Rating summary

Movie		3.5
Video		4.5
Audio		4.5
Extras		5.0
Overall		4.5

Blue Sunshine Blu-ray Movie Review

Reviewed by Brian Orndorf July 12, 2016

In a genre known for its storytelling lethargy, credit must to be paid to writer/director Jeff Lieberman, who isn’t the most polished filmmaker around, but he certainly has an affinity for oddball horror distractions. His movies (“Squirm,” “Just Before Dawn”) are clunky but crammed with low budget promise, and 1978’s “Blue Sunshine” is no exception. A semi-coherent journey in the rainbow heart of acid ingestion and fugitive blues, the picture is a delightfully baffling concoction, lost on its own groovy trip of horror and paranoia -- resting in a space where exposition is light but death by baldness is certain.

A mild-mannered guy, Jerry Zipkin (Zalman King) finds his life turned upside down after witnessing his friend murder a group of innocent women, only to find himself accused of the crimes. Now on the run, Jerry is searching for an explanation for his pal’s raging behavior, coming across clues of hair loss, Stanford diplomas, and steady psychosis, connected to a demonic dose of acid called “Blue Sunshine.” Gradually comprehending the widespread effect of the drug, Jerry enlists girlfriend Alicia (Deborah Winters) to help investigate, tracing the pattern of murders and freak-outs back to a popular politician (Mark Goddard) on the campaign trail.

The fantastic thing about “Blue Sunshine” is that it’s not some grungy, low-wattage chiller hanging on numbing shock value to entertain the masses. Instead, Lieberman serves up something that displays a little atmosphere, turning the wrath of bald madmen into a tasteful thriller of sorts, highlighting Jerry’s clumsy attempts at detecting and avoiding danger. The majority of the movie is devoted to the wanted man gathering critical clues, trying desperately to understand what’s behind the sudden rash of murderous behavior. The investigative aspects of “Blue Sunshine” are actually semi-compelling, resembling a crisp television production from the 1970s (even including a cameo by Alice Ghostley), keeping tensions brightly lit and emphatically performed. Not that the central mystery behind the drug makes a whole heap of sense, but the director sells the rising anxiety with confidence, pulling the viewer into this odd world of emotional outbursts and heated interrogation.

Moving over to the scary stuff, “Blue Sunshine” loses most of its impact, despite an intriguing set-up that surveys several characters dealing with traumatic hair loss and suspicious full moon behavior. The LSD-soaked suspense doesn’t quite carry the punch Lieberman is aiming for, focusing on zombified ghouls with silver faces stomping around, lashing out at anything that enters their field of vision. It’s here where “Blue Sunshine” dives into camp mode, losing tension the more Lieberman stays tight on questionable make-up work and dated locations. Maybe a disco located inside a shopping mall represented the pinnacle of terror in 1978, but it comes across a little silly today. Sure, it’s fantastic as a time capsule of suburban adult recreation, but not exactly an arresting backdrop to a climatic showdown featuring Jerry and a hulked-out acid eater. King’s stiff performance in the lead role also dilutes suspense, often lost in some unexplained method work. He would go on to launch an impressive directorial career in the world of erotic entertainment, but here in “Blue Sunshine,” he’s uncharacteristically flaccid.

Blue Sunshine Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

Handed the 4K scan treatment for its Blu-ray debut, "Blue Sunshine" makes a powerful impression during the AVC encoded image (1.78:1 aspect ratio) presentation. Clarity is remarkable, making original cinematography and all its limitations look fresh again, delivering crisp detail on facial activity and locations, which invite the viewer to explore the effort's sets and outdoor action. Costuming is textured, while make-up work is examined in full. Colors are tastefully refreshed, looking bold as intentionally strange hues surface, including period decoration and the silver-ish skintones of the bald killers. Traditional skintones look natural. Delineation is comfortable and grain is retained, providing a filmic viewing experience. Source is in terrific shape, but a few faint vertical scratches remain.

Blue Sunshine Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

The 5.1 DTS-HD MA sound mix provides an immersive listening event, making something out of the picture's limited technical reach. Dialogue exchanges are defined to satisfaction, handling exposition and freak-outs without slipping into distortive extremes. Scoring is full and supportive, offering pleasant instrumentation. Surrounds are active throughout, and while some of the atmospherics are inherently limited and slightly artificial, the track is eager to surround the listener, best served with crowd and chase sequences.

Blue Sunshine Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

• Booklet (26 pages) presents essays by Steven Morowitz, Nicholas McCarthy, and Mark J. Banville, actor bios, and a note about the restoration.

• Original press book replica is included, along with a few other goodies.

• CD Soundtrack is included.

• Commentary #1 features writer/director Jeff Lieberman.

• Commentary #2 is a selected scene conversation with actor Mark Goddard.

• Interview (6:31, HD) with Jeff Lieberman is a scattered conversation about the writer/director's own experiences with LSD, which informed the tone and cynicism of the picture.

• Interview (9:35, HD) with Sandy King breaks down what a script supervisor does on set. King shares her experiences with the hectic, non-union "Blue Sunshine" shoot, including time questioning Zalman King's perpetual intensity.

• Interview (9:57, HD) with Robert Waldon explores the actor's state of career desperation at the time of his casting in "Blue Sunshine," working to make an average doctor role into something special. Waldon also explores the bustle of low-budget filmmaking, forcing him to focus intently on character.

• Interview (7:01, HD) with Richard Crystal doesn't accomplish much with the actor (who only appears for a few minutes of screen time), but he shares his memories of heavy make-up application and punishing eye contacts. Crystal also has his own interpretation of LSD influences.

• "Fantasy Film Festival" (12:08, SD) is a clip from a 1980 interview program for the Z Channel, hosted by a young Mick Garris. The guest is Lieberman, who discusses his first film, the worm-centric horror picture "Squirm," and "Blue Sunshine."

• "Q&A at the Jumpcut Café" (15:20, HD) returns to Lieberman, who shares anecdotes with a small crowd after a screening of "Blue Sunshine."

• "The Locations of 'Blue Sunshine'" (8:43, HD) teams Lieberman up with two unnamed filmmakers, who take the director to famous places from "Blue Sunshine," hoping to stir up some faded memories. The camerawork is unforgivably shaky, but the idea is pleasant.

• Vintage Classroom LSD Scare Films (20:21, HD) gathers a few educational movies that spotlight the dangers of drugs, including "LSD: Insight or Insanity?"

• Slideshow/Image Gallery explores the international posters, international VHS covers, novelization covers, and the film's press book, and pictures of the negative used to source the Blu-ray are provided.

• An Original Theatrical Trailer (2:31, HD) and an Alternate Vault Trailer (2:30, HD) are included.

Blue Sunshine Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

Even when it's clear "Blue Sunshine" isn't hitting its storytelling goals, it remains an appealing distraction. The picture is an unsolvable puzzle, but one that sustains a weirdo energy, rubbing '70's leisure pursuits and political paranoia with the remnants of the counterculture movement, hoping to sound some type of warning siren on the evils of drug abuse and perhaps baldness. Who knows. "Blue Sunshine" doesn't have to make a whole lot of sense to remain an agreeable freak show.