Plot: What’s it about?
Harry Penderecki (David Naughton) was a horror movie legend in the 80s, with such films on his resume as Sasquatch at the Mall, I’ll Take the Ring Back…and the Finger Too, and Fish Who Ate Flesh. But that was years ago and as he prepares to shoot his latest picture, he runs into some financial obstacles. Despite his 80s run, Penderecki now finds himself on the outside of the business, with few options available. He knows his new movie Brutal Massacre will be his greatest hour, but he will have to hustle to make it happen. As Penderecki tries to line up all of his ducks in a row, a documentary film crew follows and makes sure Penderecki’s quest is on record. But can Penderecki secure one more chance at cinematic history, or will he simply be known as a relic of the 80s, never to return to prominence?
As a fan of low rent horror movies, I had decent hopes for Brutal Massacre: A Comedy, since it promised a sort of This is Spinal Tap for low rent horror movies. In the end, Brutal Massacre is decent, but never rises much above that level. I appreciated a lot of the references and the general ribs on low budget genre filmmaking, but Brutal Massacre never offers much beyond the predictable jokes and references. I expected most of the material to be broad, so as not to exclude casual genre fans, but I also wanted some more obscure touches, which never come here. On the plus side, that means even very casual horror fans will pick up all of the references, but on the downside, that makes this all very basic and predictable. I wasn’t that impressed with Brutal Massacre, but if you’re a horror movie fan, it is worth a rental.
Video: How does it look?
Brutal Massacre: A Comedy is presented in 1.78:1 anamorphic widescreen. This transfer is a little hard to judge, as the documentary approach used causes some visual issues. The image is soft, even worn at times, but that seems to be the intent. The colors look fine, but contrast can be a touch light in some scenes. The print looks clean from debris and such, but as I said, the visuals have a soft look, so don’t expect much detail. I can’t be sure how much of the visual imperfections are intentional, but in any case, this is not the kind of movie to show off your system with.
Audio: How does it sound?
This Dolby Digital 5.1 option is basic, but adequate. The nature of the movie is such that the audio is reserved, so there isn’t much power or presence to mention. The main element is dialogue and it sounds fine, if a little low at times. The rest of the elements are passable, but this is by no means a memorable soundtrack.
Supplements: What are the extras?
This disc includes a brief featurette, some deleted scenes, and the film’s trailer.
