To All a Goodnight - Blu-ray Review - Kino Lorber

You'll Scream 'til Dawn

Released by: Kino Lorber
Release Date: October 21, 2014
Region Code: A
Running Time: 1:27:19
Audio: English DTS-HD Master Audio 2.0 Mono
Video: 1080p (1.85:1 Aspect Ratio)
Subtitles: None


THE FILM

'Twas the night before Christmas and all through the house, Santa Claus is stirring, and he's not bringing gifts. Five young female boarders at the Calvin Finishing School for Girls have set their sights on a festive Christmas holiday romp. They have just drugged their housemother and smuggled their boyfriends into the house. But their fun-filled promiscuous frolic will soon turn into a blood-soaked nightmare when a sadistic maniac dressed as Santa Claus arrives to deliver some holiday cheer, or maybe that's FEAR. The insane Santa Claus starts slashing his way through the house, and the gory body count begins. So you better watch out, as this Santa knows if you've been bad or good, so be good for goodness sake! Jennifer Runyon (in her film debut) stars in this 1980 slasher cult-horror favorite, directed by David Hess (Krug in Wes Craven's Last House on the Left) and written and produced by Alex Rebar (The Incredible Melting Man). 

I've always enjoyed this film even though it doesn't tend to rank too high with many others. I can't put my finger on what it is that makes me like it. I personally don't think it's very good. But on a scale of one to ten, I would rate it a six. I do like slashers. Make that, I love slashers, particularly those from the 1980's. Plus it does revolve around a holiday, so that tends to add more interest for me. 

AUDIO:

The only audio option for this disc is English DTS-HD Master Audio 2.0 Mono. The track does a fair job with the score, sound effects and dialogue even though the sound quality falters a bit during several lines of dialogue in the film. It's most likely due to the source and it's not as if the dialogue is unintelligible. It's just not always crystal clear. Fear not, it's not often and not off-putting. I'd give the audio a 3/5. 

VIDEO:

"To All a Goodnight" makes it high definition debut thanks to Kino Lorber. The film is presented in 1080p with a 1.85:1 Aspect Ratio. Kino Lorber deserves some thanks and they will at least get mine, for releasing this film in HD. For a long time fans had to suffer with nothing but a dark and shoddy VHS release. But now in "dark scenes" we can actually see more of what is going on. It reminds me of a similar situation with "The Final Terror" from Scream Factory. I had no real hope of seeing this get an HD release since at one time I had read that "To All a Goodnight" was always going to look dark because of the way it was shot. Well, so much for that because Kino Lorber did a really nice job. There is heavy grain, most notably in darker scenes. But those that don't mind or like film grain, probably won't take issue with it. I didn't mind it one bit. To me, grain simply adds to a film, helping it show its age and looks more authentic as opposed to most films now shot digitally with a very shiny and polished look. To me, horror just looks better shot on film. But I digress. Colors look good with reds definitely looking bright as you can see from some characters outfits and of course, the Santa suit. Black levels leave a bit to be desired but no real complaints. Fine detail is good at times in brighter scenes and close-ups with characters faces, hair and clothing fairing well.

SPECIAL FEATURES:

In addition to the following, this disc also features a Chapter Selection Screen. There are no subtitles included. Thanks go to Scorpion Releasing for helping provide some extras for this release. 

Jennifer Runyon Interview (12:30) - Ms. Runyon talks fondly about the film, how it was her first job as well as other films and TV shows in her career. 

Katherine Herrington Interview (9:37) - Ms. Herrington discusses her use of an alias for her credit on the film as well as her trouble working with Director David Hess. She explains how she objected to a few things he wanted done in some scenes in the film. Overall, she comes off as mostly negative regarding the film, in my opinion. But she's at least honest about it. 

Alex Rebar Interview (13:39) - Mr. Rebar served as the films Executive Producer and Writer. He talks about many aspects of the film making process including writing the script and how they shot the film in ten days. Mr. Rebar also discusses other films in his career including "Demented" and "The Incredible Melting Man."

Theatrical Trailer

IN CONCLUSION: 

While not a top tier slasher film, "To All a Goodnight" still has a home at least among 80's slasher fans. It's also part of the killer Santa, film club. I'm thankful to Kino Lorber for releasing this. They did a nice job on this Blu-ray. This is a huge improvement over the previous VHS release and fans of the film should not hesitate to purchase a copy. If the film is new to you, it might be in your best interest to watch at a friends house or rent it if you happen to have a store close by that carries this film. If you are a big slasher fan, I would blind buy this Blu-ray. The trailer below should give you an idea whether this is the sort of movie you would like or not.

OVERALL:  3.5 / 5