New Year’s Evil

July 12, 2012 4 Min Read

Disc Scores

VIDEO 4.5 / 5
AUDIO 3.0 / 5
EXTRAS 1.0 / 5
OVERALL 3.5 / 5

Review by: Fusion3600

Plot: What’s it about?

The glorious year of 1980 is almost at an end and to celebrate the new year, Diane (Roz Kelly), aka Blaze, is going to have a new wave music festival on live television. The program offers live music and beautiful dancers, so things seem to be going well, until a strange call comes in. A mysterious person calls up Blaze and in a hideous voice, tells her that she is a naughty girl and that he plans to kill a different woman in each time zone. As the clock strikes midnight in each time zone, he claims he will slaughter a woman and end this rampage by killing Blaze herself. At first the threats are passed off as a sick joke, but when the person calls back and plays a tape of a woman being murdered, the tension mounts. Soon enough, more calls come in with more taped deaths, with time closing in on midnight for Blaze. The police get a tap on the phone, but the maniac continues to kill and with midnight right around the corner, will Blaze survive to see 1981?

Ah, 80s horror movies. Where else can you find a deranged killer who travels from coast to coast in a few hours, only using an automobile? New Year’s Evil is without question a product of the 80s, you can tell that from the once glace at the visuals or the priceless new wave music on showcase. And hopefully you either love new wave music or love to laugh at it, as New Year’s Evil is loaded with new wave music. I think the music and the hilarious dance moves that accompany it add entertainment to the film, as you can’t help but laugh. But this is a horror movie, so what about the scares and chills? The outlandish premise is fun and the tension of “who is the killer” is passable, but overall you won’t find much to be spooked by here. The kills are decent and add some blood, but the camp value is what draws in New Year’s Evil. A dismal plot, hilariously bad dialogue, and the garish 80s elements are more than enough reason to check out this release.

Video: How does it look?

New Year’s Evil is presented in 1.85:1 anamorphic widescreen. This is a great looking transfer, much clearer and more refined than I expected. The print looks excellent, with no unwanted grain and minimal debris, which allows the depth of the visuals to really shine. I was very impressed by the level of detail here, as even small elements are crystal clear, this is simply fantastic looking visual presentation.

Audio: How does it sound?

The soundtrack isn’t as remarkable, but the movie still sounds fine. The off the wall new wave music sounds good, while all the screams and such come across well also. The vocals are clear and suffer from no volume issues or what not, so no worries in that area either. Overall the movie sounds quite good, so fans should be satisfied.

Supplements: What are the extras?

This disc includes the film’s theatrical trailer.