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See review of the Nightbreed theatrical cut here.

Clive Barker’s Nightbreed was originally released in 1990, dumped onto a handful of screens by the studio and barely marketed. It was a financial failure, and for the director it was also a creative one. Barker was forced by the studio to compromise his original vision, dropping key plot elements, shooting new scenes and an alternate ending. Still, the film managed to drum up a loyal following on home video. And over the years, fans grew more and more curious about a rumored ‘director’s cut’. A few years ago, friends of the director cut together a ‘Cabal’ cut (the film is based on Barker’s book of that name), comprised largely of near-unwatchable, heavily degraded, VHS footage of the excised material. Despite the rough quality, the ‘Cabal’ Cut was a sensation at film festivals and horror conventions, spurring on Scream Factory to acquire the film for distribution. Only after Scream Factory’s announcement were the long-lost original film elements finally located, and a full restoration was created — Nightbreed: The Director’s Cut.

As you can see from my original review of the movie, I’ve always had issues with Nightbreed‘s narrative pacing and flow. I suspected the Director’s Cut would go a long way in correcting some of these problems. The greatest additions are a handful new scenes at the front of the film, giving the characters of Boone and Lori more time to live and breathe before the plot whisks them away from each other. The second best addition is the original ending, an intimate, life-changing scene between Boone and Lori. It’s a gorgeous scene lit to remind you of Scarlet O’Hara’s “I’ll never be hungry again!” moment in Gone with the Wind. The scene returns the story back to Boone and Lori after a third act that is full of monster mayhem and explosions. There are also a few scenes thrown in throughout the movie that emphasize the overarching mythology driving Barker’s story. All the additions are welcome, and do indeed succeed in making Nightbreed a much more enriching experience.

All in all, the film gains twenty minutes in its run time, and nearly another twenty in alternate footage. Sound is a little less than perfect in some of the new scenes — but image quality is consistently outstanding. My biggest disappointment with the Director’s Cut is the re-tracking and sometimes careless editing of Danny Elfman’s original soundtrack to cover the new material. Overall, though, this is a remarkable restoration that horror fans never thought they’d be able to see.