Plot: What’s it about?
A once peaceful, serene stretch of countryside has become anything but these days, thanks to a string of violent murders. The local authorities have been unable to mount much of a case, which means as time passes, more and more young residents turn up dead. Whoever is behind the killings knows how to cover their tracks, as minimal evidence is recovered and of course, no witnesses have come forward. Michael Hogan (Patrick Wayne) used to live in the small town, but he left to pursue a new life and now, he has been pulled back once again. You see, his brother was the latest victim in the rash of murders, so Mike has come home to pay his respects. As he is displeased with how futile the police investigation has been, he strides out on his own to uncover some answers, perhaps even gain some revenge. Can Mike turn over the right stones to discover the truth and if so, will he be able to handle what has been revealed?
All horror movies need a sequel it seems and Blood Cult was no different, so we were handed Revenge: Blood Cult II. The same director returns and the premise is close to the original, but none of the same characters return. So the link between the two films is the Blood Cult, which is more than enough of a bond, I think. I found Revenge to be slower than Blood Cult, but it has some cool moments and the Black Mass sequence is awesome, very cool indeed. Just like Blood Cult, this movie was shot on videotape and aimed at the home video market, so production values are low and the same budget constraints are evident. Even so, there is quite a lot of blood and mindless violence, which are elements that you should never count out, as they can work miracles in bad horror movies, without a doubt. I think the producers had a little more cash this time however, as the gore effects look a little better and the cast includes a couple of decent names, with Patrick Wayne (Deep Cover) and John Carradine (The Ice Pirates) on deck. If you’re a fan of low rent horror movies, then I recommend Revenge and Blood Cult, as both have some worthwhile moments.
Video: How does it look?
Revenge: Blood Cult II is presented in a full frame transfer, as intended. The image here looks solid, but there is a sort of “digital haze” present, as if too much noise reduction has been applied, though I can’t be certain if that is the cause. As this was shot on video, I can’t compare it to a typical feature film, but aside from the haze and some grain, the image looks good and should please fans, to be sure. The colors seem bright and never falter much, while flesh tones look natural and black levels are on the mark also. If you remove the slight haze present here, this would be an excellent transfer, but even as it stands, it is a vast improvement over prior versions.
Audio: How does it sound?
I wasn’t overly impressed with the included audio track, but the Dolby Digital stereo option seems more than adequate, given the material. The limited resources of the production mean not dynamic of a sound design, but all things considered, this track is more than solid. The musical score is better than expected and sounds good here, while sound effects are a little thin, but retain full intended impact. No issues in terms of dialogue either, as vocals were smooth and never harsh or muddled, very solid work indeed.
Supplements: What are the extras?
As with the Blood Cult disc, Revenge houses an audio commentary track with director Christopher Lewis, producer Linda Lewis, and musical director Rod Slane. The three offer another relaxed, enjoyable session here and cover a lot of bases, with minimal silent spaces to be discussed. I was pleased with how balanced the time was, as all three had a lot of comments and no one was rushed, so all the information passed through. Another cool track from this team and of course, let’s hope they also record one for The Ripper, at some point in the future (hopefully sooner than later). This disc also includes a five minute behind the scenes featurette, a selection of still photos, some talent files, and the film’s trailer.
