Plot: What’s it about?
Lance Hayward (John Ireland) was once the brightest star in Hollywood, with hit movies and adoring fans, but those days have passed. After his rise to success, Hayward suddenly retired and has lived as a recluse since. Even when professionals were brought in to track him down, he wasn’t located and he remains surrounded by mystery. The rumors abound on what happened to him, from relocations to foreign countries to identity alteration, but the most believed theory is death, given his advanced age. He has been gone for some time now and with no luck in finding him, his estate is about to be auctioned off. His mansion is huge, but old and run down, so the plan is to demolish the site and construct a more useful building in its place. The first person to arrive takes a trip out into the wooded area around the house to look around, only to be jumped by someone in vintage clothes. As if that wasn’t enough, the man is then strapped to a tree and torn in half, thanks to the madman in the old clothes. A lawyer arrives soon afterwards and talks with the security guard about one of Hayward’s films, one in which a man dies in the same fashion as the previous visitor, only they have no idea the real murder has unfolded. Who is the madman on the loose, is it Hayward himself or just someone with an axe to grind against Hollywood?
This movie, also known as Terror Night has been almost impossible to track down, which is due to the lack of an official U.S. release. But now Retromedia has unleashed Bloody Movie on the public and fans of slasher cinema have reason to rejoice, as this is an above average genre picture with all the 80s touches. I’d only been able to find a black market edition, complete with German subtitles, so this is the first time I’ve been able to focus on the film, not the miserable visual presentation or forced subtitles. The film’s selling point is a roster of B level stars who are killed off in gruesome fashion, as if someone stalked down all the washed up bit players. John Ireland (Satan’s Cheerleaders, Waxwork II), Dan Haggerty (Superchick, Angels Die Hard), Aldo Ray (Psychic Killer, Death Dimension), Alan Hale, Jr. (Tv’s Gilligan’s Island), and Cameron Mitchell (Demon Cop, Island of the Fishmen) are all present, so you know B movie fans will be heaven here. In addition, frequent genre star William Butler (Night of the Living Dead, Ghoulies II) is here, as well as Scream Queen favorite Michelle Bauer (Virgin High, Dr. Alien), who is naked quite often. The kill scenes are cool to watch, if just to see the old farts get offed in blood soaked fashion. Bloody Movie is not a classic, but it has a lot to like and since it has been a bitch to find, fans of B movies and slasher cinema should give it a look, if just to see Aldo Ray get his head whacked off.
Video: How does it look?
Bloody Movie is presented in full frame, as intended. The print is worn and has some defects, but looks more than solid. If this were a major studio project or a newer release, I would be more critical, but this was made a while back on a limited budget. As such, we have to lean a little and grade this transfer on a curve. The print has some grain and marks, but the grain is light and the nicks never amount to much. You can tell this was made on the cheap, as the image is soft and dated, but I’d never expect a sharp, crisp edition of this picture. The grain does impact the contrast a shade at times, but black levels are often dead on. No worries with colors either, as the hues have a bright and natural scope. So while time and the limitations of the material have taken a toll, this is still a more than acceptable visual effort.
Audio: How does it sound?
This is your basic soundtrack and while it isn’t too impressive, it covers all the bases, which is enough in this case. I had to turn up the volume a little more than usual, but the balance was even, so I won’t complain much. The sound effects and music are well presented, at least when given the age and nature of this material, that is. I heard no serious problems with this track, but you can tell the budget was slim, as you should expect. No errors with the dialogue however, whether in terms of volume or clarity, this is a smooth, but somewhat dated mix. So in the end, you can’t complain much, since the material is well handled.
Supplements: What are the extras?
This disc includes the film’s trailer.
