Faces of Death III 4K Blu-ray Movie

Rating summary

Movie		1.5
Video		4.5
Audio		4.0
Extras		2.5
Overall		4.0

Faces of Death III 4K Blu-ray Movie Review

Reviewed by Brian Orndorf September 11, 2026

In 1985, “Faces of Death III” was released on home video, continuing the journey into the heart of darkness with host “Dr. Francis B. Gross” and director "Conan Le Cilaire" (a pseudonym for John Alan Schwartz). It was an effort to sustain a franchise that became a staple of independent video stores everywhere, becoming a “I dare you” release for customers attempting to find genuinely disturbing imagery to spice up scary movie night. The picture followed “Faces of Death II,” which tried to pull the brand away from violent reenactments and faked footage, electing to lead with news footage of atrocities and murder, aiming to boost the taboo appeal of the title, giving it more of an exploitation kick while still trying to sell academic value to scenes of death. However, “Faces of Death III” wasn’t Schwartz’s original plan, initially creating “Fear,” which attempts to move away from the “Faces of Death” approach of gross-outs to deliver an examination of human reaction to danger and horror. “Fear” isn’t a radical reworking of the formula, but it does represent a fresh return to fakery from Schwartz, who loads up the exhausting feature with all sorts of cartoonish nonsense.

Fear drives “Fear,” which doesn’t have Dr. Gross around to lead the odyssey into death. Instead, there are multiple narrators representing different areas of medical expertise, with a few from the enigmatic “Klaus Clinic,” which is referenced numerous times in the movie. Schwartz is attempting to tie the picture together as an examination of human response, detailing various horrors to best understand why people react the way they do, and why they’re drawn to danger. Of course, this is no academic study of physiology, it’s a B-movie, and one that doesn’t pursue much in the way of real footage, exploring the gruesome ways of humanity. Instead, Schwartz is back in the kitchen, cooking up clips meant to fit the loose narrative provided here. “Fear” dares to open with the most unrealistic sequence in the feature, following police as they attempt to track down serial killer “The Slasher,” who’s been targeting “winos” in the big city. The cops don’t know what to do, and the actors don’t know how to act, extending to interviews with “witnesses” who stumble over their lines, shattering whatever authenticity Schwartz is trying to achieve.

In Castle Beach, Florida (most of the film takes place in the Sunshine State), law enforcement enters a crawlspace to discover victims from a different serial killer, with “Mike” (played by Schwartz) actually caught, brought to trial to pay for his crimes. “Fear” makes a distinct choice in viewer engagement during this portion of the picture, electing to focus on video evidence of Mike’s rage, presenting footage of a sexual assault. It’s an awful moment, and a desperate one from the helmer, who recognizes that perhaps death isn’t enough to feed his audience, graduating to more depraved crimes to keep the target demographic’s attention, soaking up the brutality.

There are chapters to “Fear,” with additional medical experts joining the informational flow, identifying areas of panic found in most humans. There’s the terror of addiction, with “Dr. Lerner” highlighting the spread of PCP addiction, providing footage of “Willie,” who refuses to submit to a hospital rehabilitation, and Schwartz devotes a hilarious amount of screen time as an amateur actor pretends to be in the throes of absolute drug-fueled insanity. Skydiving is also a topic in “Fear,” watching as a competitor in a freefall competition grows a little too confident in his landing abilities, accidentally steering himself into an alligator pit. Uh-oh, Spaghetti-Os! It’s safe to say the young man didn’t win the contest. “Dr. Frank” brings a message on the nightmare of terrorism, introducing a clip tracking the efforts of a bomb squad sent into the home of a “Russian artist” to find and defuse an explosive device. Something approaching the realm of the real arrives when the production covers the Air Florida Flight 90 plane disaster from 1982, where a plane crashed into a bridge and fell into the Potomac River. And you know this footage is authentic, because one of the survivors openly complains about wearing a seatbelt that likely saved his life. Ahh, the 1980s!

“Fear” doesn’t have much inspiration to fill its run time, and Schwartz eventually turns to the ridiculous when grounded offerings of intimidation are used up. Yes, I suppose we all have a deep-seated fear of exorcisms and Bigfoot? That can’t be right, but it allows the film more opportunities for wackiness with staged footage. And “Fear” sets aside a lot of screen time to meet with a couple who swear by the spiritual and physical boost provided by eating placenta. Naturally, this involves a topless dinner table ceremony and shapeless improvisation from, once again, untested actors.

Faces of Death III 4K Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

Screencaps are taken from the Blu-ray.

The image presentation for "Fear" is listed as "presented in Dolby Vision HDR and newly scanned and restored from its 16mm original camera negative elements." Age is noted throughout the viewing experience, which encounters scratches and mild frame damage. Hairs are also quite prominent at times. Detail reaches as far as possible, working best with recreation and interview footage, finding acceptable textures on filmed subjects, and makeup additions are appreciable. Clothing is decently fibrous. Color is distinct, visiting lush greenery during tropical adventures, and cooler urban environments register as intended. Style choices from the era are also understood, mixing primaries with browns and grays. Skin tones are natural. Blood maintains deep reds. Delineation is secure, preserving scenes working with limited lighting and evening activity. Highlights are tasteful. Grain is heavy and film- like.

Faces of Death III 4K Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

The 2.0 DTS-HD MA mix provides a basic understanding of "Fear," leading with decently clear narration from a variety of actors working with different accents and emphasis. Scoring offers acceptable dramatic support, with some understanding of age encountered during the listening event. Sound effects are appreciable, and atmospherics are understood as the picture favors community bustle during investigative sequences.

Faces of Death III 4K Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

• "Faces of Death III" (85:55, SD) is the alternate U.S. home video version of "Fear," "sourced from standard definition video." Surprisingly, there's a lot of footage from previous "Faces of Death" installments to help turn this release into a sequel.

• A Trailer has not been included on this release.

Faces of Death III 4K Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

It's hard to top the fear of placentas, but Schwartz hopes to end with a bang, surveying threats from sharks and guard dogs, along with a stop at a suicide attempt and trip into underwater caves. "Fear" hopes to pack a lot of experiences into its run time, and one certainly feels the length of the endeavor as the offering goes from exaggeration to complete ridiculousness. Bloodshed is present, but the anguish of human suffering isn't as prioritized here, with Schwartz looking to stick to his theme, going more for peril than bodily destruction, and he's also attentive to exploitation, often in the worst way. Clearly something happened to his intent, with "Fear" turned into "Faces of Death III," but he wasn't exactly sitting on a classic, basically overseeing what looks to be a spin-off, but one that could include more female nudity. Where's Dr. Gross when you need him.