The wonderfully creepy and darkly humorous "C.H.U.D." (Cannibalistic Humanoid Underground Dwellers) makes a welcome debut onto a highly enjoyable Region 1 DVD release.

Anyone who experienced this film on old pan and scan rental tapes in the 80s is in for somewhat of a shock with this disc. The picture quality is quite remarkable, with even the sewer scenes coming up clear and detailed.

The 2.0 mono sound mix strikes a good balance between the music and dialogue. It's a shame though that the track could not have been upgraded at least to stereo.

Nevertheless, this is still a top disc, as proved by the extra features. Have a look through the behind-the-scenes gallery for a wonderful collection of model shots, severed limbs and heads, and the odd bikini pose. Once you've recovered from that, spend a little time with the director, writer, and three of the stars of the movie in the audio commentary. It's a very silly affair indeed, with lame jokes about people's mothers proving quite popular, but it's good fun and occasionally informative.

NB: the DVD release date above refers to the Region 1 disc.

Chapters: 27
Region: 1
Ratio: 1.77:1 (Anamorphic)
Sound: Dolby Digital 2.0
Extra Features: Scene selection, audio commentary with director Douglas Cheek, writer (original story) Shepard Abbott, stars John Heard, Daniel Stern, Christopher Curry; behind-the-scenes stills gallery, trailer, animated menus, subtitles.