Eating Miss Campbell Blu-ray Movie

Rating summary

Movie		3.5
Video		4.0
Audio		4.0
Extras		5.0
Overall		4.0

Eating Miss Campbell Blu-ray Movie Review

'Eating Miss Campbell' arrives on Blu-ray courtesy of Refuse Films. This release, limited to 2500 units, comes with a limited edition slipcover and is signed and numbered by director Liam Regan. The region-free disc is loaded with over four hours of special features. It is available for purchase at refusefilms.com.

It's a rare film that requests viewers identify with and root for a character like Beth Conner (Lyndsey Craine) - an increasingly violent, newly minted cannibal who is both angry at the world and suicidal - but that's exactly what Liam Regan's Eating Miss Campbell asks of us. The fact that it succeeds in this unusual ask is a function of Craine's handling of the character, the even more comedically vile cast of characters around her, and an entertaining and unexpected plot that makes her actions not only acceptable but necessary.

A Troma production to its very core, the film wastes no time in throwing good taste out the window and caution to the wind as it addresses American high school shootings, date rape, and teen suicide with its own brand of irreverent humor as Beth breaks the fourth wall. Addressing the camera, she tells us her life is a series of low-budget horror films and begs that, just once, she finds herself in a romantic comedy. It's an unusual framing device that the film circles back on at the end. In the town of Henenlotter (named for the director of classics like Frankenhooker and Basket Case) Beth is Henenlotter Highschool's only goth, and as such is the subject of near-constant bullying. She has also become the next target of the school's resident date rapist. It's these daily torments, coupled with an unusually amorous and completely clueless father (James Hamer-Morton) and step-mother (Charlie Bond), that compel Beth to participate in the school's "All You Can Eat Massacre" where the victor of an eating contest wins a gun they can use to either kill themselves or rampage through the school. For a school whose motto roughly translates to "bite the hand that feeds", this makes perfect sense. Along the way, the vegan Beth discovers she has a taste for human flesh and develops a deep relationship with the newly arrived Miss Campbell.

The incessant barrage of tasteless humor, squirm-inducing scenarios, and fountains of blood and gore, is paced by a dizzying number of references and homages to everything from The Lion King and The Addams Family to Mean Girls and South Park, and any number of horror films. My favorite, though, has to be Beth's Cannibal Holocaust-inspired doodles of Miss Campbell, which serve to foreshadow the film's intended destination in case the title wasn't obvious enough. It also expressly criticizes horror movie tropes even as it commits them, checking off all the boxes that horror films should. As the carnage unfolds, the film tackles the Weinstein brothers, cancel culture, and other hot-button issues as it routinely breaks the fourth wall and Beth continues to nudge us along with her on her anti-hero's journey. Throughout all of it, the committed cast fills their characters with an almost cartoonish energy that makes the unhinged Nancy Applegate (Bella Rich), psychotic Mr. Sawyer (Vito Trigo), and femme fatale Miss Campbell (Lala Barlow) borderline endearing. No small feat considering the significant COVID-induced gap in production. The film serves as a sequel to Regan's My Bloody Banjo but seeing it isn't a requirement to enjoy this one. The body count isn't as high as it should be, and the ending is a bit abrupt, but what Eating Miss Campbell serves up is enjoyable fare, albeit more fast food than gourmet.

Eating Miss Campbell Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

On the whole, the 1080p presentation is quite good. Fine detail levels are typically high which is critical to the success of the practical effects, providing greater realism - particularly the fight with Clarissa in the cafeteria. Clothing is nicely fibrous, especially the sweater Beth wears to the memorial service and the rainbow sweater one of the bullies wears in front of the school. Facial specifics are clearly visible including fine lines and wrinkles, details on tattoos, and very clear definition of Beth's goth makeup. Primaries like reds in mean girls' ties, jackets, and lipstick, Sawyer's Red vest and tie, and the yellow school bus pop nicely. Blacks aren't always as inky as I would like them, but are acceptable. Flesh tones are universally good, and blood, importantly, is a nicely deep and viscous red.

Eating Miss Campbell Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

The Dolby Digital 5.1 soundtrack is competent enough to handle the punk-infused soundtrack, whether the songs are in the background, or pushed to the forefront like Lesbian Bed Death's "Goth Girls are Easy", and the late-film performance of "Ash" by Unquiet Dead. Dialogue is clear and intelligible, and sound effects are typically convincing, particularly the mallet strikes, and the battery-powered carving knife with all of its squishily gruesome applications, though gunshots don't quite pack the oompf one would expect from a modern film. The low end is acceptable and surrounds are used effectively if sparingly in this front-heavy track.

Eating Miss Campbell Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

Eating Miss Campbell has a smorgasbord of special features tallying more than four hours. Here's what's on the menu:

• 7 Days of Hell: Making of Documentary

• Audio commentary

• Deleted Scenes

• Outtakes

• Gore Reel

• Raw B-Roll

• Cast Interviews

• FrightFest Premeire

• VFX Reel

• 1 Hour of Raw BTS Footage

• Trailers

• Radiation March

Eating Miss Campbell Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

Not for the squeamish or easily offended, the film plays out like a live-action cartoon, broadly mixing social commentary with often tasteless humor, self-awareness, and gallons of the red stuff. The film knows exactly what it is and revels in it. Any shortcomings or offenses are easily forgiven thanks to the performances of Craine, Barlow, and Rich. Eating Miss Campbell isn't for everyone, but I'll be going back for seconds. Those who are unfamiliar with Troma's typical offerings are advised to proceed with extreme caution. To those who know and enjoy what that label delivers, Refuse Films' Eating Miss Campbell comes recommended.