In 1963, a paranoid middle-class couple locks themselves and their small kids in their nuclear fallout shelter. Thirty years later, their oblivious son and two daughters still survive there playing absurd games—a play-based dark comedy.
Before having this disc sent to me, I’d never heard of “Shelf Life,” the lost movie directed by Paul Bartel. I’ve enjoyed other movies I’ve seen from Bartel’s films, the notable two being “Eating Raoul” and “Lust in the Dust,” so his name alone was enough to gain my interest. It was with some level of excitement that I sat down to watch “Shelf Life.”
In November 1963, the assassination of President John F. Kennedy was announced, prompting a doomsday prepper couple to usher their three young children into the bunker hidden beneath their house. Thirty years later, with their parents dead, the children, Tina (O-Lan Jones), Pam (Andrea Stein), and Scotty (Jim Turner), are still living in the bunker.
They are adults in body only — their parents apparently having been dead for quite some time — and haven’t mentally matured past a certain age. If their parents died while they were still such young children, how likely is it that they’d have been able to care for themselves? This is without mentioning where and how thirty years’ worth of food was stored and what they’ve been doing with their waste all this time, among other questions.
Let’s say we just go with it. Buying into the film’s premise is only part of the issue. While Bartel’s direction is good, it’s not enough to compensate for the lack of a story. This movie is pretty much just a day in the life of these grown children, showcasing their daily routine like a selection of skits. Maybe if this had been a short it might have held my interest. As an 80-minute movie, it wears itself thin. Nothing of note happens, and the film never builds to anything of substance. By the 30-minute mark, the film has become unbearable; by the end, it has become insufferable.
In short, this movie was utterly disappointing and probably should have retained its lost status.
As for the disc itself, it’s clear from the technical presentation of the film that the materials for this movie were not cared for over the years. The video is full of dirt and debris, and no amount of cleanup has been attempted to bring this film to disc. In a way, it’s charming, playing into the lost aspect of the film. Although, in an age where companies are restoring and releasing pristine 4K discs of Z-grade monster movies, it’s a little surprising to see a film in this state. The audio is clear, at least.
The disc contains a few bonus features. After suffering through the film, I was not interested in listening to a commentary track or watching a short, recently filmed Q&A with the actors in character.
Fans of Bartel’s work will want to view this disc out of curiosity. Everyone else can avoid this movie. There’s a reason this has been unseen for over thirty years.
Available on Special Edition Blu-ray™ January 21st
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