A group of mining engineers prospecting for copper in the mountains of Lapland make an incredible discovery when their drilling unearths the remains of a giant, prehistoric amphibious reptile. A section of the creature’s tail is exhumed from beneath the frozen tundra and transported to the National Aquarium in Copenhagen, where it’s placed in a cold room to be studied by Professor Otto Martens and his research team. But when the door to the room is accidentally left ajar, the tail segment begins to thaw, quickly regenerating itself into a gigantic beast! Now loose and embarking on a cross-country rampage, the military are forced to employ all means necessary to rout the creature - now dubbed “Reptilicus” - before it launches a full-scale attack on the capital.
A Danish-American co-production, REPTILICUS is a delirious creature feature which serves as the Scandinavian answer to Godzilla, complete with astonishing scenes of its titular monster causing carnage in Copenhagen. Filmed in both Danish and English language versions, directed by Poul Bang and Sidney W. Pink (Journey to the Seventh Planet) respectively, REPTILICUS features a nearly identical cast to its Danish counterpart but adds in unique special effects flourishes such as the beast spewing acid saliva on its victims. The monster maniacs at Vinegar Syndrome are thrilled to regenerate REPTILICUS in a new 4K restoration from the original negative for its world UHD premiere, alongside an HD transfer of the Danish-language version - available on disc for the first time ever in the U.S. - and an array of newly-produced bonus features.
directed by: Sidney W. Pink, Poul Bang
starring: Bent Mejding, Asbjørn Andersen, Povl Wøldike, Ann Smyrner, Mimi Heinrich, Reptilicus
1961 / 82 min / 1.66:1 / English 1.0 Mono
Additional info:
- 3-disc Set: 4K Ultra HD / Region A Blu-ray x2
- 4K UHD presented in High-Dynamic-Range
- Newly scanned & restored in 4K from its 35mm original camera negative
- Includes the U.S. disc debut of the alternate 95-minute Danish version of REPTILICUS with newly translated English subtitles (Blu-ray only)
- Commentary track with film historian Nicolas Barbano and novelist and critic Kim Newman
- "Fifty Million Years Out of Time: Revisiting Reptilicus" (32 min) - a new retrospective featuring film historian/producer Robert Parigi and screenwriter/film historian C. Courtney Joyner
- "Pink Goes West: Life After Reptilicus" (11 min) - an interview with filmmaker/historian Jay Jennings
- "Invincible... Indestructible!" (29 min) - illustrator, author and film historian Stephen R. Bissette on Reptilicus and its enduring legacy
- Promotional image gallery
- Reversible sleeve artwork
- English SDH subtitles