Arrow's new Blu-ray transfer is on a dual-layered disc with a very high bitrate. It is in the 1.78:1 aspect ratio. You can see the improvement over the SD transfers - it tightens, brightens and maintains the film's heavy presence. There is more detail - no noise or artifacts in the many darker sequences. It even has minor depth. It is probably from the same source as Arrow 2011 DVD but it has the high resolution and over 3 X the bitrate.

Arrow stay authentic with the audio using a linear PCM track and the musical score by Jonathan Elias (Two Moon Junction, Children of the Corn) sounds intensified via the uncompressed - not to mention all the vampiric growls and roars that carry some ominous depth. Of course, there is also the Vamp theme, written by Jonathan Elias & Grace Jones, running through the film and many should note the wry use of such older tunes as That Old Black Magic and I'm In The Mood For Love. There are optional English subtitles on the region FREE Blu-ray disc.

Arrow sure aren't lazy always adding new extras and augment this Blu-ray release with a new supplemental featurette - One of those Nights: The Making of Vamp is a brand new, 45-minute, documentary featuring interviews with director Richard Wenk, stars Robert Rusler, Dedee Pfeiffer, Gedde Watanabe. We, strangely, lose the audio commentary from their 2011 DVD edition and some of those interviews, but keep the Behind-the-scenes rehearsals footage, the Blooper Reel and Wenk's short film Dracula Bites the Big Apple from 1974. There is also an image gallery, TV Spots and trailers plus the package has a reversible sleeve featuring original and newly commissioned artwork by the 'Twins of Evil 'and for the first pressing only: a new booklet featuring new writing on the film by critic Cullen Gallagher.

This is a fairly unique, visually engrossing and amusing take on a vampire adventure. I'm reminded of Robert Rodriguez's From Dusk Till Dawn - intense horror visage, titillating strippers and at the same time a bit of a hoot. Grace Jones is such a presence and Makepeace does a super job... for the fans of both horror and comedy genres - this is recommended!

***

ON THE DVD: Arrow Video debuts a new Mondo Macabro-esque start-up promo reel with this title (it would have been nice if it was skippable for repeat viewings of the disc). Although the Arrow and Anchor Bay DVDs are matted to the same aspect ratio, Arrow's new DVD of reveals more picture information on the top and left sides of the frame. Saturation differs between the two transfers (although the Arrow is sometimes bolder), but Arrow reveals more picture detail throughout (a Blu-ray of the Arrow version is also due out). Unusual for DVD, Arrow has encoded the English mono audio as uncompressed LPCM (the commentary is 2.0 Dolby Digital) - so it should be the same as the audio on the Blu-ray - and optional English subtitles are provided.

Actor Robert Rusler provides a short introduction and a laid-back commentary (he has some interesting Grace Jones anecdotes, and we learn that Jerry Lewis was originally intended for the Sandy Baron role). Actress Dedee Pfeiffer, director Richard Wenk, and producer Donald P. Borchers are all interviews (as with other Arrow special editions, the animated credits and other intro material go on a bit too long, as do some of the clips). Commentary moderator Callum Wadell sifts through VAMP memorabilia with Wenk and Borchers. The short film "Dracula Bites the Big Apple" - which was shown on HBO and brought Wenk to the attention of Borchers - the behind the scenes footage, and the blooper reel were previously available on Anchor Bay's R1 edition. The Anchor Bay disc does feature an audio commentary with the director and actors Chris Makepeace, Dedee Pfeiffer, and Gedde Watanabe that is not present on the Arrow edition. It also includes a second trailer, seven TV spots, and a poster and still gallery. VAMP completists (if there are any) may want to pick up the Anchor Bay edition. It can be found quite cheaply on its own or in the Anchor Bay 6-disc FRIGHT PACK: CAMPY CLASSICS which features the film with five other New World horror-comedies (with all of the content of the individual editions).

 - Eric Cotenas