They thought they were alone.
Released by: Vinegar Syndrome
Release Date: May 26, 2015
Region Code: All
Running Time: 1:28:42
Audio: DTS-HD Master Audio Mono
Video: 1080P (1.85:1 Aspect Ratio)
Subtitles: English
THE FILM:
"Madman" takes place, as stated on screen following the opening credits, at North Sea Cottages, a special retreat for gifted children. The opening scene shows children and camp counselors sitting around a camp fire creepily being sung to by T.P. (Tony Fish). Throughout the song, we see a montage of scenes, which is a bit of 'things to come' later in the film. Next up, the gang is treated to a spooky story by Max (Carl Fredericks), the caretaker at the camp, who tells the story of a farmer that used to live close by. As the story goes, he was married and had two children. He was a mean and ugly man who beat his wife and brutally punished his children. He liked to drink and fight. One time during a brawl, he had part of his nose bitten off and didn't feel a thing. For no apparent reason, he went mad one night and used an axe to chop up his wife, his son and lastly, his daughter. Next he walked into the tavern and hoisted his bloody axe onto the bar and ordered a drink. It didn't take long before the townspeople took justice into their own hands, hanging the farmer from a tree, only to find his body and the bodies of his family missing the following day. Max then further sets things up by telling the counselors and children that if you say his name (Madman Marz) above a whisper, he'll come for you. Richie (Jimmy Steele), one of the kids, proceeds to egg on Marz by calling him out, thus starting a night they'll never forget.
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| Richie decided to sneak off and do some investigating |
AUDIO:
The DTS-HD MA Mono audio track does a fine job. It is clear and balanced throughout the film. There were not any real noticeable hisses, pops, or any other distracting sounds. Dialogue is easy to understand as well.
VIDEO:
"Madman" makes it HD debut via Vinegar Syndrome who really did a great job creating a new transfer, restoring "Madman" in 4K from the 35mm camera negative. For fans of the film, like me, I don't think anyone could have predicted it receiving this kind of treatment. The video quality looks incredible. Those unfamiliar with the film may think this Blu-ray release looks a bit soft, which is does at times, but I imagine that is due to how it was shot and the filming conditions, rather than any fault of Vinegar Syndrome. For the majority of the film, the video looks fairly sharp with good colors, skin tones and contrast. The video quality really shines in a number of close ups and well lit scenes. For a film shot at night, black levels look good. The level of grain looks great as well. I can't imagine that someone who has seen the previous Standard Definition releases, being disappointed with how this Blu-ray looks. One important thing to note is that Vinegar Syndrome made it a point to bring the blue tint back to the film. They were not heavy handed with it, as was the case with the Anchor Bay DVD in 2001, where everything was heavily bathed in a blue tint. When the title was announced for future release, a number of fans, myself included, inquired about the blue tint and if it would be brought back since the Code Red DVD released in 2010 eliminated it altogether. Thankfully Vinegar Syndrome was very much, on it, and spoke with the films producer, Gary Sales. What we have now more closely represents what the film looked like theatrically back in 1982. There is one negative thing regarding the video and that is some vertical scratches that appear several times throughout the film. They only last a second or two and while easily noticeable, I did not find them particularly off-putting as some might find. It would seem they are part of the negative and I am not an expert in that field so I can't begin to speculate what fixing them or the cost to do so, would involve.
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| Betsy, you better watch your back |
SPECIAL FEATURES:
Another area that this release really shines is all the extras that are included. Thankfully it's all on a 50GB Dual-layered disc so there is plenty of room. You have the option when playing the film, to first watch a brief intro by producer Gary Sales. On the Main Menu there is a section called "Reels" which is a Chapter Selection screen. The cover art is reversible featuring work by Paul Ehlers.
Commentary Track #1 - Features director Joe Giannone, producer Gary Sales, actors Paul Ehlers (Madman Marz) and Tony Fish (T.P.). A good commentary track with plenty of insight from all involved.
Commentary Track #2 - This track features The Hysteria Continues! It is a mix of informative moments as well as times where they have a bit of fun with the film, cracking jokes about some scenes. I did notice at approximately (1:07:20) that the audio cuts out for a second while one of the members are talking. That's the only instance of it that I noticed. The commentary continued fine afterward.
Madman: Alive at 35! (21:00) - Here we have Gary Sales reuniting actors Paul Ehlers (Madman Marz) and Tom Candela AKA Jimmy Steele (Richie). They take a trip back memory lane and share some stories.
The Early Career of Gary Sales (14:15) - Here we have producer Gary Sales talk about his career including a foray in the adult film business.
Original Theatrical Trailer (1:48)
The Legend Still Lives! (1:31:42) - Here is a hefty documentary that fans should thoroughly enjoy. It was thankfully ported over from the Code Red DVD. It features interviews with members of the cast and crew including: Paul Ehlers, Gary Sales, Harriet Bass, Carl Fredericks and Michael Sullivan. Gary Sales and Paul Ehlers give the fans a look at the tree where Madman Marz was hung. The production of the film is covered as well as a variety of topics associated with the film. Some fans are interviewed as well and they give a look at their "Madman" collections.
Stills & Artwork Gallery (7:20) - Gary Sales does commentary while the slideshow plays.
Music Inspired by Madman (13:17) - Features songs inspired by the film as well as fan renditions of the feature song.
In Memoriam (5:46) - Gary Sales pays tribute to director Joe Giannone who passed away in 2006 and Tony Fish (T.P.) who passed away in 2009. A brief mention of Carl Fredericks (Max) is made as well. He also sadly passed away in 2012.
TV Spots (1:59)
Deadpit Interview with Gary Sales (3:37) - The interview mainly consists of Gary Sales talking about remaking the film and wanting to do more than one film.
Deadpit Interview with Paul Ehlers (5:15) - Similar to the other interview, most of the time is spent discussing a remake with Ehlers again playing the role of Madman Marz.
IN CONCLUSION
While the film never got the notoriety of the likes of Friday the 13th, Halloween, etc. it remains one of my favorite slashers. It goes against the grain a bit in regards to "final girl" and doesn't feature a cast of models like the majority of today's horror films. I was very excited when I first read that "Madman" was coming to Blu-ray and Vinegar Syndrome did a fantastic job! A 4K restoration and tons of extras. If you are a fan of the film you need this release in your collection! If you have never seen the film before, now is a good time to check it out. I also want to note that this release is a Blu-ray and DVD combo pack.
OVERALL: 4.5/5