The 1986 British horror film Link from director Richard Franklin (Patrick, Cloak & Dagger) stars Elisabeth Shue (Leaving Las Vegas) in what was only her third feature film role as Jane Chase, an American college student in London who signs up to become the assistant to eccentric zoology professor Dr. Steven Phillip (Terence Stamp, The Limey).
The two settle in at Phillip’s isolated seaside manor where he is working with two hyper-intelligent chimpanzees and an orangutan butler named “Link.” Dr. Phillip lays down the rules to Jane when she arrives about how to safely interact with the apes, by making sure to keep dominance over them, but always forgiving them, and to avoid getting involved in their squabbles. But when the elderly Link realizes Dr. Phillip plans on selling him off to be euthanized, he decides to gain dominance over Dr. Phillip and clam Jane for himself, leading to some incredible moments of terror.
The screenplay for Link was written by Everett De Roche from a story by Lee David Zlotoff and Tom Ackermann and the score was by Jerry Goldsmith, which was at times terrifying but also at times quirky and comedic. There are genuine moments of terror in Link, but some of the film tips over into camp and downright cringe, such as Link ogling a naked Jane as she tries to take a bath. Then there is the questionable call to try to disguise Link as a chimpanzee by darkening his fur and referring to him as a chimp throughout the film. These things make the film seem like it wants to be dark comedy at times, but then there is the gore and slasher-esque camera work than puts it firmly in the horror genre.
Link is brought to 4K Ultra HD in a 1.66:1 HEVC 2160p (4K UHD) SDR encodement. The image has a mostly dense grain structure, finely packed and natural, but some scenes do show some softer, coarser grain. The colors look very natural, such as Elisabeth Shue’s flesh tones, the verdant greenery surrounding the seaside home, and of course the blues of the sea itself. There is an extended amount of detail and texture in the image, allowing us to distinguish individual strands of fur on the apes and so on.
The Audio
The original mono mix for Link comes in a DTS-HD Master Audio 2.0 track on this release. It is clean and dynamic with a full mid-range. With the subwoofer bolstering the 2.0 for 2.1, there is a good amount of low end, but certainly nothing floorboard rattling.
The Supplements
There is nothing new included on this release, but there are a good amount of deleted scenes that do make the film a little more cohesive and the audio commentary also explains a lot about the film’s journey through different studios and multiple edits.
Bonus Features:
Audio Commentary by Film Historian Lee Gambin and Film Critic Jarret Gahan
Blu-ray Only:
Deleted workprint scenes (SD; 00:24:25)
Audio interview with director Richard Franklin (SD; 00:04:43)
Jerry Goldsmith demo of the Link theme (SD; 00:03:04)
UK Theatrical Teaser (SD; 00:00:36)
French Theatrical Teaser (SD; 00:01:47)
Theatrical Teaser (SD; 00:01:16)
The Final Assessment
Link is a horror film with a lot of problems, but it has its moments of terror. This one is B-movie genre fodder for sure. This transfer is a solid one and the lossless mono mix is amazingly good for a mono track. This is a good one for genre fans and cult film enthusiasts.
Link (1986) Trailer
Link is out on 4K Ultra HD + Blu-ray September 24, 2024 from Kino Lorber
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A college student finds herself under siege by a deranged, hyper-intelligent ape at her zoology professor's isolated seaside manor. Link 4K Ultra HD Review
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