Blood Theatre / The Visitants Blu-ray Movie

Rating summary

Movie		2.5
Video		5.0
Audio		3.5
Extras		4.0
Overall		4.5

Blood Theatre / The Visitants Blu-ray Movie Review

Reviewed by Brian Orndorf June 24, 2018

Writer/director Rick Sloane is best known for 1988’s “Hobgoblins,” which launched a helming career of bottom shelf staples, including “Vice Academy” and its five sequels. Sloane is not known for his attention to detail, showing more pride in moviemaking frugality than technical proficiency, aiming for B-movie glory. 1984’s “Blood Theater” is his debut effort, created while Sloane was still a 21-year-old student in film school. Inexperience powers most of the picture, which offers pronounced parody and criticism of the burgeoning multiplex environment of theatrical exhibition, but fails mightily whenever Sloane gets around to arranging murder set pieces. “Blood Theater” has a lot of issues, a lack of coherency being a major problem, but it certainly does establish his future endeavors, with the filmmaker more interested in realizing select ideas than making cohesive genre entertainment.

In Los Angeles, Spotlite Theaters owner Murdock (Rob-Roy Fletcher) is trying to keep his chain of multiplexes together, finding real industry money in bootlegging new releases, joined by his secretary, Blackwell (Mary Moronov). Figuring out what to do with his latest property acquisition, Murdock sends trusted employees Adrian (Andrew Cofrin), Malcolm (Daniel Schafer), and Jennifer (Jenny Cunningham) to clean and set-up up the single-screen theater, preparing for its grand opening. Trouble is, the location has already seen its share of mass death, with a mysterious figure haunting the theater, slowly disrupting efforts to return some Old Hollywood magic to the location. As the murderer sneaks around the shadows, Adrian and Malcolm continue work, while Jennifer senses something off about the whole situation, also on the receiving end of bullying from Darcy (Stephanie Dillard) and Selena (Joanna Foxx), two Spotlite clerks who live to make life impossible for others.

“Blood Theater” opens in the past, inspecting anxieties as the original owner of the annoyingly unnamed theater (seriously, Sloane never gets around to identifying where the characters are, which is maddening) is facing a disaster, transitioning the performing arts space into a movie theater. He spies an ungrateful employee and decides to kill everyone by burning reels of film, thus establishing a curse on the building that carries into present day, with Murdock sending in Adrian, Malcolm, and Jennifer to put the theater in order, promising them a juicy bonus if they can do it in a week. Sloane’s screenplay doesn’t go into villain psychology, just carnage, offering a loosely defined menace to come.

The majority of “Blood Theater” concerns the slipperiness of Spotlite Theaters, with Murdock trying to make a fast buck by videotaping such new releases as “Clown Whores of Hollywood” (Sloane cuts in a trailer for the comedy), ready to distribute the bootlegs at an upcoming convention for movie theater owners (one would think they’d have a problem with such a practice). He’s a crook, overseeing a crappy chain of multiplexes without actually paying attention to the business, verbally sparring with Blackwell. He’s also looking to do something with the derelict building he owns, commencing what passes for plot in “Blood Theater” as he assigns three teenagers to bring the theater back to working order in a matter of days.

Horror incidents arrive intermittently in “Blood Theater,” with an elderly man sneaking around the building, trying to murder people trespassing on his property. Sloane doesn’t have the money for gore or the directorial seasoning for suspense, leaving most of the viewing experience to the observance of chores and mild bickering amongst the characters. There’s also focus on Selena, the resident troublemaker of the staff, who dresses for work in skintight gold spandex pants and tries to make Jennifer’s life unbearable. “Blood Theater” induces whiplash with the reveal that everyone here is a teenager, with Jennifer a high school cheerleader, but, like most details in the picture, Sloane doesn’t do anything with it, or even introduces it with finesse. In fact, most of the high school moments play like flashbacks, or maybe they are? Sloane isn’t capable of clarifying anything beyond extended scenes of vacuuming and plant positioning around the lobby.

Blood Theatre / The Visitants Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

"Blood Theater" is a tiny production with limited resources, but the AVC encoded image (1.85:1 aspect ratio) presentation does an excellent job finding all the screen particulars this feature offers. Sourced from a fresh scan of the 35mm camera negative, Vinegar Syndrome delivers bright, bold colors during the viewing experience. The palette contains secure primaries, with emphasis on crimson theater seats and curtains, providing an evocative look at interiors. Clothing also shares hearty hues, finding Selena's gold disco pants a highlight, and multiplex décor pops nicely. Skintones are spot-on. Detail delivers on facial surfaces, from Murdock's aged, semi-kabuki look to the youthful smoothness of the "teens." Theater events are dimensional and defined, allowing movie palace fans a chance to search the frame for architectural achievements, while Sloane's sets reveal shoddy construction. Grain is fine and filmic. Delineation never slips into solidification. Source in fine shape, without major areas of damage.

Blood Theatre / The Visitants Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

The 1.0 DTS-HD MA sound mix is a basic listening event that's hampered by age and technical limitations. Dialogue exchanges aren't obscured, but they lack snap, displaying some fuzziness at times. Scoring selections are acceptable, but the feature goes for extended periods with silence, and such stillness is preserved. Sound effects are present, and while awkwardly executed, violence and phantom bangs of swinging doors retain their emphasis.

Blood Theatre / The Visitants Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

• Bonus Feature: "The Visitants" (92:40, HD), writer/director Rick Sloane's 1987 '50s sci-fi parody.

• Commentary #1 ("Blood Theater") features Sloane.

• Commentary #2 features The Hysteria Continues.

• Commentary #3 ("The Visitants") feature Sloane.

• Ensemble Intro (8:55, SD) is an undated event at the New Beverly Cinema in Los Angeles, where "Blood Theater" and "The Visitants" were presented as a celebration of Sloane's early career. The helmer is there to absorb the love, sharing his enthusiasm for the New Beverly and film presentation in general, urging attendees to skip a trip to Blockbuster and see a movie. Joining Sloane for brief words before the shows begin are Mary Woronov (who took the job in "Blood Theater" due to Sloane's promise that he could pull off a melting telephone special effect) and, from "The Visitants," Marcus Vaughter and Jordana Capra.

• Post Q&A (14:05, SD) returns with Sloane and Woronov, who field questions from the audience. Topics cover Woronov's ability to go through entire movies without being directed, looping issues with actress Joanna Foxx (along with the recycling of her gold spandex pants in other films), making initial contact with Woronov, Sloane's early career success with "Hobgoblins," the making-of "Clown Whores of Hollywood," and various screen details from "The Visitant."

• No Trailers are included.

Blood Theatre / The Visitants Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

"Blood Theater" is barebones when it comes to horror events, offering no tension or terror. It's not even effective camp despite Woronov's skill with emphatic line-readings and reactions. What Sloane does effectively is create a snapshot of multiplex omnipresence in the 1980s, turning Spotlite Theaters into a cartoon of vaguely threatening theater announcements, bad product, faulty machines, and audience aggravation. He has something to say about the eroding magic of moviegoing, and while he hits his satire inadvertently at times, there's charm in his passion for single-screen palaces, using the Beverly Warner Theater (which was demolished soon after production) relatively well, sure to give exhibition buffs a reasonable contact high as the camera captures the atmosphere of the building. "Blood Theater" should be a stronger genre exercise, but Sloane doesn't have the muscle to put scenes together, doing much better with multiplex parody.