Willard

Poor socially awkward Willard. He doesn't fit into society very well and befriends a horde of rats that infest his basement. So what does Willard the misfit do because he has no friends? He decides to breed a rat army to seek vengeance on the adults that have wronged him.

This is the plot of Shout Factory's new horror release "Willard," a remake of the film with the same name from the 1970s. This version features quirky actor Crispin Glover in, no surprise here, a quirky performance that outshines his acting gigs in other films.

Ben's the name of the leader of the rat army, one that becomes out of control after Willard (Glover) constantly battles with his overbearing boss (R. Lee Ermey). In the film's most infamous sequence, Willard commands his rat friends to attack the tyrannical manager and he plunges to his bloody death. It's a gruesome scene, but "Willard 2003" was rated PG-13 and lacks bloodshed. The decision to make a family-friendly horror movie vs. an R-rated one was a bad idea, and this version of "Willard" wasn't a hit at the box office.

But "Willard 2003" gets recommended based on Glover's appearance alone.

This is the debut Blu-ray release of "Willard" and Shout Factory takes the overabundant approach as usual in the special features department, even though many of them are taken from the DVD release. The 70-plus minute documentary "The Year of the Rat" is one example but it still holds up well even though it was filmed back in 2002.

Two brand new interview segments feature writer/director Glen Morgan and producer James Wong. But it's the brief documentary that shows how real rats and other creatures were used and trained in "Willard" that should be watched over all other extras. It's more chilling than watching the film itself, a remake that evokes chuckles rather than scares.

"Willard"
Blu-ray
$29.99
www.shoutfactory.com