Plot: What’s it about?
A sadistic serial killer is on the loose, leaving behind a trail of dead bodies and the police seem to be baffled. The rash of murders continues all the time, as the man known as Butch Harlow (James L. Edwards) extends his reign of terror with each new kill. The odds of catching this madman almost get worse each time also, as evidence is sparse and the authorities have been able to gather minimal information on Harlow’s whereabouts. At the same time, a woman named Serena Stalin (Ariauna Albright) has been following the case and doing her own research, after which she is convinced she knows where to find Harlow. The police couldn’t track down this sick madman, but Serena managed to put the pieces together and locate Harlow. But she has no intentions of turning him over to the police, at least not if he does what she wants. She has the desire to become a serial killer herself, so she blackmails Harlow into teaching her all about the world of mass murder. After all, if she is going to learn the ropes, why not learn from one of the best and Harlow is one of the best, at least of those not in police hands. So the two begin a cycle of violence, with Serena serving as the assistant at first, though she soon seeks to take the reins for herself. But can this blood soaked bond last, or will the two eventually turn death toward each other?
A romance picture for the gore crowd, Bloodletting reveals the softer side of serial killers and the sick, depraved lifestyles they lead. As the title suggests, this movie has buckets and buckets of the red stuff, but don’t expect a consistent flow of the precious fluids. No, Bloodletting spends a lot of time on dialogue and exposition, which is good in some cases, but with this picture, I wanted more of the madness. I love horror movies with effective storylines, but the dialogue here is on the lackluster side and as such, more gore should have been unleashed. After all, when the blood starts to run, Bloodletting turns into a hell of a good time. I mean, this flick has tons and tons of the red stuff, enough to make most other gore oriented movies blush, which is why I wish the floodgates were opened without restraint. If the shackles were cut loose, this could have been one of the bloodiest movies to ever come down the dark road, but instead, we have a blood drenched, but inconsistent production. Even so, the parts that are good are damn good, especially if you’re a fan of the splatter approach to horror cinema. You might wish some things were different, but at least Bloodletting offers a bloody good time. As always, Tempe’s DVD has a great presentation and a wealth of supplements, so no need for concern in that respect. So in the end, I am able to give Bloodletting a strong recommendation to genre devotees.
Video: How does it look?
Bloodletting is presented in full frame, as intended. The visuals have restored & remastered for this release and it shows, as the movie looks excellent here. This was a low budget production however, which creates some limitations from the start. The main issue is that we see a lot of jagged edges and moire patterns, which never become too much of a distraction, but are quite obvious in a number of scenes. Aside from that though, the flaws are minor and the visuals never suffer much from those defects. The image is free from most nicks and pops, while grain is absent and the visuals even shine at times. I was pleased with how sharp and crisp the image was, given the low budget roots of the production. As usual, Tempe has pumped out another superb treatment for a low budget, low profile production.
Audio: How does it sound?
A brand new Dolby Digital 5.1 option is found here, which proves to be a well crafted and effective soundtrack. In most cases, I don’t expect much from low budget film remixes, but Tempe’s track record is impressive. The surround use isn’t as dynamic as in major studio releases, but the atmosphere is bolstered and the music sounds great. So there is some life in this track and the best news is that it all sounds natural. No paper thin presence or forced surround use, just an enhanced soundtrack that provides a solid experience. I heard no troubles with the dialogue either, so once again, Tempe delivers the goods.
Supplements: What are the extras?
An audio commentary starts us off, in which director Matthew Jason Walsh and stars Ariauna Albright & James L. Edwards discuss the production. This is a candid session, the kind that deals with topics mainstream tracks wouldn’t touch. So if you want to hear the real story about how movies like Bloodletting are made, don’t miss this terrific session. A half hour behind the scenes featurette is next, which proves to be an above average look at the film’s inner workings. This disc also includes some deleted scenes, the I’ve Killed Before short film, production stills, and three versions of the film’s trailer.
