Wrong Turn 4: Bloody Beginnings Blu-ray and DVD Reviews
“Wrong Turn 4” (a prequel this time) delivers absolutely no surprises whatsoever, and is mostly an exercise in which the filmmakers seem to be saying, “Hey, watch how we kill THIS uninteresting character.” I think that as sort-of a compliment, because in the gore department, this one delivers. Just don’t expect much in the way of originality or suspense.
It helps if you’re already a fan of the series (why else would you be reading?). Personally, I never cared for the first film, but was pleasantly surprised by “Wrong Turn 2: Dead End.” That one put a fun spin on the premise, featured a few spectacular death scenes and a terrific scenery-chewing performance by none-other than Henry Rollins. Admittedly, I never watched the third one, but do not feel my life is incomplete because of that.
And prior viewing isn’t really a prerequisite for “Wrong Turn 4,” which is yet-another ‘origin’ story. That’s usually a sign a franchise is out of ideas, and horror prequels are seldom very effective from a narrative standpoint, since the outcome is always a forgone conclusion. “Wrong Turn 4” is no exception. We already know these inbred hillbillies will live to kill again. This film offers a slightly different (though not very original) setting, a abandoned hospital. But other than that, it’s business as usual. The performances are adequate, but the only concern we have for the dumb college kids to wander into this hospital is how (not if) they meet their demise.
If carnage is what the viewer wants, mission accomplished. The death scenes are well-executed and extremely graphic. At the very least, the filmmakers (the FX artists in particular) earned their paychecks. And admittedly, for a film that has no real reason to exist (was anyone REALLY pining for a “Wrong Turn” origins story?), it’s reasonably fast-paced and seldom boring.
I think this series has run its course, but that probably won’t stop the inevitable “Wrong Turn 5” from oozing onto video shelves in a year or two. For that, I humbly suggest they launch these hillbillies into space. Hey, it worked for Jason Voorhees.
Blu-ray and DVD Extras:
* Fox trailers.
* 14 deleted scenes.
* “Wrong Turn 4” music video with The Blackout City Kids.
*”Director’s Die-Ary’s”- Nearly 8 minutes of director Declan O’Brien’s video diaries. He mainly just takes footage on set and interviews various cast and crew members.
* “Lifestyles Of The Sick And Infamous”- A featurette about the Brandon Mental Health Centre (where “Wrong Turn 4” was shot).
* “Making Another Wrong Turn”- Discussions about the origin of the 3 brothers, the script, the F/X, shooting in cold weather, etc.
* Commentary by director Declan O’Brien and producer Brett Levinson. Lots of chatter about directing, shooting locations, set stories, etc. Worth a listen if you dig the film.
Mystery Science Theater 3000: The Atomic Brain DVD Review
Of course, MST3K is always fun, and this episode, featuring the 1964 stinker, “The Atomic Brain,” is no exception. But why is Shout! Factory is choosing to rerelease episodes that have been available on DVD for years?
Actually, I probably already know the answer to that. This episode was originally part of a boxed set (Volume 3) back when Rhino Home Video was still putting them out and is now out of print (a new copy currently costs $133 on Amazon). So I guess I kind of understand the rationale. But it is also very likely that only die-hard fans (are their any other kind?) would find MST3K episodes worth buying, and probably already own the original DVDs, anyway. I think most ‘misties’ would rather Shout! Factory work on putting out the episodes which have still never seen the light of day on home video.
Plus, this single disc (like other episodes recently released) contains no extras of any kind. Just the film, preceded by the hilarious short, “What About Juvenile Delinquency?”. So if you already have the Volume 3 Rhino set, there is absolutely no reason you’ll need this. Still, it is good disc for the budget-minded, and a very funny episode.
Star Wars: The Clone Wars Season 3 Blu-ray Review
The third season of “Clone Wars” is filled with intrigue and excitement. Continue reading
Lego Star Wars: The Padawan Menace Blu-ray Review
“Lego Star Wars: The Padawan Menace” is a delightful special that will appeal to “Star Wars” fans of all ages. Continue reading
Bones Season 6 Blu-ray and DVD Reviews
“Bones” is running out of ideas in its sixth season. Continue reading
The House by the Cemetery – Special Edition
Let’s face it…unless your last name is Bava or Argento, as an Italian horror director, you suck.
Yeah, I know a lot of people throw Lucio Fulci’s name in there with the greats. But really, aside from some classic gore scenes in his best-known films (probably “Zombie” and “The Beyond”) can anyone really argue with a straight face that he possessed any distinctive talent as a director? No, Fulci is a cult-legend because of his audacity, not his ability. He simply had the balls not to turn the camera away during scenes of eyeball-puncturing, organ vomiting or skull drilling.
As a storyteller, he sucked. His only true gift was creating unusual and grisly ways for people to die. That’s not always a bad thing, but once you run out of those ideas, you still have to tell a story. Which is why “The House by the Cemetery” is a depressing and colossal bore. Coherent narrative was never Fulci’s strong point (what he has, in the past, euphemistically described as surrealism), and despite some savage scenes of carnage in this film, not only are they nothing the seasoned horror fan hasn’t seen before, they are few and far between. Fulci inserts a few half-assed gore set-pieces into a flimsy ghost story with irritating characters we don’t give a damn about (the most obnoxious being a child character whose voice is laughably dubbed by an obviously-adult voice actor).
Still, a lot of horror fans love the guy (though they should probably direct that love more towards Fulci’s special effects teams). This disc is probably one completists will want in their collection, since it includes a lot of extras the original Anchor Bay DVD did not). But even fans are likely to admit “The House by the Cemetery” does not rank among Fulci’s most audacious efforts. If you really want the definitive Fulci film, pick up “Zombie” or try to find the Grindhouse release of “The Beyond.”
Zombie – 2 Disc Ultimate Edition
“Zombie” is Lucio Fulci’s best film. That doesn’t necessarily mean it’s a great one, or even a good one. But it is his most polished and coherent horror effort, and the one most beloved by hard-core horror fans (and there’s a lot them).
I may be crucified for saying this, but it really is a crappy film. The acting is terrible, the dialogue is laughable, the dubbing is atrocious and the music score sounds like it was composed on a cheap Casio keyboard (and don’t get me started on the piss-poor editing job). Go ahead, you zombie cultists…tell me in all honesty that I’m wrong about any of those points I just made.
Arguably the main reason “Zombie” continues to enjoy its status as a cult classic lies in its gore effects, which, while not always convincing (sorry, the classic eyeball-skewering scene really does look pretty phony, especially since the victim never blinks), are still pretty fun to watch.
More importantly, despite its numerous flaws, at least “Zombie” never commits the sin of being boring. As bad as it is, it still manages to entertain (sometimes by virtue of its awfulness).
Since anyone reading this is likely already a fan, and who probably already owns the 25th Anniversary Edition released in 2004, is there a real reason to fork-out for a second 2-disc “ultimate edition”? I guess it depends on your level of zombie geekness. Shriek Show’s 2004 release sported a pretty damned good transfer, and to be honest, I didn’t notice the overall image quality of this one being so much better that it’d be worth buying again.
That leaves the extras, most of which are all new, and are the best part of this set, especially the featurettes on the second disc. I especially enjoyed the cast interviews, since some of them, like Ian McCullough, were quite candid when discussing their experiences and opinions of Lulci himself (not everybody had a lot of love for the man). The interviews with producers, writers and the composer tended to be a bit self-congratulatory, but the segment featuring the make-up artists were admittedly fascinating. Also of interest is a short feature in which filmmaker Guillermo del Toro talks about why he loves the film so much. Rounding out the extras are the usual trailers, stills and radio spots. If acquiring every little tidbit of trivia about “Zombie” is your thing, then you’ll be in hog heaven.
For the casual fan, however, “Zombie” ranks far down the list of truly great films about the undead, and can be credited (or blamed) for the surge of depressing and god-awful gore flicks which oozed out of Italy in its wake (many of which were made by Lulci as well), and make “Zombie” look like “The Exorcist” in comparison.
Captain America: The First Avenger Blu-ray Review
“Captain America: The First Avenger” is a crowd pleasing superhero film. Continue reading
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