
  • Primary Audio: English DTS-HD MA 2.0 Stereo
  • Secondary Audio: English DTS-HD MA 5.1
  • Subtitles: English SDH
  • Street Date: 25 February 2025
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After losing his arm in a car accident, a criminal psychologist gets the transplanted arm of a serial killer that begins to operate on its own.Body Parts (1991) 4K Ultra HD Review