One of the first “self aware” horror movies, Lamberto Bava’s “Demons” is about as bat shit crazy of a horror movie as one could imagine coming out of the 1980’s. Part slasher, part zombie, part undead, and part goofy splatstick comedy, “Demons” has a group of guests watching a free screening of a horror movie at the local movie theater when the horror doesn’t quite stay on the screen. Get ready for a gory delight with some wild and inventive giallo style cinematography. Great stuff!
My first encounter with the horror genre is just as vivid in my mind as ever before. I must have been in either 2nd or 3rd grade when I first saw the one and only Freddy Krueger terrorize Nancy on a 20″ tube TV. I was over at a friends house and after we were done listening to Sir Mix-a-Lot and raiding his big brothers awesome cassette collection, we stumbled upon a movie neither of us had seen before: A Nightmare on Elm Street.
Being young and relatively new to horror films, I didn’t really know what to expect. Needless to say, I loved the movie and found Freddy both scary and amazing. As we watched this, I couldn’t take my eyes off the blurry screen. I was in a trance and as my friends mom spotted what we were watching, she quickly told us to turn it off. Like all young kids would do, we completely ignored her.
We continued to watch this film and I obviously had no idea the impact this film would have on my future. This work by Wes Craven would be a huge influence on me in years to come. We went on to watch the rest of the film and ended the day with some NBA Jam on Sega Genesis. Not a bad day.
Not Quite Horror contains reviews of films not traditionally considered horror films. By analyzing them as horror films (identifying the monster, discussing the shared worry for the audience and the main characters, and understanding the depth of horror available to the viewer), who knows? There’s more than one way to watch a movie.
Miller’s Crossing (1990)
In the month of October, I am celebrating the films of Not Quite Horror legends Joel and Ethan Coen.
The Monster: In the Coen Brothers’ crime masterpiece Miller’s Crossing, Tommy (Gabriel Byrne) is a smart guy caught between two warring mobsters, with stacks of corpses piling up on both sides. No strangers to horror, Joel and Ethan Coen don’t skimp on the gore.
The titular Miller’s Crossing must be a very haunted place. The film’s gangsters commit bloody violent acts wherever they see fit, but the Crossing is a place where people are taken knowing they are going to die. The location itself is peaceful and beautiful, but it is a place where bodies are buried.
The Horror: In October, I will be analyzing films from the Coen Brothers as horror films. One consistent Coen Brothers theme is the human need for dignity in death, and the world’s attempts to deny them this peace.
Miller’s Crossing seems like a nice place to die at first glance, but everything goes wrong. The breeze feels sinister. People don’t behave right. Begging and pleading fills the sky. Even in nature, dignity is denied.
The Shared Fate: Death does indeed come for all of us, and we hope to make our life’s end decent and meaningful. By naming the film Miller’s Crossing, the Coen Brothers underline the inevitability of our shared fates. Then, with their trademark humor, they remove the illusion of dignity that most mobster films work hard to preserve.
In the end, they’re just leading us down a lonely path and letting us fade to black.
— I am indebted to Noel Carroll’s The Philosophy of Horror for his ideas on defining horror, as well as John Skipp and Craig Spector’s article “Death’s Rich Pageantry, or Skipp & Spector’s Handy-Dandy Splatterpunk Guide to the Horrors of Non-horror Film†in Cut! Horror Writers on Horror Film for a similar idea.–
–Axel Kohagen
Our resident Blu-ray reviewer Joshua Dean is back and this time he is featuring the top 10 must haves on Blu-ray that every horror fan MUST own. Enjoy!
Blu-ray has been around for several years now… but it is now that it is finally taking off and becoming mainstream. All of us at Slasher Studios love our horror films very much… and many of us want to own and experience them in the best way possible. Barring theatrical exhibition (and sometimes it’s even better than that), Blu-ray is the ultimate way to experience a film. A picture that replicates the look of an actual physical film print (unless it’s a botched transfer), and often times going beyond that with 4K scans or restorations of the original camera negative (such as Halloween’s new Anniversary Edition, or Jaws), combined with stellar uncompressed audio that matches even what the theater can offer, is what makes Blu-ray such a great format for film buffs such as ourselves. Here I am going to list ten of the best Blu-ray releases the genre has seen, and films no horror fan should be without. The criteria for making this list includes several factors: Picture quality, sound quality, and extras. Extras come last for a reason… The object of Blu-ray is to offer the “perfect movie-viewing experience,” if you will. Extras are nice to have, but if the movie looks bad, why bother?
Since mainstream horror films tend to get the best treatment on Blu-ray (That’s not to say Scream Factory doesn’t do a stellar job with with their more obscure chillers, though!), I’ll mainly be covering those this time… but I shall return with full reviews on the more hidden gems, as well!
(in alphabetical order)
ALIEN (1979, Ridley Scott) Fox Home Entertainment
Starring Tom Skerritt and Sigourney Weaver.
Presented from an all-new 4K master, Ridley Scott’s 1979 “slasher-in-space” masterpiece delivers on Blu-ray. The picture is stunning, with a fine, but natural film grain providing clarity, enhancing the production design of both the Nostromo itself, and the titular ALIEN that terrorizes first-time horror heroine Sigourney Weaver, Veronica Cartwright, and a cast of now-legendary actors aboard their isolated ship. While the single-disc original only offers minimal supplements (a pair of commentaries, two different isolated score tracks, and deleted scenes… but also two cuts of the film), the Alien Anthology box set (that can be had cheaply if you catch it on sale, as low as $30!) offers comparable extras for all four films (ALIEN, ALIENS, ALIEN3, ALIEN: RESURRECTION), as well as two packed bonus discs includeing over 12,000 stills combined of photos and artwork, several behind the scenes featurettes, and more.
THE EVIL DEAD (1981, Sam Raimi) Anchor Bay Entertainment
Starring Bruce Campbell and Ellen Sandweiss.
Despite the widely-available release being short on extras (offering only a commentary) it delivers a stunning presentation- wait… no, two stunning presentations of this classic cheese-fest. Presented in its original 4×3 version as well as an “enhanced widescreen version” (again clipping the top and bottom of the frame, but this time doing a much better job than the many DVD releases), the film looks and sounds much better than ever before. Despite Anchor Bay’s ever-disintegrating reputation for their horror releases, they must be commended for one thing: The horror titles they DO appreciate, they deliver. Great care was put into this amazing (still VERY grainy and VERY ugly to the unexpecting eye) transfer, and it can be had very cheaply. My local Walmart sells it for $10. With it being Halloween season, however, you may well find it cheaper. Also released in a limited editon with a DVD bonus disc of extras.
THE EXORCIST (1973, William Friedkin) Warner Home Video
Starring Ellen Burstyn and Max Von Sydow.
Called the scariest film of all time, this demonic shocker featuring Linda Blair as the possessed daughter of actress Ellen Burstyn debuted on Blu-ray in 2010, featuring both the original theatrical cut, as well as the 2000 Director’s Cut, in absolutely stunning transfers (each cut got its own unique transfer, and details often differ between the two versions) with superb soundtracks… and a large host of extra features, including more than a couple documentaries and three commentaries (one for the extended cut, two for the original cut). It was offered in a digibook package with shiny metallic artwork and plenty of photos and information that would keep fans pleased. Sadly, it is out of print, but a 40th anniversary edition is due out on October 8th with a host of new supplements and presumably new transfers… though I don’t believe they’d be necessary.
THE FOG: Collector’s Edition (1979, John Carpenter) Scream Factory
Starring Adrienne Barbeau and Jamie Lee Curtis.
John Carpenter’s post-Halloween ghost story comes with a very spooky-looking transfer (complete with his signature “blue glow”) by cinematographer Dean Cundey and a few new bonuses that are sure to enhance any fan’s enjoyment of the film. First up is a commentary with Adrienne Barbeau, Tom Atkins, and Tommy Lee Wallace, joined by Horror’s Hallowed Grounds’ Sean Clark. This track is very fun, but only mildly informative. Also included is a very candid, and very revealing interview with a decidedly unbashful Jamie Lee Curtis, who admits that she doesn’t much care for the film, and reveals that its production was tainted by the recent split of writer/producer/director team Carpenter and Debra Hill, as well as Hill and Curtis’ dealing with Carpenter’s new lady, Barbeau, being ever-present as the film’s lead. There are several more extras included, most from the prior DVD release from MGM.
HALLOWEEN: 35th Anniversary Edition (1978, John Carpenter) Anchor Bay Entertainment
Starring Donald Pleasence and Jamie Lee Curtis.
Carpenter’s classic suspense thriller arrives in a gorgeous digibook package with several rare photos and lovely new artwork, but the real treat here is the revelatory new video transfer (like The Fog, supervised by Dean Cundey) and immersive 7.1 Dolby TrueHD sound mix. This film truly looks perfect. Supplements are weak for those hoping to learn about the film’s production, but the ones that are included celebrate the film, including a new commentary by Curtis and Carpenter (which, like The Fog’s commentary, is more fun than informative) and a documentary following Jamie Lee Curtis and many of her fans (myself included) to her first (and only) horror convention. The extras are fun, but the real reason to scoop this one up is the new transfer that makes the previous BLu-ray release look flat-out bad.
JAWS (1975, Steven Spielberg) Universal Studios Home Entertainment
Starring Roy Scheider and Robert Shaw.
Spielberg’s classic beach thriller arrives with a fully restored transfer from the original 35MM film elements, and it looks GREAT. The film definitely shows its age, but it looks amazing. The new 7.1 DTS-HD sound mix is strong, but I personally find the original mono track to be more engaging… especially since the new mix renders a certain word at the end virtually inaudible. A long list of documentaries, featurettes, and deleted scenes accompany the release, as well.
A NIGHTMARE ON ELM STREET (1984, Wes Craven) Warner Home Video
Starring John Saxon and Ronee Blakley.
1, 2, Freddy’s coming for you! This strong Blu-ray release gives very strong picture and sound quality, though some of the visual effects suffer a bit due to the leap in clarity. The film boasts 7.1 DTS-HD audio and a long list of extras (admittedly all from the infiniFILM DVD edition), including two commentaries, both featuring star Heather Langenkamp and director Craven, but both tracks offering a different experience as each one features different people, such as John Saxon, Ronee Blakley, Sara Risher, Robert Shaye, and Jacques Haitkin. Three featurettes and a host of alternate endings also fill the disc, which is also available in a series box set featuring the six surprisingly good sequels (2: FREDDY’S REVENGE, 3: DREAM WARRIORS, 4: THE DREAM MASTER, 5: THE DREAM CHILD, 6: FREDDY’S DEAD – THE FINAL NIGHTMARE, and 7: NEW NIGHTMARE), admittedly with transfers and soundtracks somewhat inferior to the masterful work afforded to the original, as well as a host of extras.
PSYCHO: 50th Anniversary Edition (1960, Alfred Hitchcock) Universal Studios Home Entertainment (OOP in the US)
Starring Anthony Perkins and Vera Miles.
The shower scene looks absolutely sensational in this restored transfer from the original film materials, as does the rest of the black-and-white mystery-thriller. While you may not expect a black-and-white film to gain much from a high-definition presentation, this disc will prove you dead wrong. The high resolution causes the contrast-based picture to look absolutely stunning. Grain is present, and even heavy at times, but is never intrusive. The strong transfer also serves to show off the beauty of stars Janet Leigh and Vera Miles, as well as the haunting Bates house and motel. Featuring a large selection of archival extras (can you really expect more? This movie is now 53 years old.) and a newly created 5.1 DTS-HD Master Audio track… but in this case, stick with the (included) mono track… as the creators of the new track tend to get a little free with sound effects and the like.
ROSEMARY’S BABY (1968, Roman Polanski) The Criterion Collection
Starring Mia Farrow and John Cassavetes.
Polanski’s spooky – and surprisingly comedic – horror masterpiece also featuring Ruth Gordon (in an Oscar-winning performance) is given the deluxe treatment by The Criterion Collection, offering a fully restored digital transfer supervised by Polanski. This movie looks simply stunning. Colors are beautifully reproduced, a visible-but-non-intrusive grain structure is everpresent, and a brand new documentary, featuring Polanski, star Mia Farrow, and producer Robert Evans, accompanies. Also included is a feature-length documentary about composer Krzysztof Komeda and a booklet with plenty of printed goodies.
THE TEXAS CHAIN SAW MASSACRE: The Ultimate Edition (1974, Tobe Hooper) Dark Sky Films (OOP)
Starring Marilyn Burns and Allen Danziger
One may not think this film would be particularly suited to the Blu-ray format. However, just the opposite is true. While some may think the grainy 16MM nature of the film would hinder its presentation in high definition, it actually enhances it. Transferred directly from the original film materials, the grainy 16MM film looks gorgeous. Yes, it’s still VERY grainy. Yes, details are not what you’d get with, say, Halloween, Jaws, or Alien… or any of the aforementioned releases, actually. What it DOES offer, however, is a truly chilling grindhouse experience. Featuring two commentaries, several featurettes, bloopers, and delted scenes, this sadly-OOP release can still be had relatively cheaply on Amazon.
“Poltergeist†is the best haunted house horror movie that I’ve ever seen. It is scary as hell (Robbie getting attacked by the tree outside his bedroom window still gives me chills) and the performances are all spot on. If the effects feel a bit dated (the “melted face†is no longer scary, it’s laughable), it only adds to the film’s charm. This is just about the best you can expect from an old fashioned style horror movie that relies on creativity rather than gore to sell its scary story. From beginning to end everything here works and works perfectly. Hopefully Hollywood doesn’t mess things up with a remake. It would be another kind of nightmare…and not the good kind.
It’s finally October everyone and it is time to do our traditional thirty days of horror. Along with a horror review a day, we will also be featuring a theme each day. You can join in on the fun at Slasher Studios Horror Film Club.
Today we will be discussing our favorite memorable animal for a horror movie. For us, the title has to go to Clovis from “Sleepwalkers.” This lovable little guy is one of the few animals in a horror flick that turned out to be a hearing. Not only does Clovis save the day but, as leader of the pack, he also bands the other cats for a heroic final fight. The movie itself might not be the best horror movie ever made (hell, it’s not even the best Stephen King movie) but is sure is fun. Clovis to the rescue!
*Horr
Starting on October 1st, Slasher Studios we be featuring a different horror movie each day in the following catagories. Make sure to play along at the Slasher Studios Horror Film Club with your selections. It’s going to be an October to dismember.
Day 1: A memorable animal in a horror movie
Day 2: One of your earliest encounters with the horror genre
Day 3: A favorite saw or chainsaw scene
Day 4: A great horror movie doctor
Day 5: Favorite horror director
Day 6: Your favorite movie by your favorite director
Day 7: A great hero
Day 8: Best comedy-horror
Day 9: A boring horror movie
Day 10: Favorite classic horror movie
Day 11: Most psychotic killer
Day 12: The goriest movie you’ve seen
Day 13: Favorite foreign horror
Day 14: The cheesiest horror you’ve ever seen
Day 15: A great 80’s horror movie
Day 16: Great indie horror
Day 17: Favorite horror franchise
Day 18: A movie people hate that you love
Day 19: A movie that disappointed you
Day 20: A great twist ending
Day 21: A horrible/lame twist
Day 22: Best movie based on a book
Day 23: Scariest old person
Day 24: A movie you expected to be bad, but enjoyed
Day 25: A franchise you don’t like
Day 26: Worst sequel
Day 27: Favorite OR least favorite Stephen King movie
Day 28: A great zombie movie
Day 29: A movie you refuse to watch
Day 30: One you need to watch, a.s.a.p.
October is right around the corner horror fans and you know what that means: lots and lots of horror movies, pumpkin flavored EVERYTHING, and Halloween! To celebrate the month that every horror fan waits for year round, we will be watching a different horror movie every day for the entire month. What’s even better is that YOU get to join in on the fun! Every single day we will be reviewing a different horror movie at Slasher Studios Horror Film Club and we want you to help us talk about our favorite horrors. Below is the list of horror movies we will be checking out. Feel free to talk about each of them on the day they will be reviewed. It’s going to be a gory good time!
October 1–Poltergiest
October 2—-Demons
October 3–Popcorn
October 4–Night of the Scarecrow
October 5–Billy Club (Oshkosh Horror Film Festival)
October 6–Nail Gun Massacre
October 7–Jack-O
October 8–Curse of Chucky
October 9–Tourist Trap
October 10-Warlock
October 11-Hell Night
October 12-Hard to Die
October 13-Henry: Portrait of a Serial Killer
October 14-The Gremlin
October 15-Deadly Blessing
October 16-The People Under the Stairs
October 17-VHS 2
October 18-Warlock Moon
October 19-Killer Party
October 20-the Witches
October 21-Deadly Friend
October 22-Village of the Damned
October 23-Link
October 24-Humongous
October 25-Offerings
October 26-Night of the Demons
October 27-Silent Night
October 28-Hell High
October 29-The Convent
October 30-Halloween
October 31-Trick r Treat
In a Slasher Studios first, reviewer Joshua Dean reviews the brand new Blu-Ray of Halloween in its 35th Anniversary Edition. Thanks Joshua Dean for the review!
It’s 2013… a year ending in “3,” so, like years ending in “8,” it’s time for yet another edition of John Carpenter’s classic suspense thriller, “Halloween.” Ever since Anchor Bay came along, Halloween has been released no less than 13 times (more if you count alternate covers, seasonal slipcovers, etc) between VHS, DVD, UMD, and Blu-ray. Three of these releases have been anniversary editions. First, the widescreen 20th Anniversary Edition VHS. Second, the 25th Anniversary Edition DVD (which featured a host of great extras, but badly compromised presentation of the film itself)… and third… the pointless (though admittedly attractive) 30th Anniversary Commemorative Set, which was nothing more than a compilation of the three (at the time) best releases of the film, paired with a few already-available bonus discs. Bear in mind, this is not including the countless VHS/Beta releases by Media, a VHS release by Blockbuster, and a Criterion Laserdisc, before Anchor Bay existed. Now, the time has come again for an anniversary release. The difference here, though, is that this time, they got it right. For the most part, that is.
For this 35th Anniversary release (exclusive to Blu-ray), Anchor Bay has hit a home run. They’ve packaged the disc in an absolutely gorgeous digibook package with newly commissioned artwork (and yes, actual artwork, not photo-manipulation studio crap) and included a few new extras focusing primarily on the one person who has generally eluded the bonuses over the years: the film’s star, Jamie Lee Curtis. But we’ll get to that later… right now, let’s focus on what matters: The guts of the Blu-ray, so to speak.
THE PICTURE: Anchor Bay’s original 2007 Blu-ray release of “Halloween” was generally considered a good release, but was never considered to be without faults. Some of those faults were attributed to the low-budget nature of the film itself, such as somewhat soft, waxy shots scattered throughout the film. Also, the master used was never meant to be seen in HD, as it was created for the 2003 DVD of the film (which had stripped the strong, spooky blue hues from the final act of the film). The 2007 disc did feature a tweaked version of said master, with several notable improvements… however, the colors were oversaturated for most of the film… and ironically, scenes that were meant to be heavily saturated… looked nearly colorless. Anchor Bay has set out to rectify this issue with this new edition of the film. Bringing in original cinematographer Dean Cundey to personally supervise and approve the new transfer (from the original film materials), and getting Carpenter’s approval for the new master, they’ve created a presentation of the film truly worthy of its deluxe packaging and label. To put it bluntly, this release makes the 2007 edition look flat-out BAD. The film no longer looks waxy and oversaturated, but wonderfully filmic and beautiful. The image is crisp and clear, featuring a natural-but-unintrusive film grain, and the daylight scenes feature a more subdued, gloomy and overcast look that, while not quite *looking* like Fall in the midwest, manages to feel *exactly* like Fall in Illinois. And for all those who missed the creepy blue in the film’s final act, take pleasure in knowing it has been restored, and looks better than ever. In a word, the film looks perfect. I truly cannot imagine “Halloween” looking better than it does here.
THE SOUND: Now… here’s where things get a little messy. The disc features a new 7.1 Dolby TrueHD sound mix. Personally, I think the mix sounds amazing. Every note of music, every line of dialogue (including background lines that were previously crushed and rendered unintelligible by music and sound effects), and every sound is crisp, clear, and immersive. The thunder in the film’s second scene literally made me jump. This is a very well-constructed soundtrack that complements the gorgeous transfer nicely. Now… purists beware, the packaging lists an “original mono” track, and while the disc does include a mono track (but does not make any “original” claim on the menu itself), it is *not* the original theatrical track. Instead, it’s a downmix from either the 7.1 track or the previous 5.1 track from the 1999 and up DVDs and the 2007 Blu-ray (all of which included the original track, adding insult to injury). While this is definitely a good track, it is not what the packaging claims it to be. Why include a mono mix if it is not to preserve the original sound, and what’s more… why claim it is the original track when it is plainly not?
THE PACKAGING: Now, here’s the fun stuff. Anchor Bay has created an absolutely stunning package. A digibook with gorgeous artwork by Jay Shaw (www.kingdomofnonsense.com) finished with orange foil text and embossing, several rare production photographs by Kim Gottlieb-Walker (www.lenswoman.com) featuring stars Curtis, Donald Pleasence, and P.J. Soles as well as director Carpenter and producer Debra Hill, an intriguing essay on the film’s history and power by Stef Hutchinson, and as a nice little treat, a title page that appears to be practically made for autographs. The packaging alone is enough of an extra for me.
THE EXTRAS: Concerning he supplements on the disc however, it should be noted that over the years (and countless releases of the film), everything that is to be said about Halloween… has been said. Several documentaries and a Criterion commentary by Carpenter, Hill, and Curtis have accompanied the various DVDs and previous Blu-ray… this edition of the film is more a “celebratory” edition rather than an “informative” edition. If you are looking at this disc for information on the making of the film, forget it. The extras that are offered, however, are great fun, and are meant to entertain rather than inform.
– Audio Commentary by John Carpenter and Jamie Lee Curtis
This new commentary track reunites the two most prominent and famous figures behind the legendary film. While there are a few interesting bits of information about the production, this track is purely for the fun entertainment value. Hearing Carpenter and Curtis reminesce, compliment each other, and more often than not, bicker over Curtis’ strong reverence for the film and her and Carpenter’s memories not quite agreeing with each other, is fascinating. Curtis is apparently still frightened by several scenes of the film, and Carpenter cannot help but laugh at her (as well as call her out on being a minor control freak, which she fully owns up to on another included supplement). The sibling-like love between them is strong, and makes the listening experience an enjoyable one.
– The Night She Came Home!!
This hour-long documentary by Kelly Curtis and her husband John Marsh, follows Jamie Lee Curtis and Sean Clark for the 2012 Jamie Lee Curtis HorrorHound Weekend charity event in Indianapolis, IN. Narrated by a very candid, but loving Curtis, the film features various staff and volunteers from the event, as well as attendees who went to meet Curtis, as well as Halloween legends Tom Atkins, Tommy Lee Wallace, Nick Castle, Nancy Stephens, and more. It’s a fun look at Ms. Curtis first (and only) appearance at a fan convention and her dedication to making as many fans happy as she can.
As for *new* extras, that is all. However, also included is a short “On Location” featurette featuring co-star P.J. Soles and writer/producer Debra Hill, the film’s original theatrical trailer, several TV and radio ads, and the NBC network scenes shot for the film’s TV debut in 1980. Now, while these additional scenes are encoded in HD, they are simply a rip from the 1999 DVD and are in standard definition quality.
Overall, this is an absolutely stellar release of the classic film, and fans of the film will love the stunning, reference quality presentation of the film. Despite not including the more informative extras from prior releases, I am proud to say Anchor Bay has finally delivered a true deluxe collector’s edition of the night HE came home!
Video – 4/4
Audio – 3.5/4 (would be 5 had they included the original mono track)
Extras – 3/4
Overall – 4/4
To order your Blu-Ray: Halloween (35th Anniversary Edition) [Blu-ray]
When a group of friends get denied access to their Freshmen homecoming by a group of older students, they decide to throw their own party. However, when the football star, of the group, Billy, tries to attack one of the girls, the friends lock him up in a closet where is he accidentally killed in a fire. Three years later after two banned Homecomings, the friends are now seniors and the return of Homecoming has arrived. But someone is trying to crash the celebration. The friend’s receive threatening messages in their lockers believing it’s sick joke. But on Homecoming night, the friends find themselves being stalked and slayed by someone wearing a fireman’s outfit. Is Billy back for revenge? And who will survive this Bloody Homecoming?
Bloody Homecoming is a very fun 80s style slasher that many slasher fans (myself included) has desired. This is the film the Prom Night remake should have been. We are given a group of characters that are very funny and likable. Especially Jaclyn played by Randi Lamey, Jaclyn is the one with the sharp tongue and not afraid to step up to the plate. We are also given Wade, the lovable and funny gay character played by Branden Lee Roth. And although he is not one of the leads, we get a few comical moments from Janitor Fred played by Jim Tavare. Finally, we have our Final Girl, Loren, played by Lexi Giovagnoli. She’s the kind-hearted character who’s the friend to everyone. While Loren is very likable, she’s really not given much to do when it comes to the final act. Along with our likable cast, we have some very nice kills and plenty of blood. To top it all off we have a couple of good chase scenes (let’s face it, many slashers severely lack them these days). Bloody Homecoming resembles some classic 80s slasher films like Prom Night, Happy Birthday to Me, House on Sorority Row, and My Bloody Valentine. We have the over-the-top acting, gnarly kills, the “back for revenge” subplot, and a very hysterical final act when the killer is revealed.
If you miss what a true slasher really is that is all about fun rather than just gore, Bloody Homecoming is highly recommended.
–Cody Landman
