Blu-ray Review: THE PARANORMAL (1998)

THE PARANORMAL

Directed by:  Todd Norris

Distributed by:  Visual Vengeance / MVD Entertainment

 Today's review is for another film in the Visual Vengeance line, which is a division of Wild Eye Releasing.   It looks like most of the Visual Vengeance releases are low budget independent films which can be hit or miss for sure.   I'm glad to say that this one was actually quite fun.  Here is the basic plot synopsis from the MVD Entertainment website:

  Something is haunting the Englewood movie theater - an unseen force that comes alive after dark. Paranormal investigator Kyle Jennings is called in, but the moment he steps inside, the nightmare begins. The theater seals itself shut, the screen tears open like a doorway, and the low budget zombie movie playing suddenly becomes real. With the undead spilling into the aisles, Kyle must uncover the source of the disturbance before the entire theater becomes a feeding ground, and the only clues may be trapped inside the film itself.

  Now let me first start by mentioning that this is a low budget film.  Like, a really low budget, and it shows.   It looks like it was shot on an old video camera from the 80's, although the pic is clear thanks to the new blu-ray transfer.   I was surprised to see this film is from 1998, as it felt much older than that.  It had a very early 80's look and feel to it.   Maybe that is what the filmmakers were going for at the time, or maybe 1998 is just a lot longer ago than I realize!   The acting is also subpar for sure, with Director Todd Norris taking the lead role. 

  That all being said, the movie had a great story and was still fun enough to make me overlook all the aforementioned shortcomings.   What I thought was going to be a simple zombie film turned out to be a much more complex film that actually made you think!

  While watching a certain zombie film, the main characters are trapped inside the theater and realizes that the film has opened a doorway to where the zombies can come through the screen and into the real world.  In order to stop this, Kyle realizes that if the zombies can come out of the film into the real world, then the door should work both ways so that he can go in the door and into the movie!   He does this in order to stop the zombie hordes, but realizes that anything he changes in the movie changes the outcome of the real world.  It reminded me of the butterfly effect kind of thing, where those that go back in time change the present and future if they change anything.   This was a very smart aspect of the plot and was very interesting to see how his actions changed things back at the theater.   

 Again, don't expect a blockbuster here, but THE PARANORMAL was a fun film that I was glad to have seen.   

  Once again Visual Vengeance has spared no expense with this release, giving it probably far more than it deserves, if we're being quite honest!   It's packaged in a very nice slipcase and contains the following Special Features:

*  New Director-supervised transfer from original tape elements

*  Commentary with Director Todd Norris

*  Commentary with Director Todd Norris and Composer Paul Roberts

*  New Cast and Crew Interviews

*  The Two Todds:  Todd Norris and Todd Sheets Interview

*  The Paranormal Channel 5 TV Airing Bumpers

*  Blooper Reel

*  Deleted Scenes

*  Original Script Exerpts

*  Storyboard Gallery

*  Short Film:  The Closet

*  Short Film: L...

*  Short Film:  Night of the Growling

*  Short Film:  Parallax

*  Visual Vengeance Trailer

*  Trailers

*  Optional English Subtitles

*  Folded Mini-Poster with Art by Giorgio Credaro

*  Reversible Sleeve Featuring  Original VHS Art

*  'Stick Your Own' VHS Sticker Set

*  Limited Edition O-Card Featuring Art by Uncle Frank - FIRST PRESSING ONLY

*  Limited Edition 'Ghost Finder" Viewer - FIRST PRESSING ONLY

*  Limited Edition Promo Flyer for "Z is for Zombie" Movie

*  Original Sleeve Art by The Dude

CLICK HERE to purchase the Blu-ray

Blu-ray Review: DREAM EATER (2025)

DREAM EATER

Written & Directed by:  Jay Drakulic, Mallory Drumm, & Alex Lee Williams

Distributed by:  Alliance Entertainment / The Horror Section

 In 2025, Eli Roth created a new company to help get their horror films distribution.  That company is called THE HORROR SECTION, and one of the first releases is the film DREAM EATER.   I knew nothing about this film going into it, but with "Eli Roth Presents" above the title, I knew I wanted to check it out.   I'll be honest, I didn't really have super high expectations for it, as found footage films have been done to death lately it seems.  I am happy to say that this film blew away my expectations and was a fresh and actually very scary and disturbing entry into what had become a very saturated sub-genre in recent years, in my opinion. 

Here is the basic plot synopsis from The Horror Section's website:

  A filmmaker documents her boyfriend's violent parasomnia during their holiday at a remote cabin in the woods, and as his sleepwalking gets worse, she believes the cause might be something far more sinister. 

  It's a simple plot, but it is not a simple film by any means.   I can honestly say this is one of the best found footage films I have ever seen.   While a lot of found footage films start off super slow and only have a pay off at the very end  (I'm looking at you BLAIR WITCH PROJECT), this film had me hooked from the very beginning.   The main character's sleep walking starts from the very beginning and just gets progressively worse with each episode.   It was scary to think what he was going to do the next night, since you knew it was going to be even worse.  It really made you feel for his girlfriend, knowing that every night she was going to have to deal with a progressively worse bout of his sleep walking.   

  The film does have a crazy climax at the end, but the whole film was a crazy ride.    Just the anticipation of what was coming each night was very uncomfortable.   The acting in this film was great, and you really had a connection to these characters, so that made you feel even worse with what was going on.  

  Out of the many scary and uncomfortable scenes, one I found particularly disturbing was actually very tame on the surface.   While Mallory (the girlfriend) goes out looking for Alex  (the sleepwalker), she goes into the shed behind the cabin and finds a stack of drawings that Alex has done, all showing a dark, shrouded character.   What's interesting is that as she thumbs through the stack of sketches, each one gets more disturbing than the last.  The character becomes bigger and the picture as a whole becomes darker with each one she skims through.  I loved the correlations of these sketches and his episodes, showing how each one gets progressively worse. 

  

  One thing I really noticed that I don't in a lot of films, was the music.  The score for this film was very unnerving.  A simple tune whistled with a very eerie sound.   Check out the trailer and you'll know what I am talking about as soon as you hear it. 

 As impressive enough as this film is, even more impressive is the fact that the 3 writers and directors are also the main actors in the film.  It was done a very moderate budget, but the film doesn't look or feel that way.   They made the most of what they had and it paid off  for sure!   

 Watch DREAM EATER with the lights down, and the volume up and buckle in for a wild and scary ride!  

  DREAM EATER is available now on Collector's Edition Blu-ray and contains the following Special Features:

*  Director's Commentary

*  Behind the Scenes Featurette with Eli Roth

*  Behind the Scenes Photo Gallery

*  Trailers

CLICK HERE to purchase the Blu-ray

Blu-ray Review: BUSTED BABIES (2024)

BUSTED BABIES

Written & Directed by: Kasper Meltedhair

Distributed by:  Blood sick Productions / MVD Entertainment

 It's not often I get a movie and have no clue what to say in a review.  Although, most movies are coherent and have a plot that I can at least follow.   I predict this will be my shortest review in all of the 4H Blog history!  

 Here is the "plot" from the Blood Sick Productions website:

A secret of turning flesh into glass breaks down _____'s reality when she trips in the BBQ Salon, busting rusting immortal goop onto the faces of herself, Movie Star, and Character Name. Blasts party murder of self inflicting wads of death are in the agenda after a green amulet confusion, forever, until the wood chipper reveals the dirty trick. But who are these men with Gartan Galtar and why do they dance so preciously?

  Did that plot synopsis make sense to you?  Was that English?  Well, that plot synopsis fits this movie perfectly.  I didn't understand the synopsis at all and I didn't understand the movie at all.   I usually don't like to completely trash a film, as I can usually find something good about it to focus on.   That is not the case with this one.   I have nothing positive to say about it. 

 

  I was confused from the very start and was even more confused when it ended, although I did have a feeling of relief that it was over.  The movie is just random images and random dialog, none of which makes any sense.  For example, one scene is just minutes of a group of random men opening trash bags.   Sound interesting?  Another scene shows a woman that poops out fluorescent green goo and trades it to a homeless person for some magic chewing gum that will help her end her own life!  None of this makes sense!

  

  What doesn't make the most sense of all is how this "movie" ever got a distribution deal!  

 If you want to see for yourself what this is all about, the blu-ray is available now from Blood Sick Productions and MVD Entertainment and contains the following Special Features:

-Rorph Cranker- stop motion short film by Kasper Meltedhair
-Outakes
-Behind the Scenes
-Trailers
-The Donald Farmer Viewing Experience
-Liner Notes by Caroline Kopko

CLICK HERE to purchase the Blu-Ray