Crawlspace (Blu-ray Review)
- Review Date: Aug 08, 2025
- Format: Blu-ray Disc
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Director
David SchmoellerRelease Date(s)
1986 (February 25, 2025)Studio(s)
Altar Productions/Empire Pictures (Kino Cult #26)- Film/Program Grade: B-
- Video Grade: B+
- Audio Grade: B+
- Extras Grade: C+
Review
Crawlspace spins a yarn about an insane landlord (Klaus Kinski) who’s keeping much too close an eye on the female tenants in his apartment building, so much so that he’s using hidden crawlspaces throughout the building to spy on every move that they make. As he carves up tenant after tenant, his sordid and horrific past is about to catch up with him, and the one tenant left in the building isn’t going to take things lying down.
Directed by David Schmoeller, who horror fans will recognize from Tourist Trap and Puppet Master, Crawlspace also features a terrific score by the great Pino Donaggio and special makeup effects by John Carl Buechler’s Magical Media Industries, Inc. Klaus Kinski, one of the creepiest actors to ever hit theater screens, gives a chilling performance as a former Nazi obsessed with killing off his renters and collecting specific body parts while writing down his activities in a diary.
In truth, Crawlspace isn’t so much a straight horror film as it is a psychological thriller. For the most part, there isn’t a whole lot of hack and slash, nor is there much blood or gore on display. Instead, there’s plenty of atmosphere, which is far more threatening and effective. The film also has a claustrophobic feel that seems akin to films by Wes Craven, not to mention a Peeping Tom vibe. The other actors do a decent job with the material, but Kinski is really the whole ballgame with this one.
Crawlspace doesn’t come off like a lot of thrillers or horror films from this timeframe, riding on its own oddball wavelength, making it a little more interesting than at the outset. It’s a B movie, there’s no two ways about it, but considering that the director had to work with the notoriously difficult-to-work-with Klaus Kinski, going so far as to make a short film about the experience, it’s a miracle that Crawlspace comes out on the other side as well as it does.
Crawlspace was shot by Sergio Salvati on 35mm film using Technovision cameras and spherical lenses, finished photochemically, and presented in the aspect ratio of 1.85:1. The film comes to Blu-ray in the US for a second time from Kino Cult, presented on a dual-layered BD-50 disc. This and the maxed out bitrate, usually sitting in the upper 35 to 40Mbps range, are the main advantages over the previous Scream Factory Blu-ray since it’s the exact same master, likely a 2K scan of an interpositive. But with more disc space and better encoding to work with, detail is tighter and compression artifacts are nonexistent. Even black levels are slightly improved, and the whole of the presentation is less smooth in appearance. That all said, it’s still a much older HD master, so it’s limited in what it can do. Speckling is frequent throughout and color balance is decent, with particular regard for flesh tones, but it’s a stable and relatively problem-free picture.
Audio is included in English 2.0 mono DTS-HD Master Audio, with newly-added subtitles in English SDH, which is another advantage over the previous disc. It’s the same track, with some surprising fidelity, particularly in Pino Donaggio’s score, which has a lot of life to it. Dialogue is always clean and clear and sound effects come through pretty well. It’s a serviceable track, all said and done.
The Kino Cult Blu-ray release of Crawlspace sits in a blue Amaray case with a double-sided insert featuring the Empire Pictures theatrical artwork on the front (as well as the slipcover), and the Continental Motion Pictures artwork on the reverse. The following extras are included:
- Audio Commentary with David Schmoeller
- Audio Commentary with John Harrison
- Tales From the Crawlspace with John Vulich (HD – 8:33)
- Please Kill Mr. Kinski (SD – 9:05)
- Theatrical Trailer (HD – 1:28)
- TV Spots (SD – 2 in all – 1:02)
In the 2013 audio commentary with director David Schmoeller, he discusses the original story for the film that was later changed, and the trials and tribulations of the actual shoot. He mostly stays on track, though he does fall into the trap of occasionally watching the film. New to this release is an audio commentary with author and film historian John Harrison, who delves into many facets of the production, as well as the careers of the cast and crew. In Tales From the Crawlspace, makeup effects artist John Vulich details getting into the film business, working with Klaus Kinski, his effects for the film, and his memories of working in Italy at Empire Studios. Please Kill Mr. Kinski is the aforementioned infamous short film by David Schmoeller. Last is the original theatrical trailer and two TV spots.
Not included from the Region B-locked Blu-ray release by 88 films is an audio commentary by film journalists Matty Budrewicz and Dave Wain; Mind Trap: Inside Crawlspace, an interview with David Schmoeller; The Making of Crawlspace documentary; a 1986 promotional featurette; a VHS promo; and a stills gallery.
Crawlspace could certainly use a fresh 4K scan of the original camera negative, but being that it’s essentially been out of print for a while now in the US, having it available at all, and with a slightly improved picture and a subtitles option, it’s definitely worth appreciating.
- Tim Salmons
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