4K UHD Review: The Cell (Limited Edition)

Blu-ray Reviews, Reviews, Top Story

The most nightmarish part of The Cell is realizing the film is nearly 25 years old. Seriously? Has it really been that long since Jennifer Lopez went into the mind of Vincent D’Onofrio. A quarter century has elapsed. Rewatching the movie on 4K UHD, The Cell doesn’t feel 25 years old. The movie remains a freaky science fiction take on a serial killer film. Director Tasem Singh was noted at this point for his major commercials and directing R.E.M’s “Losing My Religion” video that dominated MTV. After being innovative in films that were five minutes or less, could he keep up the visual inventiveness for a feature film? Luckily Tasem picked the right script that let him go into the mindscapes of his characters in The Cell.

Catherine Deane (Out of Sight‘s Jennifer Lopez) is a child psychologist using revolutionary technology to go into the mind of a boy patient to reach him from the inside. She enjoys being in the surreal world, but can’t make the kid open up from his coma in the real world. At the same time, a woman is being drowned in a “cell.” Serial killer Carl Rudolph Stargher (Full Metal Jacket‘s Vincent D’Onofrio) takes her out of the cell, cleans her off and does an unspeakable act that if properly described would get this review flagged by Google. It’s extremely nasty after even 25 years. Stargher grabs a new victim (The Last Days of Disco‘s Tara Subkoff) for his nasty and remote cell. The cops get a clue about Stargher and surround his house. Before they can kick in the door, the serial killer hits the floor in a coma. The agents led by Special Agent Peter Novak (Psycho‘s Vince Vaughn) need to find the cell before his latest victim is drowned. Their only hope is to bring Stargher to Catherine Deane and let her go into his mind to get a clue to the location. Can she handle being inside the mind of a mad man?

The Cell plays well after all this time. The effects that seemed so freaky during the theatrical release are still nightmare inducing. You don’t want to be inside the mind of the serial killer. Although Jennifer Lopez has a dreamy wardrobe inside the Stargher’s world. Director Tarsem Singh doesn’t visually hold back in this thriller. All the tricks he learned in videos and commercials come to play on the screen. He will give you sights that will make you wish you were there and others that will completely gross out.

The 4K UHD disc contains the Director’s Cut that’s 109 minutes and 18 seconds long. The theatrical cut is 107 minutes long and 19 seconds long. The additional nearly two minutes is mostly elements that were a little too nightmarish for US audiences. This includes extra footage of Carl with his first victim after he’s hoisted himself above her corpse. The Director’s Cut is the way to first experience the film. There’s a third version of the film although it’s on the bonus Blu-ray disc. Director of Photography reprocessed the theatrical version of the film. It now has a 1.78:1 aspect ratio with alternate color grading. The movie was shot in Super 35mm so you’re seeing more space at the top and bottom of the image. This plays as well as the 2.39:1 cut. Paul Laufer’s tweaks pay off visually.

The Cell remains a fantastical police chase film after all these years.

Image

The Video is 2.39:1 anamorphic. The 4K Ultra HD Blu-ray™ (2160p) presentation is in Dolby Vision (HDR10 compatible) and approved by director Tarsem Singh. This is a visually rich movie. The Audio is DTS-HD MA 5.1. You’ll hear the weirdness inside their minds and the Cell. The movie is subtitled in English.

Illustrated collector’s book with essays by critics Heather Drain, Marc Edward Heuck, Josh Hurtado, and Virat Nehru.

Four Audio Commentaries start with a brand new audio commentary with film scholars Josh Nelson & Alexandra Heller-Nicholas. They dig into the 25 year old film. There’s a second new audio commentary with screenwriter Mark Protosevich & film critic Kay Lynch. We get a bit more insight into the story. There’s the archive audio commentary with director Tarsem Singh.

Archive audio commentary with director of photography Paul Laufer, production designer Tom Foden, makeup supervisor Michèle Burke, costume designer April Napier, visual effects supervisor Kevin Tod Haug, and composer Howard Shore

Projection of the Mind’s Eye (89:39) is a recent interview with director Tarsem Singh. He mentions that when he visits museums to see the building. He mostly likes to see art in book and not on the wall. He gets into his time making commercials and music videos. He does reproduce a moment from R.E.M.’s “Losing My Religion” in The Cell.

Between Two Worlds (43:16) meets up with director of photography Paul Laufer. He talks how he got into cinematography. He worked with Tarsem Singh at AFI and later on commercials. It was natural that they’d team up for The Cell. He pays tribute to all those who helped give the movie a unique look and feel.

BLU-RAY DISC

Paul Laufer Illuminates (10:47) has the cinematographer discuss his alternate master of The Cell presented. He talks about testing camera lens. He shot the film in spherical so that his version gives more of the image.

Art is Where You Find It (12:232) is a new visual essay by film scholar Alexandra Heller-Nicholas. She gets into Tarsem’s artist influences used in the film. We get to see the original pieces in many cases.

The Costuming Auteur (10:37) is a new visual essay by film critic Abby Bender about the over-the-top costumes. There is deep praise for Eiko Ishioka’s designs. She won the Oscar for Francis Ford Coppola’s Bram Stroker’s Dracula.

Style as Substance: Reflections on Tarsem (11:50) is an archive featurette with cast and crew talking about the director. They get into Tarsem’s visual approach to the film. People who worked with him on commercials and music videos joined him for his first feature film.

Eight deleted/extended scenes with optional audio commentary by director Tarsem Singh includes more time in the cell. There’s even more footage of Carl with his first victim.

Six multi-angle archive visual effects vignettes has the head of visual effects compare how a scene went from storyboards to behind the scenes footage on the set and finished effect. This includes the hoist, the entry suits and the worlds inside the main characters.

Theatrical trailers include the US Trailer (2:25) and International Trailer (1:24).

Image gallery has over 300 images of press photos from every major scene and posters.

Arrow Video presents The Cell: Limited Edition. Directed by Tarsem Singh. Screenplay by Mark Protosevich. Starring Jennifer Lopez, Vince Vaughn, Vincent D’Onofrio, Marianne Jean-Baptiste, Jake Weber & Dylan Baker. Boxset Contents: 3 cuts of the film on 1 4K UHD and 1 Blu-ray discs. Rating: Rated R. Release Date: January 21, 2025.

Here’s a photo I took of Vincent D’Onofrio at Raleigh’s Galaycon in 2023.

Image
Joe Corey is the writer and director of "Danger! Health Films" currently streaming on Night Flight and Amazon Prime. He's the author of "The Seven Secrets of Great Walmart People Greeters." This is the last how to get a job book you'll ever need. He was Associate Producer of the documentary "Moving Midway." He's worked as local crew on several reality shows including Candid Camera, American's Most Wanted, Extreme Makeover Home Edition and ESPN's Gaters. He's been featured on The Today Show and CBS's 48 Hours. Dom DeLuise once said, "Joe, you look like an axe murderer." He was in charge of research and programming at the Moving Image Archive.