Death Ship (1980)
4K UHD + Blu-ray · Kino Lorber
Stream First
In Brief
Kino Lorber brings Alvin Rakoff's 1980 ghost-ship shocker to 4K UHD Blu-ray with a new HDR10 scan. Both cuts and a hold full of commentaries come along, but the film is a strange, uneven voyage. Stream First.
The Facts
Synopsis: A cruise liner full of vacationers is rammed by an old freighter with no visible crew. The few survivors climb aboard the freighter, and they soon learn it is far from finished with them.
Starring: George Kennedy, Richard Crenna, Nick Mancuso, Sally Ann Howes
Directed by: Alvin Rakoff
Rated: R
Running Length: 91 (Theatrical Cut), 93 (Extended Cut)
The Package
Label: Kino Lorber
Format: 4K UHD + Blu-ray
Release Date: April 14, 2026
Video: 2160p, HDR10, 1.85:1. Theatrical Cut from a new 4K scan of the 35mm original camera negative. The Extended Cut is on the Blu-ray in 1080p
Audio: English DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 and 2.0 mono
Subtitles: English SDH
Discs: 2 discs: 4K UHD (Theatrical Cut) and Blu-ray (both cuts and most extras). Region free. O-card slipcover on the first pressing
The Film
In 1980, Canadian genre filmmaking was having a hell of a year. Terror Train, Prom Night and The Changeling all came riding out of that boom. So did Death Ship, a Canada-UK co-production built around one terrific idea: a mysterious freighter that hunts other ships. The story came from Jack Hill (Foxy Brown), and the movie itself leaves me holding two thoughts at once. The premise is a beauty. The execution is a bit of a wreck. Kino’s 4K disc, at least, treats the film considerably better than the freighter treats its guests.
Captain Ashland (George Kennedy, Airport) is commanding a cruise liner packed with vacationers when an old freighter, apparently without a crew, comes barreling out of the darkness and rams it. Richard Crenna (Leviathan) leads the survivors, joined by Sally Ann Howes (Chitty Chitty Bang Bang) in her final film, along with Kate Reid (Deceived), Nick Mancuso and Saul Rubinek (I Love Trouble). Stranded in a lifeboat, they make the entirely understandable but catastrophically bad decision to climb aboard the very ship that just sank them.
Director Alvin Rakoff (City on Fire) has the bones of something wonderfully nasty here. The grimy corridors feel cramped and hostile, flashes of the ship’s past land with real menace, and one infamous shower sequence has absolutely earned its reputation. The trouble is everything connecting those moments. Once everyone gets aboard, the movie starts running low on fuel, leaving its characters to wander through dark compartments until the next nasty surprise arrives. Kennedy and Crenna bring plenty of old-school gravity, but the script rarely gives either man enough to really dig into.
Then again, some of Death Ship‘s charm comes from how scrappy the whole thing is. The real freighter apparently broke down after only about an hour of shooting, forcing the production to fake much of its prowling. Even the blip on the cruise liner’s radar is recycled footage of Skull Island from the 1976 King Kong. There’s something endearing about a movie this determined to keep sailing no matter how many holes appear in the hull.
It’s basically a haunted house with a rudder, and on a stormy night, that’s sometimes enough. Horror fans have been arguing over Death Ship for decades, which probably tells you exactly who this disc is for.
The Transfer
Video
The 4K UHD Blu-ray presents the Theatrical Cut in HDR10, from a new 4K scan of the original camera negative. Daylight is where it shines, with deck exteriors and well-lit interiors looking crisp and balanced. Darker scenes are another matter. Shadow detail gets washed out below deck, and the HDR tends to make those murky patches more obvious. Color temperature also drifts between sequences in ways that feel random. On deck it looks like a new movie; below deck, the shadows win.
Audio
Two English DTS-HD Master Audio tracks are on board, a 5.1 mix and a 2.0 mono. For a low-budget film, the ship’s groans, clanks and creaks land with clarity and depth, right on cue. The balance wobbles in spots, though some of that feels deliberate. Turn it up, and the ship does half the acting. English SDH subtitles are included.
Transfer Notes
The 4K disc is a triple-layer BD-100 holding only the 91-minute Theatrical Cut at 1.85:1. The BD-50 Blu-ray adds that cut in 1080p plus the 93-minute Extended Cut, an older 2K restoration that keeps more shadow detail. Both discs are region free, and the first pressing includes an O-card slipcover. Deleted scenes and a shower-scene comparison from earlier Scorpion Releasing and Nucleus Films discs are missing. Expect the odd jump where a frame or two is missing.
Special Features
- Audio Commentary for the Theatrical Cut by Paul Corupe and Jason Pichonsky (NEW): Two Canadians champion the film, leaks and all, plus context on their country’s film business. Both discs.
- Audio Commentaries by Alexandra Heller-Nicholas and Josh Nelson (NEW): One track per cut, handy for comparing versions.
- Audio Commentary for the Extended Cut by Director Alvin Rakoff, Moderated by Jonathan Rigby: The archival director’s track.
- Isolated Score for the Extended Cut: Ivor Slaney’s music, minus the polite Canadian screaming.
- Stormy Seas: The Voyage from Bloodstar to Death Ship (41 min): Rakoff, Kennedy, Mancuso and Hill look back. Archival SD, and the best extra here.
- What Is the Ship Saying (4 min): A playful horror-host riff from Katarina’s Nightmare Theater.
- Bloodstar Short Story Script by Jack Hill (4 min): Silent pages from Hill’s original story.
- Theatrical Trailers (0:58 and 1:35): Plus Kino previews for DeepStar Six, Leviathan, Deep Rising, Below and Juggernaut.
Four commentaries, an isolated score and a meaty archival doc pack the hold tighter than the plot. A few older goodies missed the boat, but no Death Ship 4K review could call this light.
Shelf Worthy?
Stream First
Ship's log, final entry for this Death Ship 4K review: Stream First. Its oddball pacing plays best for a certain kind of late-night viewer. If that's you, the sharp daylight scan, lively mix and stacked extras make Kino's set an easy booking. Landlubbers should test the waters before paying for the cabin. This ship sails for the faithful, and the rest can wave from the dock.
Shelf Worthy: Buy it. This one earns a spot on the shelf.
Stream First: Watch it before you buy.
Completionists Only: For collectors who need every edition.
Kino Lorber provided a copy for review. My opinions are my own.
Reviewed by Joe Botten
Joe Botten is The MN Movie Man, a Twin Cities film critic writing spoiler-free reviews since 2012. He also writes for Loud and Clear Reviews, a Rotten Tomatoes approved site. Find him on Instagram and Letterboxd.
Looking for something?
Search by actor, movie, director, genre or keyword.
Leave a Reply