Prom Night - Blu-ray Review - Synapse Films

"If you're not back by midnight... you won't be coming home!"

Released by: Synapse Films
Release Date: September 9, 2014
Production Year: 1980
Region Code: A
Running Time: 1:32:44
Audio: English DTS-HD MA 5.1 / English DTS-HD 2.0 Mono
Video: 1080p (1.78:1 Aspect Ratio)
Subtitles: English SDH

THE FILM:

Jamie Lee Curtis (the “HALLOWEEN” film series) and Leslie Nielsen (“THE NAKED GUN” film and TV series, FORBIDDEN PLANET) star in this celebrated “slasher” horror classic.

Four Hamilton High seniors are hiding a terrible secret. What happened to Robin Hammond six years ago was a game that turned into a horrible tragedy, and someone saw what they did… someone waiting for gruesome revenge! Wearing a black hood and wielding an axe, a killer brutally slaughters the teenagers one by one at their high school prom. As the spotlight falls on the newly crowned prom king and queen, the psychopath will show everyone his new favorite game to play…


"Prom Night" is another slasher from the 80's when they were being made to capitalize on any holiday and special occasion possible. The film has its fair share of red herrings to keep you guessing at the identity of the killer. It also features a scene with some disco dancing by Jamie Lee Curtis and Leslie Nielsen. It's the kind of thing that takes you back to when you were a kid, watching a parent dance. But then there's also a killer on the loose to make sure they don't have too much fun. So dance at your risk. 

AUDIO:

There are two English audio options on this Blu-ray, a DTS-HD Master Audio 2.0 Mono track and a newly created DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 track. Both tracks sound great but the 5.1 track does have a little more to offer, most noticeably during the disco music scenes. Hey, maybe they will inspire you to get up and 'shake your groove thing.' There is a nice sense of balance with the score, sound effects and dialogue. 

VIDEO:

"Prom Night' dances its way on to Blu-ray thanks to Synapse Films via a new HD master created from the films original negative. The film is presented in 1080p with a 1.78:1 Aspect Ratio. Bravo Synapse Films. Bravo. This film has never looked particularly good on its home video releases and those familiar with the film can testify to that. Fans that followed along on the journey that Synapse Films took to get the film looking like this will remember how long we waited and how surprised we were when we saw the comparison frames well before this Blu-ray was released. Well, the time they spent to restore the film was well worth the wait. It does still have a softness to it and its more noticeable in some scenes than others, but that is the way the film was shot and there is no way to totally fix that. The film looks amazing compared to any previous release. It is like night and day. Colors look alive and vibrant with a nice rich saturation. Skin tones have a natural appearance. Black levels look great throughout the film. There is a nice thin layer of grain present which really helps add to the ambiance when the characters are dancing to the disco music. It's almost like you could step right back in time. There is a very nice amount of fine detail present as well. I can't imagine this film looking any better than it does now. It certainly has never looked anywhere near as good as it does with this Blu-ray. 

SPECIAL FEATURES:

Audio Commentary - Director Paul Lynch and Screenwriter William Gray are joined by Moderator Pat Jankiewicz as they discuss the film. The conversation rarely pauses for long as the trio cover many topics relating to the film. They do a great job at entertaining listeners. Fans will definitely want to listen to this commentary. Some things covered here will be heard again in the making-of featurette. 

The Horrors of Hamilton High: The Making of Prom Night (41:04) - This featurette includes interviews with Director Paul Lynch, Art Director Reuben Freed, Prosthetics Creator Warren Keillor, Composer Paul Zaza, Stars Mary Beth Rubens "Kelly", Joy Thompson "Jude", Jeff Wincott "Drew" and Michael Tough "Alex". Paul Lynch, among other things, talks about how the idea for "Prom Night" came to be and how Eve Plumb (The Brady Bunch) was almost cast in the role that ultimately went to Jamie Lee Curtis. The group shares stories from the set including working with Leslie Nielsen and the fart machine he carried around, working with Jamie Lee Curtis, other cast members, the set, death scenes, the music used in the film and much more. 

Original Theatrical Trailer (1:49)

Original TV Spots (3:17)

Original Radio Spots (1:06)

Motion Still Gallery (6:20)

Additional Footage Added for Television Broadcast (11:11) - Michael Maclaverty the Editor for the TV version of "Prom Night" talks about needing extra footage for the movie to play on television. We then get to watch the extra footage. 

Never-Before-Seen Outtakes from the Original "Prom Night" Shoot (23:15) - Music accompanies the outtake footage. Another nice bonus feature fans may want to watch since it's not too often we get to see behind the scenes footage or outtakes from older horror films. 

IN CONCLUSION:

What more can be said. This is an incredible release. If you are a fan of the film and do not already own this Blu-ray, go buy it now. If you are new to the film and are a slasher fan, you should watch the movie. Now, the film is not as heavy on action or rather, kills, as you might expect from a slasher of this era, but it is still a decent film and now it has a Blu-ray release that could only be topped if Jamie Lee Curtis participated in some extras.  

OVERALL: 4.5/5

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Morituris: Legions of the Dead now on Blu-ray and DVD from Synapse Films

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

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Manos: The Hands of Fate coming to Blu-ray and DVD from Synapse Films

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


 

                                   

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Mosquito - Blu-ray & DVD Details Announced by Synapse Films

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

BLU PRICE: $24.95/ DVD PRICE: $19.95


 

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Massacre at Central High Coming to Blu-ray and DVD

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. 

Source: Facebook


*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.

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Curtains - Blu-ray Review - Synapse Films

Behind every curtain, someone is waiting... someone is watching.

Released by: Synapse Films
Release Date: July 29, 2014
Region Code: A
Running Time: 1:29:07
Audio: English DTS-HD MA 5.1 / English DTS-HD MA 2.0 Mono
Video: 1080p (1.78:1 Aspect Ratio)
Subtitles: English SDH

THE FILM:

A group of woman gather for a weekend casting call at the secluded mansion of director Jonathan Stryker (John Vernon). He's searching for the perfect woman to play the role of the crazed character "Audra", and these women are just dying for the chance to play her! Stryker's last star, Samantha Sherwood (Samantha Eggar), is so determined to get the part, she committed herself to an asylum to prepare for the role. Unfortunately for all, a crazed killer in a disgusting "hag" mask is viciously murdering everyone one by one. Who will survive the final curtain call?

"Curtains" was directed by Richard Ciupka and stars John Vernon (Animal House), Samantha Eggar (The Brood), Lynne Griffin (Black Christmas) and Lesleh Donaldson (Happy Birthday To Me).

Production began in late 1980 but the film was not released until 1983. The film had a very troubled production which you can learn about in the extras included in this release. The film was never given a proper home video release until Synapse Films rescued it from somewhat obscurity and released an amazing Blu-ray. 

AUDIO:

Viewers have the choice between  the original sound via a DTS-HD MA 2.0 Mono track and a newly created DTS-HD MA 5.1 remix. Both tracks sound great with the new 5.1 track doing its best to draw you in and heighten your viewing experience. The sound quality is quite good in all aspects from dialogue to sound effects. 

VIDEO:

"Curtains" slashes its way on to Blu-ray due to many hours of hard work by Synapse Films. The film is presented in 1080p with a 1.78:1 Aspect Ratio. Synapse Films did a new 2K High-Definition transfer from the original vault materials. Where do I start? The film looks amazing. No one could have ever guessed that a film that many had never seen before due to it being largely unavailable, could look this good. The ice skating scene alone, is breath taking. You can see the fibers in characters clothing in some shots. This is the type of quality that every horror fan wishes to see in all older horror films that make it to Blu-ray. Colors look appropriate and vivid. Skin tones look perfect. The grain structure looks great as well. There really is nothing negative to say about the video quality of this release. The details in the shots of the hag mask are incredible. This isn't my first time watching this Blu-ray. I have had it since it's release. But I recently started to write reviews and I am glad I picked this one today, because it is a work of art.

SPECIAL FEATURES:

Synapse Films also includes the following special features on their Blu-ray release as well as a Chapter Selection Screen and English SDH Subtitles.

Commentary Track - Actresses Lynne Griffin (Patti) and Lesleh Donaldson (Christine) are joined by Moderator Edwin Samuelson on this fun and casual track. The ladies memories are a bit hazy at times regarding the film but it has been a very long time for them. Thankfully Mr. Samuelson is there with questions and information to help guide them along the way. It's fun listening to them reminisce about their time on the set and their reactions to something they see in the film. Lynne Griffin mentions that her mother played one of the women in the asylum. They also talk about the wardrobe or lack there of and having to wear their own clothing. The pair discuss careers and personal lives as well. All in all, a fun commentary that I enjoyed.

Audio Interviews (55:26) - Found in the Setup Menu on the Blu-ray, this is a pair of interviews with Producer Peter Simpson and Actress Samantha Eggar. The interview with Peter Simpson takes up the bulk of the running time. At times it can be a little tough to understand Mr. Simpson due to it sounding like it was an interview done over the phone. He's very frank in the interview when he talks about the troubled production of "Curtains", issues with the Director (Richard Ciupka), having to do reshoots and the ice skating scene among other topics. Samantha Eggar speaks about her role in the film and her career.

Ciupka: A Filmmaker in Transition (15:09) - This featurette discusses Ricard Ciupka's change from Cinematographer to Directer and the problems he faced along the way and afterward. There is also some behind the scenes footage from "Curtains" as well. It's an honest and interesting piece.

The Ultimate Nightmare: The Making of "Curtains" (35:51) - A very good documentary on the many issues that plagued the production. This segment features interviews with Director Richard Ciupka, Editor Michael MacLaverty, Special Make-Up Effects Creator Greg Cannom, Composer Paul Zaka and Actresses Lynne Griffin and Lesleh Donaldson. The participants are very candid at times and it makes this a must watch for fans. 

Theatrical Trailer

IN CONCLUSION:

"Curtains", a troubled film but a trouble-free Blu-ray release thanks to Synapse Films. Some may remember reading about all the extra footage, alternate ending and more that was thrown out a couple years before Synapse Films was able to track materials down. It really is a shame because it would have been something special. But what we still have is an incredible Blu-ray and the film has never looked anywhere close to as good as it looks now. I cannot recommend this enough. It should be appreciated just for the video quality alone because they put a lot of hard work into this release, and it shows. 


OVERALL RATING: 4.5 / 5

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