5.9 | / 10 |
Users | 0.0 | |
Reviewer | 4.5 | |
Overall | 4.5 |
A young doctor is haunted by a questionable past and entrapped in a hopeless present by jealousy, blackmail and finally, murder.
Starring: Peter Carpenter (I), Maria De Aragon, Leslie Simms, Reagan Wilson, Vicki PetersHorror | 100% |
Thriller | Insignificant |
Crime | Insignificant |
Video codec: MPEG-4 AVC
Video resolution: 1080p
Aspect ratio: 1.85:1
Original aspect ratio: 1.85:1
English: DTS-HD Master Audio Mono
English SDH
Blu-ray Disc
Two-disc set (1 BD, 1 DVD)
DVD copy
Region A (B, C untested)
Movie | 3.0 | |
Video | 5.0 | |
Audio | 3.5 | |
Extras | 4.5 | |
Overall | 4.5 |
With a title like “Blood Mania,” certain expectations are put in place, goosed some by the feature’s animated title sequence, which highlights a pair of hands tearing at the title while a woman screams on the soundtrack. It’s quite the introduction, but it doesn’t represent the movie. “Blood Mania” isn’t a slasher film, it’s more of a chiller featuring a collection of corrupt people spending their every waking moment either trying to kill or sleep with one another. Director Robert Vincent O’Neill knows exactly what’s expected of him, and he keeps up with demands for sex and violence, making sure the picture is all stocked up on nudity. Suspense is harder to conjure, with O’Neill struggling with a limited budget, working overtime to make casual encounters vibrate with intensity.
The AVC encoded image (1.85:1 aspect ratio) presentation for "Blood Mania" carries the sleazy effort to HD with complete success. Colors are properly refreshed, making an impression with period costuming, which delivers pure California hues, and skintones are ideal, keeping bronzed bodies natural. Sharpness reaches deep, finding detail on locations and actors, with close-ups especially textured, while clothing retains fibrous qualities. Grain is fine and filmic. Delineation is secure. Source is in good condition, without overt points of damage.
The 1.0 DTS-HD MA sound mix isn't too problematic, but it's very sharp, opening with a female scream that could shatter glass with unattended volume levels. Dialogue exchanges are intelligible, but they're thin, prone to crackling at times, while more extreme emotional demonstrations keep highs slightly uncomfortable. Scoring is acceptable. While it doesn't have deep definition, musical moods are secured and instrumentation is easy to follow. Sound effects retain presence and power. Hiss is detected throughout the listening experience.
"Blood Mania" has trouble revving up its engine, working through lots of filler before climatic extremes are allowed to take over. Supporting the effort are the actors, who generally make a positive impression considering production limitations, finding Carpenter nicely unraveled as Dr. Cooper, and Leslie Simms has some agreeable moments as Nurse Turner, who butts heads with Victoria over care for Ridgeley. It takes a long time to get going, but "Blood Mania" eventually assumes its position as nutso drive-in entertainment, making an enjoyable mess of things. However, patience is required with O'Neill's direction, which fights to hits cinematic high points as it struggles with dramatic stasis.
(Still not reliable for this title)
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