Released by:Image Entertainment Release Date: July 22, 2014 Production Year: 2013 Region Code: A Running Time: 1:29:33 Audio: English DTS-HD MA 5.1 Video: 1080p (2.35:1 Aspect Ratio) Subtitles: English SDH
THE FILM:
Teenage outsider Maddy (Caitlin Stasey "I, Frankenstein") is keeping some dark secrets and holding a serious grudge against the captain of the Blackfoot High football team. When Maddy joins the school's elite and powerful cheerleading squad, she convinces her new friends to help inflict her revenge. After a late-night party goes awry, their plans take an unexpected turn for the worst and all of the girls die. A sinister, supernatural power intervenes and the girls mysteriously appear at school the next day with a killer new look… and some unusual new appetites.
I find Lucky McKee and Chris Sivertson's "All Cheerleaders Die" to be a fun film. It has an interesting story and some likable characters. This film is a remake of the directors film of the same name that they made after they finished film school.
AUDIO:
The only audio option included on the Blu-ray disc is an English DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 track. Quality of the audio is great. The 5.1 track features a nice balance of the musical score and sound effects without drowning out the dialogue. There are no negative issues to report except that at times you don't quite feel as immersed in the sound as you might be expecting.
VIDEO:
"All Cheerleaders Die" climbs its way to Blu-ray courtesy of Image Entertainment. The film is presented in 1080p with a 2.35:1 Aspect Ratio. Colors look lively and bright. Contrast is little high at times with things on screen appearing a little darker than they necessarily need to be. Black levels look nice for the most part. Skin tones look natural. The film has an excellent amount of fine detail throughout the feature. I did not really notice any digital noise or similar problems. The overall picture quality is great.
SPECIAL FEATURES:
Along with the featurette listed below, the Blu-ray also has a Chapter Selection Screen and English SDH Subtitles.
Behind the Scenes (23:45) - This featurette includes a lot of information in short snippets. Producer Andrew Van Den Houten and several cast members give viewers a glimpse into the process of making the film. They cover topics such as auditioning for the film, their roles and what it was like working with the directors. Mixed in among the interviews are clips of behind the scenes footage showing how some of the scenes were filmed.
IN CONCLUSION:
I find "All Cheerleaders Die" to be a fun and entertaining horror-comedy. You should watch the trailer first and see if this looks like something you may enjoy. The audio and video quality is great. I'd suggest most people rent it first, although if the trailer really appeals to you, throw caution to the wind and buy it.
Released by:Code Red DVD Release Date: April 2014 Production Year: 1984 Region Code: All Running Time: 1:32:47 Audio: English DTS-HD MA Mono / English DTS-HD MA 5.1 Video: 1080p (1.78:1 Aspect Ratio) Subtitles: None
THE FILM:
Linda Blair is Brenda, vivacious leader of the "Satins", a fun-loving group of pretty high school girls. The Satins are in for trouble from the first moment they play a harmless trick on the "Scars", a vicious gang who runs loose on the Hollywood streets. The Scars and their malevolent leader, Jake, take revenge seriously... first with Brenda's deaf-mute sister (Linnea Quigley, "Return of the Living Dead") and then with her soon-to-be-married best friend. Caught up in her rivalry with the cheerleaders, Brenda is at first unaware of the Scars' involvement, but is soon shocked with the full truth. Shock.. hatred.. in a skintight black suit ensues, as Brenda searches out the gang members one by one to take out her deadly vengeance. "Savage Streets" is a good revenge film. Despite at least one scene that some viewers may find rather unpleasant, the film does have some light and fun moments as well. "Savage Streets" does a good job at making you really detest the villains, which makes it all the more satisfying when Brenda decides to dole out some revenge.
AUDIO:
This Blu-ray release features two English audio options, DTS-HD Master Audio Mono and a brand new DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 track. Both audio tracks sound fine with dialogue, sound effects and the score all being well balanced. The audio is in good shape with no noticeable issues.
VIDEO:
"Savage Streets" makes its Blu-ray debut thanks to Code Red DVD via a brand new high definition master. The film is presented in 1080p with a 1.78:1 Aspect Ratio. Those familiar with previous DVD releases will be pleased to find a noticeable uptick in video quality. Code Red DVD did a nice job with the video for this Blu-ray. There is a nice thin layer of grain present in the brighter scenes of the film. The grain does get heavier in the darker scenes as one might expect. Colors look vivid with reds looking terrific. Contrast looks fine and black levels have a nice appearance, especially in the clothing of some characters. There is a fair amount of fine detail present in the well lit scenes of the film. I did notice some blemishes throughout, in the form of specks, spots and scratches. But they were never to the point of being distracting or overwhelming. It would probably require a pricey restoration to clear most of them up.
SPECIAL FEATURES:
Isolated Music Only Track - This can be selected and played from the Main Menu. Original Trailer (3:23)
IN CONCLUSION:
If you enjoy revenge style films, you will probably like this one. This release sports pretty nice video quality and lossless audio. Fans of the film may want to upgrade their DVD's but should keep the previous, special feature loaded releases, due to this Blu-ray not carrying over those extras. If you are on the fence about purchasing, I would pull the trigger. Despite a lack of extras, the film itself and the nice job that Code Red DVD did in terms of audio and video quality, make it worth buying.
Scream Factory says their upcoming "Office Space" meets vampires horror/comedy titled, "Bloodsucking Bastards" will hit select theaters and On Demand, September 4, 2015.
The film boasts an all-star cast including Fran Kranz (Cabin in the Woods), Pedro Pascal (Game of Thrones), Emma Fitzpatrick (Significant Mother, The Collection), Yvette Yates (Inherent Vice) with Joel Murray (Mad Men) and Joey Kern (Cabin Fever, Super Troopers).
SYNOPSIS: An Office Space meets Shaun of the Dead action-packed horror comedy, BLOODSUCKING BASTARDS stars Fran Kranz as Evan Sanders, a low-level, dutiful employee stuck in a boring job at a soul-killing every corporation. Evan’s the kind of guy who does all the work and gets none of the credit, but at least he gets to spend his days with his beautiful co-worker/girlfriend Amanda and his slacker best friend Tim, so he soldiers on in the hope of one day getting his coveted sales director position.
Unfortunately, it all falls apart in one fell swoop when Amanda breaks up with him and Evan’s boss Ted hands his promotion to his college nemesis Max . And it isn’t just their sordid past Evan has to deal with. After his fellow officemates start going through disturbing changes (which, paradoxically, make them better employees) and bodies begin to pile up, Evan learns the horrible truth: Max is a vampire. And even worse… a vamp with a plan.
BLOODSUCKING BASTARDS takes audiences on a hilarious, blood-spattered roller coaster ride in the most terrifying locale of all: the American workplace. Evan must find a way to stop the evil brewing amidst the cubicles, expose Max as the bloodsucking bastard that he is, win back Amanda, and save his pals before his life and career go from dead-end… to just dead. For more details, check out the main website and "Like" the Facebook page!
Released by:Scream Factory Release Date: May 13, 2014 Production Year: 1981 Region Code: A Running Time: 1:29:50 Audio: English DTS-HD MA Mono Video: 1080p (1.78:1 Aspect Ratio) Subtitles: English
THE FILM:
At Lanier College, the semester is almost over. Exam week is coming to a close when some upperclassmen play a prank by staging a phony terrorist attack. But the next moment of excitement at the school won't be a prank. And it's something a lot more final than an exam. Students are falling prey to a knife-wielding maniac stalking the school, bent on making sure that for some, school is out... forever!
"Final Exam" is light on blood and slow to get to the kills, but if you give it a chance, it is entertaining in its own way and features several fun, oddball characters. I was not much of a fan the first couple times I watched the film. But with the third viewing, it finally resonated with me in some way and I now enjoy it. Once I stopped focusing on the slow first half and the kill meter not going up fast enough, the film became more enjoyable. Once things get going, the kills do start the stack up.
AUDIO:
The Blu-ray includes one audio option, besides the commentary, an English DTS-HD Master Audio Mono track. It does an adequate job overall. The score and sound effects fared better than dialogue which I found to be a bit tinny in enclosed or indoor scenes. Sound levels are well balanced throughout the film.
VIDEO:
"Final Exam" comes to the Blu-ray thanks to Scream Factory in cooperation with Code Red DVD via a new high definition transfer from the original camera negative. The film is presented in 1080p with a 1.78:1 Aspect Ratio. For the most part, the video quality is wonderful. There are some minor specks here and there during the film and an instance of a small blue spot that appeared for a second. The first 35 seconds or so of the film look the worst as far as spots and scratches and then it clears up and looks great for the remainder of the feature. For a lower budget film that is over 30 years old, it really does look excellent. Colors look pleasant and bright with good saturation. Skin tones look natural. Black levels appear strong. There is a thin layer of grain that looks good throughout. Viewers will be pleased to find that the film sports a generous amount of detail and the image looks quite sharp.
SPECIAL FEATURES:
Along with the extras listed below, this Blu-ray also has a Chapter Selection Screen and English Subtitles.
Audio Commentary - Cast members Joel Rice, Cecile Bagdadi and Sherry Willis-Burch are joined by Moderator, Julia Marchese of the New Beverly Cinema and Deron Miller of the band CKY. With five participants, things can get a bit confusing as to who is talking at times. However, Mr. Miller did not do much of the talking. Julia Marchese did a good job asking questions throughout the film and the actors were great, providing a fun and spirited commentary. When they are not discussing what is going on in the film at the time, they are sharing tales from the set. I really enjoyed this track and feel that fans of the film will like it as well.
Interviews With Cast Members:
Joel S. Rice "Radish" (6:47) - Mr. Rice recounts how he learned about the film and the audition process for his role. He talks about the film being shot over the course of six weeks, the shooting location, his career and other topics.
Cecile Bagdadi "Courtney" (3:43) - Miss Bagdadi discusses auditioning for the film, her experiences on the set, her career and what she is doing now.
Sherry Willis-Burch "Janet" (4:58) - She also talks about her role in the film. Miss Willis-Burch discusses the toughest scene that she had to do in the film, her career including the film "Killer Party" and her life afterward.
Theatrical Trailer (1:31)
IN CONCLUSION:
"Final Exam" can be an entertaining film if given the chance. Fans will definitely want to upgrade to the Blu-ray, which looks excellent. If you have never seen the film before, you should at least give it a chance. The Blu-ray features a good commentary track and a trio of interviews. It is usually available online for a reasonable price. Slasher fans, I'd say buy it. You can view a trailer below which may help you decide if the film is right for you.
Synapse Films released Director Raffaele Picchio's shocker, Morituris: Legions of the Dead on Blu-ray and DVD on September 8, 2015.
Two lovely Romanian girls take a trip with three Italian men to a rumored midnight rave in the middle of a dark forest. As the gang proceeds on foot to their final destination, a mysterious graveyard is discovered, a shockingly vile plot twist is revealed and bloodthirsty undead Roman gladiators rise from the dead to torture and mutilate their victims! For the two women, an already terrifying night is about to get much, much worse, as the zombified warriors hunt down the group to tear their heads off! Will anyone survive the night? An interesting mix of old school 1980s Italian horror, with a touch of the brutality of Wes Craven’s THE LAST HOUSE ON THE LEFT, MORITURIS is an unflinching, strong, cruel and extremely violent film featuring gruesome effects from Italian SPFX maestro, Sergio Stivaletti (DEMONS, DEMONS 2, DELLAMORTE DELLAMORE, Dario Argento’s OPERA).
Director: Raffaele Picchio Starring: Valentina D'Andrea, Andrea De Bruyn, Desiree Giorgetti, Francesco Malcom Runtime: 86 minutes Release Date: September 8, 2015 Language: Italian Aspect Ratio: Widescreen 1080p (1.85:1) Presentation Region: All Regions Features:
Newly Translated Removable English Subtitles Original Theatrical Trailer Reversible Cover Art
Scream Factory has announced their final list of extras for their upcoming Blu-ray release of The Sentinel.
As per their press release:
We are extremely excited today to reveal details about our upcoming blu-ray release of The Sentinel -- the 1977 shockfest from Director Michael Winner that was often considered by some as too outrageous for its time but has since gone on to achieve a rather large cult following.
Lots of great stuff on the disc came together through a lot of hard work with many involved behind-the-scenes. We truly hope that you enjoy the following supplements as much as we do:
• NEW 2015 High Definition transfer of the film from interpositive! (We can now confess that this is why we delayed the release a month. Thank you for understanding when we moved it.) • NEW Audio Commentary by actress Cristina Raines (FYI – She admits that this is the first time she has ever watched the film!) • NEW Audio Commentary with writer/producer Jeffrey Konvitz • NEW interview with assistant director Ralph S. Singleton • Audio Commentary with director Michael Winner • Theatrical Trailer & TV Spots • Still Galleries – movie stills, press photos, posters and lobby cards
For those of you who haven’t seen the film, do yourself a favor and Check. It. Out! The action surrounds a fashion model, a blind priest, the gates of hell, bloody special effects (courtesy of the legendary Dick Smith) and sports a crazy list of stars – arguably the biggest in horror film history – that includes Chris Sarandon, Cristina Raines, Christopher Walken, Ava Gardner, Arthur Kennedy, Jeff Goldblum, Jerry Orbach, Beverly D’ Angelo, Burgess Meredith, Eli Wallach, Martin Balsam, Deborah Raffin, Tom Berenger, Jose Ferrer, John Carradine and Nana Visitor.
Synapse Films has announced the details for their October 13, 2015 Blu-ray and DVD release of Manos: The Hands of Fate.
SPECIAL FEATURES:
• All-new 2K restoration • Audio commentary featuring Tom “The Master” Neyman and Jackey Raye “Debbie” Neyman-Jones • HANDS: THE FATE OF “MANOS” Featurette • RESTORING THE HANDS OF FATE Featurette • FELT: THE PUPPET HANDS OF FATE Featurette • MANOS: THE HANDS OF FATE - “Grindhouse Unrestored Version” (BLU-RAY ONLY BONUS)
NOT RATED / 1966 / 74 MINS. / COLOR / 2.0 MONO / 1.33:1/ REGION FREE BLU PRICE: $24.95/ DVD PRICE: $19.95
Synapse Films has announced the details for their October 13, 2015 Blu-ray and DVD release of Mosquito.
SPECIAL FEATURES: • Audio Commentary with Director & Co-Writer Gary Jones, Director of Photography & Co-Writer Tom Chaney, and Producer David Thiry • Bugging Out! – The Making of “Mosquito” – An all-new documentary featuring interviews with Director & Co-Writer Gary Jones, Stars Gunnar Hansen, Tim Lovelace, Rachel Loiselle, Mike Hard, and Josh Becker, Director of Photography & Co-Writer Tom Chaney, Producer David Thiry, and more! • Deleted & Extended Scenes featuring Optional Audio Commentary with Gary Jones • Behind The Scenes Footage featuring Optional Audio Commentary with Gary Jones • Original Trailer • Still Gallery • Reversible Illustrated Cover Art by Nathan Thomas Milliner NOT RATED / 1995/ 92 MINS. / COLOR / DTS-HD MA 7.1 (Blu-ray) / Dolby Digital Surround (DVD) 1.78.1 Aspect Ratio / REGION FREE
Walter Olsen of Scorpion Releasing announced that Kino Lorber will be releasing the 1966 film, Queen of Blood on Blu-ray. Directed by Curtis Harrington, the film stars John Saxon, Basil Rathbone and Dennis Hopper. The film tells the story of an alien ship that crash-lands on Mars. Then a rescue ship is sent to look for survivors. They only find one, that turns out to be an alien vampire, who starts killing the crew. Mr. Olsen says the release will feature brand new interviews with historian Robert Skotak and producer Roger Corman.
Tentative cover art shown below.
The Blu-ray is not available yet, but you can stream it on Amazon.
Don't Dare Make New Year's Resolutions... Unless You Plan To Live!
Released by:Scream Factory Release Date: February 24, 2015 Production Year: 1980 Region Code: A Running Time: 1:25:33 Audio: English DTS-HD MA 2.0 Mono Video: 1080p (1.78:1 Aspect Ratio) Subtitles: English
THE FILM:
Diane "Blaze" Sullivan, the host of a nationally televised punk-rock show on New Year's Eve, is receiving calls from a mysterious killer who tells her of his plans to off someone at midnight in each of America's major time zones... and she will be the last.
Directed by Emmett Alston, "New Year's Evil" stars Roz Kelly (who played Pinky Tuscadero on Happy Days), Kip Niven (Magnum Force), Grant Cramer (Killer Klowns From Outer Space), Louisa Moritz (Death Race 2000), Taaffe O'Connell (Galaxy of Terror) and Teri Copley (We Got It Made).
AUDIO:
The only audio option present on this release is an English DTS-HD Master Audio 2.0 Mono track. It does a nice job in all areas with a good balance between the score, sound effects and dialogue.
VIDEO:
"New Year's Evil" comes to high definition thanks to Scream Factory. The film is presented in 1080p with a 1.78:1 Aspect Ratio. I found the video quality to look very good overall. Colors appear vibrant. Skin tones look natural. Black levels look good, offering some appropriate details. The contrast levels appear to be fine as well. There is a very good amount of fine detail present throughout, with the characters hair, faces and clothing faring very well. There's a nice thin layer of grain present throughout the film, with levels becoming a little heavier during some darker scenes.
SPECIAL FEATURES:
In addition to the following extras, there is also a Chapter Selection Screen and English Subtitles.
Audio Commentary - Bill Olsen of Code Red DVD hosts "New Year's Evil" Director, Emmett Alston in this commentary track. They do a fair job of talking about the scenes in the film as it plays along as well Mr. Alston adding personal anecdotes. It's a relaxed commentary with Mr. Olsen cracking jokes and laughing often. There are quiet moments throughout the duration but thankfully they don't last too long.
The Making of New Year's Evil (37:16) - This featurette includes interviews with Director of Photography, Thomas Ackerman and actors, Kip Niven, Grant Cramer and Taaffe O'Connell.
Theatrical Trailer (1:46)
IN CONCLUSION:
"New Year's Evil" is another film from the heyday 80's slasher craze particularly where producers were scrambling to capitalize on any holiday they could. It features a killer with a gimmicky voice trick, over two decades before "Scream" made it cool. The film never had the huge fan base some others had, but the killer saying "Eeeeeevil" is memorable. Plus there is a somewhat catchy song that may end up getting on your nerves if you leave the Blu-ray sitting at the Main Menu for too long. Fans of the film will definitely want this Blu-ray because it looks and sounds very good. Plus there are a couple extras included. If you're unfamiliar with the film, you may want to go a rental route if possible because this film is not for everyone but die hard slasher fans should find enough positive things to satisfy them.To me, the film is alright, but this release looks good so it makes it more enjoyable.
Released by:Lionsgate Release Date: November 24, 2009 Production Year: 1981 Region Code: All Running Time: 1:33:00 Audio: English Dolby Digital 2.0 / English DTS-HD MA 5.1 Video: 1080p (1.78:1 Aspect Ratio) Subtitles: English, Spanish, English SDH
THE FILM
Twenty years after a Valentine's Day tragedy, a small town prepares for its annual holiday dance. When a box of candy arrives containing an eerie warning and a blood-soaked heart, the townsfolk realize that this Valentine's Day romance is as good as dead... and so are they! "My Bloody Valentine" tells the tale of miner, Harry Warden and how two decades later, the town still remains in his grip of fear.
I first saw this film many years ago on VHS and I was not a fan. It was similar to many slashers of the time except that it was fairly tame. We had plenty of other slashers where the killer was carving up victim after victim, sometimes in gruesome detail. But here, not so much. Many cutaways deprived the depraved of what they were so rightfully owed, the money shot, the blood, the gore. Here we had a gas mask wearing killer wielding a pickaxe as his weapon of choice, so you would expect some wicked carnage. I was largely let down and never watched the film again. Then in late 2009 when this Blu-ray was released, a friend suggested I watch it. After hearing how a lot of gore that had been previously cut from the film was restored, I said I would give it another chance. I never knew the film was cut, or rather gutted by the MPAA so many years ago. I bought this Blu-ray and after watching it, I was amazed. It was like watching the film for the first time. It was terrific. It quickly became one of my most watched Blu-rays and one of my favorite slashers. Yes, the restored footage made that much of a difference. Granted, had I watched it again once I was older, I may have had more of an appreciation for the film. But I didn't, so we'll never know. Some may not like the added footage due to its quality, but I'll cover that in the Video section.
AUDIO:
This Blu-ray includes two English audio tracks, Dolby Digital 2.0 and DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1. The Dolby Digital 2.0 track does a fairly good job. It has a nice overall balance of dialogue, sound effects and score. It is my track of choice. The DTS-HD MA track is okay but I found the sound level of the dialog to be too low and overwhelmed at times. You find yourself asking, what they did say, a few times throughout the film. Most of the sound comes from the center and front speakers with the surrounds not adding much to the overall ambiance of the film.
VIDEO:
"My Bloody Valentine" made its high definition debut thanks to Lionsgate. The film is presented in 1080p with a 1.78:1 Aspect Ratio. Viewers have two options of how they would like to view the film, the theatrical version or the extended version, which has the deleted bits added back in. If you opt for the extended version, which you should, the quality of the reinstated footage is not HD. It is more like VHS quality. However I did not mind the quality one bit. Some people have complained how terrible it looks next to the rest of the film. I can only guess that maybe they hadn't seen the film before, because I would hope that fans would be happy and thankful to see the film the way it was intended. Like I said earlier, it is like watching a new film. For the bulk of the film that is in high definition, the picture quality is terrific. Colors look great as do skin tones. Black levels look very good as well. There is a very fine layer of grain and I did not notice any issues with it or any other problems. There is a significant amount of fine detail to be found in this release. I doubt many thought this film could look so good. But it does. I have no complaints about the video quality in this release. The only negative thing is that the added footage is of inferior quality. But it's not fair to hold that against the Blu-ray or Lionsgate.
SPECIAL FEATURES:
Along with the following extras, this release features a Chapter Selection Screen, English, English SDH and Spanish Subtitles as well as a Bookmarks feature.
Bloodlust: My Bloody Valentine and the Rise of the Slasher Film (20:36) - This featurette starts off with Adam Rockoff, Author of "Going to Pieces: The Rise and Fall of the Slasher Film." He gives a rundown of several slasher films. Next we hear from the Director of "My Bloody Valentine", George Mihalka who discusses how the film came to be. Some members of the cast and crew talk about the film as well. Then we hear from members of the cast and crew from the "My Bloody Valentine" remake as they talk about their film and how it looks in 3D.
Deleted Scenes - This is the other option of seeing the footage that was reinserted back into the film. This is still of some value if you prefer the extended version as these deleted scenes can be played with director, cast and crew introductions.
Bloodlines: An Interactive Horror Film History - This extra is in a text format. You are given many options of different horror sub-genres and categories such as sequels, where you have a few screens of text with information on the different subjects. It is something interesting to look at and you might learn about a film you would like to see.
Theatrical Trailer (2:10)
Also From Lionsgate (1:06)
IN CONCLUSION:
I absolutely love this Blu-ray release just for the film itself with what they did by giving us the option to see it in all of its glory. If there was one thing I could have as an extra it would be a commentary track with the cast or crew of the film that could give some insight in to the process of making the film or stories pertaining to the scenes. I know this Blu-ray release can be hard to find for some but if you can locate a copy for a reasonable price and you're a slasher fan, I'd buy it. This is the sort of release many fans wish for when it comes to other films that were cut to attain an R rating. Oh and I also like the end credits song. It's kinda catchy and can get stuck in your head.
Scream Factory has just released the Blu-ray of the 1979 supernatural thriller, "The Legacy." Directed by Richard Marquand, the film stars Sam Elliott, Katharine Ross, Roger Daltrey and Charles Gray.
The film will feature a brand new HD transfer made from the Interpositive. Here are the extras to be included:
• NEW interview with Academy Award winning film editor Anne V. Coates (LAWRENCE OF ARABIA) • NEW interview with special effects artist Robin Grantham • Theatrical Trailer & TV Spot • Radio Spot • Photo Gallery
The Blu-ray is set to be released on September 15, 2015.
Synapse Films has announced plans to bring the 1976 cult classic, "Massacre at Central High" starring Andrew Stevens, to Blu-ray and DVD in 2016. This will be the HD debut for the film as well as it being authorized by Director, Rene Daalder. Synapse Films says that work is already underway as Mr. Daalder has already supervised and completed an HD transfer. Synapse Films is working on locating the original sound elements as well as having restoration work done on the new HD transfer. There is nothing to report at this time as far as special features are concerned but Synapse is hoping to include some on their release. They say that they may be able to share some frame samples in the near future to give fans a glimpse of what they can expect next year.
*UPDATE* Synapse Films has shared some photos along with the following message. "These are just a few samples. These are compressed screengrabs in 720p for a version we were using for restoration reference. Just wanted to have a few shots to show for the fans to see the difference in previous video versions."
Considering they're 720p and not even from what will eventually be the finished product after restoration work is done on the new transfer, I'd say this release will look very good.
Release Date: February 23, 2015 Production Year: 1987
Region Code: ALL Running Time: 1:25:25 Audio: English LPCM 2.0 Video: 1080p (1.78:1 Aspect Ratio) Subtitles: None
THE FILM
From the back cover of the Blu-ray, "If you loved THE TEXAS CHAIN SAW MASSACRE and THE HILLS HAVE EYES then you are sure to pig-out with the sicko-shocks of eighties fright-favorite SLAUGHTERHOUSE. This corpse-ridden classic introduces one of the screen’s most memorable madmen in Buddy a cleaver-wielding backwoods baddie who, along with his father Lester, doesn’t take kindly to trespassers. Buddy was brought up killing and packing meat, but now his rage turns to teens and market-capitalists seeking to buy-out his dad’s property. The end result is a tongue-in-cheek terror totem that returns from the VHS vaults to Blu-ray in this great new HD master scanned from the original negative by director Rick Roessler!"
The first time I watched "Slaughterhouse" was back in the late 80's when a friend and I rented it on VHS from the local mom and pop video store. Naturally we were taken in by the cover. Who could resist that big brute Buddy there on the cover. Plus it even says he has a big axe. SOLD! Okay, it's not a great film. But, it is a fun film that does a good enough job at entertaining the viewer. Buddy is a bit charismatic in his own weird way with his grunting and crazy antics. The film doesn't take itself too seriously and I think the key to enjoying this is to do the same while watching.
AUDIO:
The sole audio option is an English LPCM 2.0 track. The audio quality is good, not great. But considering the source, its age and condition, good is just fine here. The track has good balance and clarity. I did not encounter any noticeable issues.
VIDEO:
"Slaughterhouse" makes it high definition debut thanks to 88 Films. The film is presented in 1080p with a 1.78:1 Aspect Ratio via a new HD master scanned from the camera negative and approved by the films Director, Rick Roessler. This is quite an upgrade from the previous DVD release. Viewers may find the film to be darker than before but if you go back and look at the DVD now, it appears to have been artificially brightened. Colors are much bolder than before. If you look at the DVD now, the colors look very washed out. Some detail in darker scenes is lost due to the films now darker look. But there is more overall clarity and the colors looks much better. Skin tones look more natural as well. There are many instances of spots, scratches and other marks throughout the film. But I think it only adds to the dirty and gritty feel of the movie. Grain can be heavy at times, mainly during the darker scenes as one might expect. Black levels are okay. I don't believe this film could look much better without a lengthy and costly restoration.
SPECIAL FEATURES:
In addition to the following extras, 88 Films has included a Chapter Selection Screen, reversible cover art and a booklet by Calum Waddell. This is all housed in a nice looking red case as opposed to the standard blue case.
Commentary Track - This new commentary was created for this Blu-ray release and features Director, Rick Roessler and Executive Producer, Jerry Encoe. There are some quiet lulls throughout but overall it is an interesting commentary with Mr. Roessler doing the majority of the talking. They discuss the making of the film and share some personal stories from the process of getting the film made.
Rick Roessler Interview (15:11) - This interview covers some of the same subjects that is discussed in the commentary. Mr. Roessler has a good time comparing Buddy to other, more famous horror film characters.
Jerry Encoe Interview (10:34) - Mr. Encoe discusses how he became involved in the film. He also talks about how the money to make the film, was raised. Again, some other information that was repeated in the commentary is mentioned.
Raw On-Set Footage (10:59) - This mainly consists of footage from one death scene. It's worth a watch since it's not something that is often found on most home video releases.
Buddy Meets the Public (25:13) - Here viewers are treated with a featurette of actor Joe B. Barton (Buddy) meeting with the public to help promote the film. He signs autographs and takes photos with fans. Mr. Barton also visits a few movie theaters where the film is playing.
Theatrical Trailer
TV Spots (2:03)
No Smoking Trailer (0:28) - A short trailer with Buddy and Lester Bacon telling moviegoers to not smoke in the theater. A pretty funny ad. I wish there were more of these type of ads used today, but for cell phones.
Trailer Reel (21:55)
IN CONCLUSION:
Buddy makes for an entertaining killer. I'm sure I am not alone in wishing they had made a sequel. But at least we have "Slaughterhouse" and 88 Films did a fine job at bringing the film to high definition and introducing it to a new generation of horror fans. The film has never looked better and fans of the film should be pleased with how this Blu-ray looks. Slasher fans, if you have yet to see the film, give it a chance or else Buddy may come for you!
