Flesh & Blood

Finally available on dual format DVD/Blu-ray in in its full, uncut form, Flesh And Blood is essential viewing for anyone with an interest in Paul Verhoeven's work due to its transitional character, the bridge it forms between his European and US work and between his early, more avant-garde films and those he successfully disguised to please mass audiences. This particular package includes an unusually strong collection of special features which makes it a real treat and will also give it particular appeal for people interested in learning more about the craft of filmmaking.

The audio commentary track is highly detailed and fascinating throughout, with the director particularly keen to provide historical context for his choices, and exceedingly erudite in that respect. Paul Verhoeven In The Flesh allows him to expound further on the film (with remarkably little crossover), and documentary Verhoeven Versus Verhoeven presents a full biography and extensive interviews about his development as a filmmaker, with contributions from the likes of Isabelle Huppert.

Screenwriter Gerard Soeteman provides a very different take on some aspects of the story and discusses it as a treatise on fascism in a way that bears interesting parallels with some of the director's other work , such as Starship Troopers. There's a fascinatingly detailed archival interview with legendary composer Basil Poledouris, a somewhat dry but still intriguing audio interview with star Rutger Hauer, and the original trailer. All in all, these provide hours of additional viewing pleasure and a valuable contribution to the record.