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Ninth Configuration (The) AKA Twinkle, Twinkle, Killer Kane
[Blu-ray]
Blu-ray B - United Kingdom - Second Sight Review written by and copyright: Samuel Scott (21st April 2016). |
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The Film
 ***This is an A/V and Extras review only. For reviews on the movie from various critics, we recommend visiting HERE.*** Deep in a forest of pine trees near the coast of Washington State stands a secluded gothic castle, commandeered by the Pentagon for use as a military asylum. Determined to establish the true nature and origin of the men's mental illness, the Pentagon enlists the services of Colonel Kane (Stacy Keach – American History X), a brilliant, yet strangely unorthodox psychiatrist. With a reserved calm he indulges the inmates’ delusions, allowing them free rein to express their fantasies. But some are wary of the newcomer and his methods. There may be more to Kane than meets the eye and the insanity escalates towards an explosive revelation. Written, directed and produced by William Peter Blatty this tense and gripping tale mixes theology and psychology and hosts a stellar cast including Scott Wilson (The Last Samurai), Jason Miller (The Exorcist), Ed Flanders (The Exorcist III) and Tom Atkins (Lethal Weapon). Who is Kane? And what is he hiding?
Video
Independent British distributor Second Sight has given cult favourite "The Ninth Configuration" not only its first release in the United Kingdom on Blu-ray, but its first release since the long out-of-print DVD from 2003. Presented at 2.39:1, and given an AVC encode, this 1080p transfer is overall a pleasing experience with a couple of minor issues. When the film first started, I became a little worried at what the transfer may look like throughout, as some segments of the opening credits look like a dated standard definition transfer. However, I will make a guess that this will be similar on other Blu-ray releases both past and future, as it thankfully only affects this small segment momentarily. Details are generally pretty good but can deteriorate slightly during some of the darker scenes around the castle grounds. Colours are natural and contrast fine with just some very minor crush here and there in the shadows, with the various greens and browns the highlights of the palette. Although the grain can be quite heavy in some scenes, it never really becomes an issue and is likely down to the equipment used during filming. At 107:45 there is a slight judder which looks as though about half a second of footage is slightly misaligned. I have not viewed the Hen's Tooth release so unsure if this is on this release only, or is a minor issue with the source. Final problem I spotted was at 115:04, where there is some heavy haloing. Although I have pointed out several transfer discrepancies, I should also point out that these are all fairly minor in the grand scheme of things, and this transfer is a night and day transfer over the previous DVD release we had here in the UK. Fans will be pleased with what Second Sight have produced. The film is uncut and runs 117:49. There have been at least five versions of the film screened over the years ranging from 99-140 minutes. This cut (the US theatrical) is director William Peter Blatty's approved version.
Audio
Second Sight have provided the viewer with a single audio option; English LPCM 2.0 Mono. The film was originally released in mono, so this is of course welcomed, especially when some releases of this era are given an upmix only with no option for the original mix. Dialogue is clear at all times, despite some of the speedy dialogue and rambling. Effects are noticeable, but can feel slightly flat, especially during the scene with the biker gang in a bar. There are no issues with the track such as drop outs, crackles, pops or scratches, and I noticed no signs of background hiss. Optional English subtitles have been included.
Extras
The first extra is this packed release is an audio commentary with writer/director William Peter Blatty moderated by film critic Mark Kermode. It is quite an old commentary having been available on previous DVD releases, but there is no need to record a new one when this delves into many aspects of the feature including the various versions and some of the troubled history. I am a big fan of Mark Kermode, and he should be praised here as one of the better commentary moderator's I can think of. Sometimes moderators try to be the centre of attention, but Kermode knows exactly when to pipe up and what questions he should ask to keep things moving nicely. Superb. "The Writer/Producer/Director" interview with William Peter Blatty runs 16:38. In this interview, Blatty talks about the story he had written and how he didn't think he could portray the humour from "Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Kane" fully. He touches on how the film became financed by Pepsi, how Charlton Heston had agreed to star until he heard the film would be shot in Budapest, how Stacy Keach became attached to the project and much more. Some of the info is doubled up from the commentary, but this is still certainly worth a viewing. "Confessions of Kane" is an interview with actor Stacy Keach running 14:31. Keach chats about how he first met with William Peter Blatty, after he was due to star in The Exorcist, how he got the part after another actor 'left' because he called a hotel worker a commie and threw the hotel phone at a window, and his role in general. Keach has lead quite a varied career and it is always nice to listen to him discuss his roles, especially some of his bigger ones. "The Debrief of Sgt. Christian" is an interview with actor Stephen Powers (7:46). This is pretty standard fare with brief soundbites about his role and experience in the film. Not as interesting as the other interviews unfortunately. "Designing the Configuration" interviews production designer William Malley and art director J. Dennis Washington (11:44). This is an interesting little extra in which we learn more about the set design and how the look of the film was put together. Malley talks about how they needed a couple of painters from London to recreate the castle and stop it looking like a motel, whilst Washington talks about statues that were used and general set dressing. "Killer on My Mind" is an interview with soundtrack composer Barry De Vorzon (8:54). Vorzon goes into considerable depth about the score when you consider the interview is under ten minutes long, talking about various tracks used, Blatty's thoughts, and how they fit into the feature. "The Party Behind the Curtain" interviews actors Tom Atkins, Jason Miller, and Richard Lynch, as well as writer/director William Peter Blatty (14:02). The Atkins segments are taken from the outtakes of a documentary filmed by Red Shirt Pictures for Creepshow, whilst the Miller and Lynch segments are taken from interview sessions filmed for Blue Underground's release of The Joe Spinell Story. It was great to have these snippets available. Next up we have an Archive Featurette with Mark Kermode (6:47). Like the commentary, this is taken from the older DVD releases, and like the Blatty interview, a lot of the information here is already covered in that commentary. Finally, we have some Outtakes & Deleted Scenes (20:44). This is available as a play all option and without chapter stops, but there are some excellent text introductions to each scene which talks about the origin of each scene and why it was removed from the final edit.
Overall
The Ninth Configuration is an odd little film, and certainly not one where people will complain about a lack of originality. Second Sight provide a decent technical presentation and an excellent array of both old and new extras. For fans of the film, an essential purchase.
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