Rating summary

Movie		3.0
Video		4.5
Audio		3.5
Extras		4.5
Overall		4.0

Berserker Blu-ray Movie Review

Reviewed by Brian Orndorf November 5, 2019

1987’s “Berserker” supplies an unusual antagonist in a 10th century Viking who dresses as a bear and devours human prey. Or something like that. The screenplay isn’t exactly clear what’s going during the run time, but it has a potent visual in the titular menace. Director Jefferson Richard is armed with a small amount of money and the expanse of Utah woods, striving to cook up a reasonable B-movie with recognizable genre ingredients. He’s a little cheeky, permissive with actors, and open to whatever ideas are presented to him, but he’s not much of a scary movie architect. “Berserker” lacks in the fright department, doing much better with character shenanigans and local color. It’s not the way to a sufficiently terrifying viewing experience, but “Berserker” is the rare endeavor that actually loses steam once violence arrives.

Traveling to the campsite of his youth, Josh (Greg Dawson) is ready for a party weekend, joined by Mike (Joseph Alan Johnson), Kathy (Valerie Sheldon), Kristi (Shannon Engemann), Larry (Rodney Montague), and Shelly (Beth Toussaint). The gang has enough beer, marijuana, and free time to have all the crazy fun they can handle, but the land owner, Pappy Nyquist (George “Buck” Flower), isn’t sure about the visitors, leading them to a remote cabin to keep them out of view. While Pappy is visited by Officer Hill (John Goff), with the friends enjoying the evening, the young people are soon visited by what appears to be a killer bear, which manages to claw apart a few members of the group. Trying to escape in a full panic, the survivors are soon lost in the darkness, facing a threat that’s rooted in Scandinavian history.

There’s little originality in “Berserker,” which orders up yet another collection of dim young things to visit the deep woods. They’re loaded with distractions and excited to have some sexual experiences, trusting Josh’s leadership as he drives the group into the far reaches of Utah. Drinking, goofing around, and mild exposition concerning the Viking threat are offered, along with a considerable amount of screen time with Pappy and Hill, who enjoy games of chess and swigs of beer, complaining about the youth of today. Richard toys with genre expectations, delivering an amusing tease as one female character begins to remove her top before jumping in a river, only to change her mind with a smirk. And there’s a bear in the woods, with the beast positioned as something of a red herring, through such misdirection isn’t sharpened in the least. The basics are there for exploitation fun, finding the opening act doing a pleasant job arranging mischief and growing concern that all is not well in the night.

Berserker Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

Billed as "Newly scanned and restored in 2K from its 16mm original camera negative," "Berserker" delivers a very film-like viewing experience, with thick grain tastefully managed. The AVC encoded image (1.85:1 aspect ratio) presentation does well with color, finding greenery lush and gorgeous, securing a defined feel for outdoor adventures. Costuming brings out strong primaries, and bloodshed retains deep reds. Skintones are natural. Detail reaches as far as possible (focus is an occasional challenge for the production), delivering a satisfactory look at dimensional locations and facial surfaces. Berserker and bear textures are also intact, offering a furrier appearance. Delineation is secure. Some mild judder is detected.

Berserker Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

The 1.0 DTS-HD MA sound mix supplies an aged listening event, finding sibilance issues creeping up periodically, while general sharpness isn't available. The basics of dialogue exchanges are acceptable, getting a sense of performances and horror emphasis. Scoring is comfortable, supporting with adequately defined synth. Sound effects register as intended, leading with bear roars and bodily harm. At 5:35, a line of dialogue is dropped, but this could be an inherent issue with the low-budget feature.

Berserker Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

• Intro (:18, HD) offers a welcome to this cult "classic" from director Jefferson Richard.

• "A Family Affair" (25:46, HD) returns to Richard, who shares his childhood dream of becoming an actor, eventually working his way through the industry, learning to do all sorts of jobs. "Berserker" was offered to Richard by porn producers looking to go legit, asking for an idea for a horror film, and a short time later, the helmer was in Utah making the movie, joined by his family, with his loved ones becoming crew members. Cinematographer Henning Schellerup's work is praised, often dealing with limited lighting, and the difficult shoot plowed through multiple nights in the wild, presenting various creative and crew temperament challenges. Richard recalls the world premiere of "Berserker" and its eventual theatrical release. He details the aftermath of the picture, becoming a producer on features such as "Get Carter" and "3000 Miles to Graceland," and details his semi-retirement after a decade of steady employment.

• "Valley Girl" (10:46, HD) is a brief chat with Shannon Engemann, who was required to deliver a screaming audition for "Berserker," which also represented her feature debut. With B-movie employment came challenges dealing with the outdoor shoot, fighting the cold and swarming bugs. The actress shares her first impressions of the movie, chalking up the whole thing as a learning experience, remaining honest about her performance. Engemann also explores her position in an entertainment family, including her interest in singing, recently recording songs written by Dolly Parton, who gave her the tunes after hearing a demo. The interviewee closes with an overview of her post-"Berserker" career, including an appearance in "Poolhall Junkies."

• "Beware of Bears" (16:20, HD) sits down with actor Joseph Alan Johnson, who won a part in "Berserker" due to his employment with the production company. Utah locations are recalled (including his inability to ride an ATV properly), along with as assessment of co-star behavior and personal quirks, and Johnson shares his memories of Bart the Bear. The interviewee remembers the premiere and reveals his eventual disillusionment with Hollywood, moving to Europe to continuing film acting, finding it easier to collect jobs. Returning to America, Johnson settled in Florida, becoming a stage actor around the state. The star closes with his thoughts on the legacy of "Berserker," and its newfound life on Blu-ray.

• Audio Interview (9:56) with Mike Riley works through the actor's audition process to play the titular maniac of "Berserker," and his time spent with Bart the Bear. Utah locations are recalled, and Riley admits he's never seen the film. Soon abandoning acting, Riley switched to computers, sharing the status of his current employment.

• Still Gallery (1:38) collects film stills.

• Commentary features podcasters Justin Kerswell and Joseph Henson.

• A Trailer has not been included.

Berserker Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

"Berserker" eventually gets to a body count, and there's a strange dip in pace and personality. Suddenly, the feature is only concerned with breathless survival sequences and displays of gore, and that gets stale in a hurry, especially when the Viking aspect of the story isn't developed in full. Richard seemingly loses interest in his own movie in its second half, unable to stick the landing when it comes to the plight of reckless youngsters getting lost in the woods, stalked by an undefined force of evil. There should be excitement and sleaze, but Richard only really invests in frustrating vagueness.