The Man Who Wasn't There (1983) 3D Blu-ray Review

When you say the name Steve Guttenberg the first thing that would come to mind is probably Police Academy. But he was in many great films including Three Men and a Baby, Cocoon and Short Circuit just to name a few.  

In 1983 just before he would star in the iconic film mentioned above, he starred in a sci-fi comedy entitled The Man Who Wasn't There. It is hard to believe this film is 40 years old. Well, for the 40th anniversary Kino Lorber Studio Classics released a special 3D edition of this film on Blu-ray!

Sam Cooper (Steve Guttenberg) is a minor State Department functionary in Washington D.C., who becomes the object of a frenetic chase when a dying secret agent hands him a vial containing a top-secret formula that can render a person invisible. Sam immediately drinks the formula to keep one step ahead of Soviet spies, American counterspies, the police (who think Sam murdered the agent), thugs and Sam’s estranged fiancée (who was left standing at the altar when this all began)—until he can find the mysterious “Runkelman” and clear this name. H.G. Wells was never like this! 

The screenplay was written by Stanford Sherman (Krull, The Ice Pirates and episodes of Batman and The Man from U.N.C.L.E.). The film was directed by Bruce Malmuth (Nighthawks, Hard to Kill). Now let's be honest here this is great American Adventure. This is an off the wall crazy comedy. When H.G. Wells wrote The Invisible Man, he never envisioned something like this! That doesn't mean it's bad, it is just completely different than anything you have ever seen before. 

Along with Steve Guttenberg we have an impressive cast that includes, Jeffrey Tambor (Arrested Development), Art Hindle (The Brood), Lisa Langlois (Class of 1984) and William Forsythe (Stone Cold). 

Now this film is rated R and for good reason. There is some violence, profanity and there is some sexual content and nudity as well. So, while this film is fun it is not for the whole family. Not by a longshot. Viewers should be aware of this before going to watch this film.

The film has been restored in 3-D by 3-D Film Archive - From 4K Scans of the 35mm Original Camera Negative by Paramount Pictures. The film is presented in 1080p in 2.35:1 aspect ratio. The audio is a DTS-HD Master Audio 2.0. There are also English subtitles for the deaf and hard of hearing.

When watching this film in 3D I must say the action really pops right out at you. It is simply amazing to see how cool this film looks in 3D! But if you are not a fan of 3D don't worry there is also the option for the 2D version. I think that is an amazing addition. It wouyld be easy to do 3D version release and a regular 2D version. But Kino Lorber made both versions so you can have both on one disc. Too Cool!

The 4K scan really is impressive. The colors are bright and vibrant there is no signs of damage to this print that I could see.  And the soundtrack is clean with no hiss or pops. This is a gorgeous looking Blu-ray. But 2 versions of this film are not all that in included on this disc. Take a look at the bonus features that are included.

• NEW Audio Commentary by Paul Corupe of Canuxploitation.com and Film Historian Jason Pichonsky

• Theatrical Trailer (3-D / 2-D)

• Includes the 2D, the BD3D Polarized and Anaglyphic (Red/Cyan) 3-D Versions

• Contains One Pair of Anaglyphic 3-D Glasses

• Slipcover

Now while The Man Who Wasn't There was hated by critics and lost money at the Box Office over the years it has become loved by fans and has gained a cult status. Kino Lorber under KL Studio Classics have given this Paramount Pictures film a release fans will love! With an insightful audio commentary and the trailer in 3D simply awesome release!

For fans of Steve Guttenberg or 80s comedies. This new 3D Blu-ray of The Man Who Wasn't There is an absolute must own! Head over to Amazon and order your copy today. 


Out of 4 film reels (4 being the best) the 3D Blu-ray of the Man Who Wasn't There receives....