Death and aging take on a horrific yet poignant twist in the Maryland regional sleeper THE PASSING, on Blu-ray/DVD combo from Vinegar Syndrome.

Ever since his wife died, World War II veteran Ernie Neuman (James Carroll Plaster) has been sharing his home with ailing buddy Leviticus "Rose" Washington (Welton Benjamin Johnson), at first out of guilt for an incident in which their unit rescued him when he was wounded but left black man Rose behind, but they have over the years formed a codependent yet deeply affectionate bond that is coming to its end. While Rose has turned to exploring different religions and ideas of death, judgment, and reincarnation, Ernie is frustrated by his friend's seeming resignation, attempting to make Rose's last months comfortable but also trying to provoke reactions from him. At his own medical checkup, Ernie is told by a nurse that he might be a good candidate for a geriatric medical experiment being carried out at a nearby institute. When Ernie is accepted, he has to leave Rose alone but must go through with the treatment if it can possibly help Rose as well. It is not until he starts undergoing treatment that he discovers that the experiment consists of using advanced computer technology to transplant him into a younger body; in Ernie's case the body of Wade Carney (director Huckert), on Death Row for the accidental killing of a mechanic (Albert B. Smith) who brutally beat and raped his girlfriend Monica (Lynn Odell).

A meditation on death and aging with a sci-fi twist that is still decidedly different than some of the film's contemporaries like the original incarnation of what became EVIL TOWN or films that dealt with the notion of transplants and whether the brain or the soul is the essence of a human being - Ernie overhears an argument between two doctors in which one asserts that regardless of whether the operation is a success or a failure, it is still murder - THE PASSING might have been regional drive-in filler in the seventies or an indie hit in the nineties or even later; but it must have been a hard sell in the eighties even with the video boom and the demand for content. Although it certainly has some exploitation elements including a fight between Carney and some hoods, the rape scene, and Carney's revenge (which is depicted in more elliptical means that the rape scene), the setup is a bit too leisurely for its own good. The film's strengths lie in the friendship between Ernie and Rose and the air of sadness and impending loss that carries through the film and shades the scenes featuring Carney and his girlfriend more so than the actual performances of the younger actors. The uneven texture and tone of the film keeps the viewer off-kilter, and the making of the film uncovered by Vinegar Syndrome and company turns out to be quite a story in itself.

Unreleased theatrically in the United States – apart from flatbed "screenings" by John Waters – THE PASSING failed to make a blip on the radar with its obscure mid-1980s VHS release and went almost as unnoticed when it turned up on a number of Brentwood/BCI DVD multi-film sets. Vinegar Syndrome's 1080p24 MPEG-4 AVC 1.33:1 pillarboxed fullscreen Blu-ray is derived from 16mm archival elements and probably looks as best as it can given the number of print generations the repurposed material is from the original short films in which the appear, while the computer text credits probably always looked rather dim. The DTS-HD Master Audio 1.0 mono track fares better with intelligible dialogue both on-set and overdubbed while the music – including Synclavier noodlings and songs penned and sung by Huckert himself – come across effectively. Optional English SDH subtitles are included.

The film is accompanied by an audio commentary by director Huckert moderated by Tom Fitzgerald of EXP TV – who came across the film on a cable channel airing obscure and mostly public domain content and has since screened the film publicly – in which Huckert reveals that the film started out as a short film titled "The Water That is Passed," a character piece between the characters Ernie, Rose, and a third character named Slim (the actor of which died before shooting) about aging with the sci-fi twist of the transplant/transfer that is horror-tinged but more character-focused. Plaster was the father of a friend who was willing to shave his head while Rose had worked at the department of public works with Huckert. Another film featuring the two characters titled "Ernie & Rose" followed a few years later preceding Plaster's own death. Both of these films were the expanded into a feature by Huckert by way of building up the transplant volunteer character who was unidentified in the short, and Huckert reveals that the violent scenes were suggested by fellow Maryland filmmaker John Waters.

"Water Under the Bridge" (15:55) is an interview with producer/co-writer Mary Maruca, Huckert's former teacher who had no experience in film but was introduced to a variety of films by Huckert while they were working on the script and the extended shoot would find her doing more than just producing. She recalls admiring Huckert's unwavering dedication even when she could no longer commit herself; whereupon his own father stepped in to help him finish the production. "Passing Time" (22:31) is an interview with cinematographer/documentary filmmaker Richard Chisolm who was a student when he met Huckert and used gear rented from the school to shoot the new footage piecemeal over a long period of time. He recalls thinking the film was big league until he moved onto more mainstream including Baltimore-lensed shows like HOMICIDE: LIFE ON THE STREETS but also thinks positively of the experience and the dedication of the director. A stills gallery is also included.