Blood Rage Blu-ray Review
Limited Edition
Score: 73
from 2 reviewers
Review Date:
Arrow Video's Blu-ray of 'Blood Rage' is a technically impressive release of a divisive 80s slasher, offering high-definition clarity and abundant supplements. Recommended for aficionados.
Disc Release Date
Video: 74
Arrow Video’s Blu-ray release of 'Blood Rage' impresses with its 2K restoration, offering a stable 1080p transfer in 1.78:1 aspect ratio with MPEG-4 AVC encoding. Despite minor color pulsations and occasional grain, the overall image quality is convincing, free from distracting anomalies, debris, or problematic sharpening.
Audio: 74
The Blood Rage Blu-ray features an English LPCM 2.0 audio track with optional English SDH subtitles. While the dynamic range is limited, depth and clarity are commendable given the film’s low budget, with no audio dropouts or digital distortions detected.
Extra: 89
The Blu-ray extras for 'Blood Rage' provide a comprehensive behind-the-scenes look through engaging new video interviews with key cast and crew, informative audio commentary by director John Grissmer, detailed production insights, and nostalgic location revisits, making it a must-have for horror enthusiasts and film historians.
Movie: 36
Blood Rage's Blu-ray release by Arrow Video offers a mixed experience; while the film itself is criticized for poor scripting and amateurish execution, the set stands out for its extensive supplemental features including a 2K restoration, alternate cuts, audio commentary, and insightful interviews.
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Video: 74
Presented in an aspect ratio of 1.78:1 and encoded with MPEG-4 AVC, John Grissmer's Blood Rage arrives on Blu-ray with a commendable 1080p transfer, courtesy of Arrow Video/MVD Entertainment Group. The new 2K restoration is impressive, showing marked improvements in depth and clarity. Despite some minor issues such as light color pulsations during the dinner scene, the technical presentation remains strong. Contrast levels are stable, and there is no evidence of problematic sharpening adjustments. Additionally, the image stability is excellent, with no debris, damage marks, or dirt spots disrupting the visual experience.
However, there are noticeable variations in quality within the Nightmare at Shadow Woods segments due to the composite nature of Arrow Video's presentation. The reconstruction integrates footage from both the newly restored Blood Rage and an aged 35mm print element of the original cut. This combination leads to discrepancies in image quality, but considering the source material, the overall execution is commendable.
(Note: This Region-Free Blu-ray release will be playable on any player, regardless of your geographical location.)
Audio: 74
The audio presentation on this Blu-ray release of "Blood Rage" features a sole standard track: English LPCM 2.0. Accompanying this is the provision of optional English SDH subtitles, enhancing accessibility. The audio track demonstrates a moderate range of nuanced dynamics, understandably constrained by the film's limited budget during production. Despite this, it delivers acceptable depth and clarity. However, listeners might notice occasional unevenness throughout the audio experience.
From a technical perspective, the track is free of audio dropouts and digital distortions, contributing to a consistently listenable presentation. While some may miss more advanced formats like DTS or Dolby Atmos, the LPCM 2.0 track holds up reasonably well, considering its source material and technical limitations.
Extras: 89
The Blu-ray extras for "Blood Rage" offer a comprehensive and engaging deep dive into the film's production, providing invaluable insights for fans and cinephiles alike. These supplements encompass detailed interviews with key personnel like Marianne Kanter and Ed French, delivering firsthand accounts of the filmmaking challenges and creative processes. The retrospective "Return to Shadow Woods" is particularly notable, revisiting original filming locations in Jacksonville, Florida. Additionally, historical context and personal anecdotes enhance the experience through interviews with cast members such as Louise Lasser and Mark Soper. The audio commentary by director John Grissmer is rich with production specifics, serving as an informative guide to the film's creation. The inclusion of multiple versions of the film, along with a collector's booklet featuring expert analysis, further cements this as an essential release.
Extras included in this disc:
- VHS Opening Titles: Original VHS titles presentation.
- Return to Shadow Woods: A revisit to original filming locations.
- Behind the Scenes Gallery: Collection of behind-the-scenes stills with music.
- Three Minutes with Ted: Interview with actor Ted Raimi.
- Both Sides of the Camera: Interview with producer/actress Marianne Kanter.
- Man Behind the Mayhem: Interview with make-up effects creator Ed French.
- Jeez, Louise!: Interview with actress Louise Lasser.
- Double Jeopardy: Interview with actor Mark Soper.
- Audio Commentary: Director John Grissmer discusses the production.
Disc Two includes:
- Nightmare at Shadow Woods: Alternate cut of the film.
- Composite Cut: Combined footage from different versions.
- Outtakes: Silent outtakes from the film.
- Booklet: Collector's booklet with new film analysis by Joseph A. Ziemba.
Movie: 36
John Grissmer's Blood Rage (1987) arrives on Blu-ray courtesy of Arrow Video/MVD Entertainment Group, delivering a gruesome yet entertaining look back at the gonzo slasher era. The plot is absurdly convoluted, beginning at a drive-in theater where twins Todd and Terry (both played by Mark Soper) experience a traumatic event with one twin inexplicably framing the other for a murder. Fast forward ten years, and Todd escapes from a mental institution, triggering Terry to portray him as the real killer. The film stumbles through poorly scripted scenes and lackluster dialogues that frequently border on the painful. Despite this, it manages to capture the essence of '80s slasher kitsch, significantly aided by Richard Einhorn's outstanding retro soundtrack which resonates with the nostalgic vibes of electronic instrumentals reminiscent of Giorgio Moroder.
While the narrative struggles with coherence, Blood Rage revels in its graphic close-ups and practical effects, albeit not always effectively. Noteworthy examples include an animated severed hand and a convincingly fake dismembered body in the forest, which hover between being horrifying and unintentionally comedic. This Blu-ray release is notable for its extensive supplementary features including two additional cuts: the original home video version titled Nightmare at Shadow Woods and an alternate composite cut encompassing scenes from both the theatrical and home video versions. The three-disc set, with its new 2K restoration of Blood Rage, offers an exhaustive exploration of this rare slasher flick, promising a treat for genre enthusiasts and cult movie collectors alike.
Total: 73
Arrow Video’s Blu-ray release of "Blood Rage" stands out as a testament to the company’s dedication to preserving and revitalizing cult classics. Known for their meticulous restoration process, Arrow Video delivers a high-definition transfer that breathes new life into this 1987 slasher film. The picture quality is notably sharp, with vibrant colors that enhance the film’s garish aesthetic—a hallmark of 80s genre fare. Supplementary features are extensive, offering in-depth interviews with cast and crew, bringing valuable context and entertaining anecdotes that hardcore fans and newcomers alike will appreciate.
What "Blood Rage" lacks in narrative coherence and subtlety, it compensates with sheer audacity and nostalgia-fueled charm. For fans of over-the-top, nostalgic slasher flicks, this film checks all the boxes: gratuitous gore, campy dialogue, and an unpredictable storyline that veers sharply into the absurd. Arrow Video ensures these elements are showcased in their best possible light, aligning technical fidelity with the film's anarchic spirit. The presentation is a reminder that some movies manage to transcend conventional quality metrics, flourishing instead on a mixture of nostalgia and shock value.
In conclusion, "Blood Rage" may polarize viewers; it's an acquired taste laden with 80s slasher tropes, making it either a delightful guilty pleasure or an irredeemable mess, depending on one’s perspective. However, for those who already hold affection for this type of cinema, Arrow Video's Blu-ray release is a treasure trove of visual and supplemental splendor. It's highly recommended for avid horror aficionados and fans of cult cinema. If you haven't seen it yet, do yourself a favor and give it a rental—you might find it surprisingly engaging.
Blu-ray.com review by Dr. Svet AtanasovRead review here
Video: 80
There are very obvious gaps in quality in different parts of Nightmare at Shadow Woods, but this is hardly surprising considering the fact that Arrow Video's presentation is basically a reconstruction...
Audio: 80
The range of nuanced dynamics is quite limited, but this should not be surprising considering the fact that the film was shot with small budget....
Extras: 90
Double Jeopardy - in this new video interview, actor Mark Soper (Todd/Terry) explains how became interested in acting and how he prepared to play the two characters in Blood Rage, and discusses the shooting...
Movie: 30
Frankly, there are a number of sequences that literally look like extracts from a very long test session which was quickly cut and edited and made into a feature film....
Total: 50
If you have seen it, like it, and have been waiting for a good home video release of it to emerge, then Arrow Video/MVD Entertainment Group's Blu-ray release should be a special treat for you....
The Digital Bits review by Tim SalmonsRead review here
Video: 95
Audio: 95
Extras: 95
Movie: 50
Many came and went, lost in the haze (or the arterial spray, as it were), but now thanks to revival screenings and home video, many have been given a second life as cult movies....
Total: 84
Arrow Video continues to impress with lavish editions of movies well beyond their prime or interest level, and with such a presentation, it makes you wish that some American distributors could step up...
Director: John Grissmer
Actors: Louise Lasser, Mark Soper, Julie Gordon
PlotOn Thanksgiving night, twin brothers Todd and Terry sneak out of the family's car at a drive-in theatre while their mother Maddy is distracted. Terry brutally murders a man and frames Todd for it. Traumatized, Todd is sent to a mental institution, where he remains for several years, while Terry grows up seemingly well-adjusted and living with their mother. As Thanksgiving approaches again, Todd escapes from the institution, prompting a resurfacing of old fears and terrors in the family's suburban community.
Maddy receives the news of Todd's escape and grows increasingly unstable, while Terry exhibits strange behavior that raises suspicions. As Todd searches for his mother to clear his name, a series of violent events unfold, leading to chaos and bloodshed within the neighborhood. The tension mounts as Todd's quest for truth clashes with Terry's dark tendencies, culminating in a confrontation that brings buried secrets to light and puts everyone in peril.
Writers: Bruce Rubin
Release Date: 01 May 1987
Runtime: 82 min
Rating: R
Country: United States
Language: English