Rating summary

Movie		3.5
Video		4.0
Audio		3.0
Extras		2.5
Overall		3.5

Brutal Massacre: A Comedy Blu-ray Movie Review

Reviewed by Jeffrey Kauffman September 4, 2020

Even writer-director Stevan Mena admits most have probably never heard of Brutal Massacre: A Comedy, Mena's skewering of the film industry in general and the horror film industry in particular. That situation may be remedied with this Blu-ray, which might be an unexpected pleasure for those who love the horror genre despite some of its more lo-fi aspects (and maybe for some fans because of those lo-fi aspects), and who are open to an "insider's" joke laden take on what making an independent horror film can be like. In his appealing and at times rather scabrous commentary included on this disc as a supplement, Mena states that he made Brutal Massacre: A Comedy after Malevolence was released and Mena felt he was in danger of becoming a parody of himself if he continued in the horror genre. Kind of hilariously, Mena went on after this "identity crisis" and Brutal Massacre: A Comedy to make Malevolence 2: Bereavement and Malevolence 3: Killer, which might suggest that Mena either did or did not learn any lessons that Brutal Massacre: A Comedy may have offered.

Brutal Massacre: A Comedy follows the time honored mockumentary tradition of supposedly presenting "behind the scenes" looks at a bunch of people attempting, seemingly against insurmountable obstacles, to make a horror film. The focal character is hapless auteur Harry Penderecki (David Naughton), who had one big hit early in his career, a success he has been unable to duplicate in many subsequent attempts, though Harry is quick to point out how huge some of his films have been in overseas markets. Penderecki's sets have been the site of several mishaps through the years, including at least one death of a crew member (yes, this is a comedy), and Penderecki has come to the conclusion that some nefarious evil force hovers over him, keeping him from grasping that veritable brass ring.

Penderecki is nonetheless kinda sorta loved (or at least tolerated) by a host of people who have worked with him through the years, and several cutaway interviews get into some of the previous productions by the team, something that offers some fun snippets from or at least descriptions of a number of Penderecki opuses, most of which are in hilariously bad taste. Adding to that is the fact that Penderecki's grasp of Hollywood tradition is perhaps tenuous at best, as in an interview where he lists off what he considers to be legendary directors, an aggregation full of expected names like Eisenstein and Welles which then ends with Reitman. Later, when he discusses how many iconic films have had perilous shoots, he mentions Apocalypse Now's infamously difficult production and tells his interview to "go ask Scorsese" about it if he needs more information.

That may suggest that only those with a certain amount of trivia about Hollywood in their knowledge base may get all of Brutal Massacre: A Comedy's jokes, but the film is also full of other, more generic, jokes, including actresses being asked to do nude scenes, and in fact the whole aspect of horror films requiring nude scenes in the first place. There are also some "meta" jokes, as in the sudden appearance of a character named Krenshaw (Gunnar Hansen, AKA Leatherface from The Texas Chain Saw Massacre), which is accompanied by a huge blast of music and "startle" LFE effects. Hansen acquits himself quite ably in a gonzo comedic role as a homeowner whose ramshackle domicile is selected for some location photography. There are other visual jokes, as in the frequent tendency of curvaceous women, typically background players, in various scenes to just kind of bend over and offer their rear ends to the camera for no apparent reason.

The film may tend to falter a bit in its second act for some viewers, delivering fewer consistent jokes, but there's a certain knowing ambience to the proceedings that keep it light and enjoyable for the most part. Mena's writing is often sharp and is able to deliver at least a few character beats along the way.

Brutal Massacre: A Comedy Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

Brutal Massacre: A Comedy is presented on Blu-ray courtesy of Mena Films with an AVC encoded 1080p transfer in 1.78:1. While the IMDb lists this as a 35mm outing, Mena states in his commentary that it was shot on Super 16 (I assume it may have been blown up later for whatever theatrical exhibition it had). One way or the other, this is an appealing looking presentation, though one that doesn't have much "spit and polish" in terms of an overly glossy look. Detail levels are generally quite commendable, offering precise looks at elements like Penderecki's checked jacket or the cross-hatched beret that cinematographer Hanu Vindepesh wears. The palette looks natural throughout, with a solid accounting of colors, perhaps aided and abetted by the fact that no discernable tweaking to the imagery has been attempted.

Brutal Massacre: A Comedy Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

As with the Malevolence trilogy linked to above which also received Blu-ray releases from Mena, this disc features only lossy Dolby Digital 5.1 and Dolby Digital 2.0 mixes. While these suffice perfectly well for what is largely a dialogue driven affair, a lossless track might have arguably upped some of the comedic effect of things like the "startle" effect mentioned above with regard to Hansen's memorable entrances throughout the film. The surround track does at least slightly open up the sound stage in some of the outdoor material in particular. Dialogue is presented cleanly and clearly throughout the presentation. Optional English subtitles are available.

Brutal Massacre: A Comedy Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

• Behind the Scenes (480i; 16:15)


• Poster Gallery (1080i; 1:19) is actually a collection of key art from Harry Penderecki's supposed horror films.


• Deleted Scenes (480i; 22:32)


• On the Set (1080i; 22:45)


• Photo Gallery (1080p; 5:48)


• Trailer (1080p; 2:15)


• What Happened Is True is one of the first commentaries I've seen actually titled on a Menu. This is by Stevan Mena, of course.


• Weekend of Horrors Panel (480i; 17:47) is from a 2008 Fangoria event.

Brutal Massacre: A Comedy Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

Mena was absolutely correct with regard to my personal absolute lack of knowledge about Brutal Massacre: A Comedy, but that perhaps only made the film more of a generally enjoyable surprise for me. The film starts out like gangbusters, with a series of rather piquant "insider" jokes, but it then tends to wallow a bit in shtick that doesn't always connect, before regaining some significant comedic traction as Penderecki struggles to finish his film and get it into theaters. Mena's approach here is very smart for the most part, and if I were one of his Penderecki-like cohort, I might suggest that he matriculate more into comedy and away from horror. Technical merits are solid, with an understanding that this disc only has lossy audio. For horror fans with a sense of humor if for no one else, Brutal Massacre: A Comedy comes Recommended.