Nothing can prepare you for what happens when she fights back.
Released by: Scorpion Releasing
Release Date: April 22, 2014
Production Year: 1983
Region Code: ALL
Running Time: 1:31:53
Audio: English DTS-HD MA 2.0
Video: 1080p (1.78 Aspect Ratio)
Subtitles: None
THE FILM:
Flirtatious young sorority sisters who are days away from graduation set out to throw one last decadent celebration. Unbeknownst to them, the strict matron of their house hides a horrendous secret thought long buried. A gruesome accident is witnessed by a hideous fiend, hidden within the once nurturing dwelling, which triggers a rampage of death and destruction. Before the end, the peril faced by this sisterhood will push them to the bring of annihilation. And rivers of blood will drown all who enter... The House on Sorority Row.
As a long time fan of the film, this movie falls in to a category for me that I compare to "comfort food." Every time I revisit it, it feels like spending time with an old friend. Yes. It is a slasher film and I find comfort in that. Call me weird but there are several films that fit in to that category for me including "Black Christmas" (1974) and "My Blood Valentine" (1981). I have always found Vicki (Eileen Davidson) to be quite likable despite her being a "bad girl" in the film. Perhaps that is why I find her likable. She has an attitude about her, she won't be pushed around and she's not afraid to break the rules.
AUDIO:
This Blu-ray comes with a DTS-HD Master Audio 2.0 audio track. It does a fairly good job overall. It is far from perfect, with some slight hissing here and there. The track would benefit from a good cleanup. However, it still does a good enough job that should please most fans. Thankfully the dialog is not difficult to understand and I never noticed it being drowned out by the terrific Richard Band score or the sound effects used in the film.
VIDEO:
"The House on Sorority Row" graduates to Blu-ray thanks to Scorpion Releasing. The film is presented in 1080p with a 1.78:1 Aspect Ratio via a new high definition master created from the original internegative. This release also features the pre-credit sequence, re-timed to how the Director originally intended. The video quality really looks nice. Scorpion Releasing did a very nice job with their remastering of the film. It is so nice to be a slasher fan and see a treasured (by me at least) 80's classic, given new life in the age of high definition. There are some instances of specks and spots here and there but they are minor and nothing I found to be distracting. Colors in the film look good and not washed out. Skin tones have a nice, natural appearance throughout. Black levels look fairly good, even in the darker scenes. There is a fair amount of fine detail present in the brighter close ups and as is normally the case, less of it in darker or wide shots. I found the film grain to look fine throughout, except in some of the darker scenes where it is a bit heavier. Again, that tends to be the norm in most cases. I have learned to expect that and being a fan of film grain, it would have to be overly aggressive to bother me.
SPECIAL FEATURES:
Nearly all of the special features from the Scorpion Releasing DVD were ported over for the Blu-ray release except for the option to watch the film as "Katarina's Nightmare Theater."
Audio Commentary #1 - This track features stars Eileen Davidson and Kathryn McNeil and Director Mark Rosman. A fun, laid back commentary that feels like old friends reminiscing over old times. The ladies seem to have some fond memories of their time making the film. They do a nice job of talking about what is happening on the screen, throughout the film. I prefer this commentary over the second track, mainly due to it being more fun to listen to while watching the film.
Audio Commentary #2 - This track features Director Mark Rosman moderated by Katarina Leigh Waters. The one starts off by talking about the opening sequence and how it was intended to be in black and white, which it now is on the Blu-ray. Mr. Rosman covers a variety of topics including the budget, cast, sets, the band that appears in the film, death scenes and more. It is mentioned how Lois Kelso Hunt's (Mrs. Slater) voice in the film, was dubber over due to her voice not being as deep and husky as they would have liked. This was a pretty informative commentary track.
Interview with Star Harley Jane Kozak (41:39) - The interview starts with Miss Kozak talking about how she got her part in the film. She mentions how she and several other girls were on soap operas at the same time they were making the movie. Harley talks about going to the films premiere and what it was like to watch her own death scene. She also talks about some other cast members, the set, the remake, including how she thinks all of the male characters in the remake were very unlikable, and a number of topics involving the film.
Original Pre-Credit Sequence (2:06) - Here is the sequence the way it used to look with the bluish hue.
Alternate Ending/Story Board/Still Gallery (7:11) - Mark Rosman narrates over a photo from what he wanted the ending of the film to be, where Kathryn McNeil's character would have been killed. Then we move on the a comparison of storyboards and the film. Finally, we see a number of stills from the film.
Trailers (6:13)
DISC 2 (DVD) SPECIAL FEATURES:
Interview with Star Kathryn McNeil by Katarina Leigh Waters (14:24) - Kathryn talks about her past and current career, the films production, the director, cast members, the nasty swimming pool and more.
Interview with Co-Star Eileen Davidson by Katarina Leigh Waters (7:13) - Eileen discusses her career, the film, the premiere of the film and other topics.
Interview with Director Mark Rosman by Katarina Leigh Waters (21:22) - Mr. Rosman talks about his career and some of the people he has met and worked with over the years. He also talks about the ad campaign, including the poster for the film and how it doesn't exactly represent the same type of film that was being made.
Interview with Composer Richard Band (45:15) This in depth interview with Mr. Band covers his music used in the film. He also talks about several films he worked on including "Parasite", "Dr. Heckyl & Mr. Hype", "The Dungeonmaster", "Re-Animator" and "Ghoulies." Richard mentions how it felt to be conducting an orchestra that is playing your own music. Watching the interview you get to see how he has had an amazing career in music. If you're not familiar with Richard Band, you should take a look at his filmography on IMDB or his own website because you will surely recognize a number of the films he has worked on in his storied career.
Interview with Producer Igo Kantor (10:11) - Mr. Kantor talks briefly about the work he had done on the film. He also talks about some other films he has been involved in over the years.
Katarina's Trailers - "Final Exam" (1:30), "Double Exposure" (2:52), "The Incubus" (1:27), "Terror" (1:41), "Humongous" (1:12)
IN CONCLUSION:
I have been a fan of "The House on Sorority Row" since the first time I watched it, years ago. I was really excited when this Blu-ray was announced and Scorpion Releasing did not disappoint. This was a huge upgrade for me since I had only owned the old Elite Entertainment DVD. This has been a slasher that I always watch at least once a year. Scorpion Releasing did a great job with this release. It has never looked better than it does now. Plus it has some very nice extras with the commentary tracks and interviews. Slasher fans should own a copy of this film.
OVERALL: 4 / 5