Grandmother's House Blu-ray Movie

Rating summary

Movie		3.0
Video		5.0
Audio		4.5
Extras		4.0
Overall		4.5

Grandmother's House Blu-ray Movie Review

Reviewed by Brian Orndorf April 20, 2019

Peter Rader is best known as one of the screenwriters of “Waterworld,” imagining a futureworld of aquatic misery, where a man with gills saves the planet from grimy, smoking baddies tearing around on jet skis. His directorial debut is 1988’s “Grandmother’s House,” introducing himself with a much smaller endeavor, keeping action confined to the limits of a rural Californian orange grove. Rader’s just getting started with “Grandmother’s House,” joining screenwriter Peter Jensen for a horror show concerning the troubles with senior citizens, a mystery woman, and the courtship rituals of oversexed teenagers. Apocalyptic visions of melting polar ice caps and drinkable urine will come later, but for this effort, Rader sticks to the basics of genre moviemaking.

After losing their father, their last surviving parent, siblings David (Eric Foster) and Lynn (Kim Valentine) are sent to live with their Grandfather (Len Lesser, who played Uncle Leo on “Seinfeld”) and Grandmother (Ida Lee). Trying to get used to their surroundings, the kids return to their routines, with Lynn targeted for seduction by local lothario Kenny (Michael Robinson), while David explores his new dwelling, getting a sense that something isn’t right about his guardians. New in town is The Mysterious Woman (Brinke Stevens), with Grandfather and Grandmother reacting negatively to her presence, making sure the stranger doesn’t interfere with something going in the basement, inspiring David to figure out what’s going on.

“Grandmother’s House” (a strange title, as Grandfather is actually the primary focus of the couple) has a classic horror set-up, following David and Lynn into a 100-year-old house, where the siblings will begin a new life with their grandparents. The seniors are strange, putting on a show of love and dedication to specific needs, but they have their secrets scattered around the expansive property, which includes farmland and rows of orange trees. David is the most suspicious of the arrangement, using a night scope gifted to him by his late father to keep tabs on household weirdness, also experiencing a nightmare that puts him face-to-face with Grandfather, who’s keeping something or someone tied up in the basement.

Jensen gets down to business quickly in “Grandmother’s House,” with schedule needs satisfied right after the funeral, taking the new family to a local pool for David’s swim meet, which the boy doesn’t seem prepared for, and there’s the introduction of Kenny, a greaser-type who openly ogles, paws, and kisses Lynn without consent. In Jensen’s mind, this is a meet cute, giving the teen girl a romance to examine while David does the detective work, soon coming into contact with evidence that suggests his grandparents aren’t the semi-likable twosome they initially appear to be. Rader explores the area well, visiting local lakes and waterways, and the orange grove plays an important part in several chase scenes. “Grandmother’s House” looks nice, with a bright, outdoorsy feel, and action is competently arranged, keeping special effects and stunts coming along when the feature gets winded during dull scenes of sleuthing. Characterization is largely terrible (Kenny is such a creep, yet Jensen inexplicably loves him), but the essentials of motivation are there, especially with David, who’s driven to figure out what happened to his family and how he can get away from the grandparents.

Grandmother's House Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

"Grandmother's House" arrives on Blu-ray boasting a new 4K scan from the OCN, with Vinegar Syndrome trying their best to make the 1988 feature look its best. The AVC encoded (1.85:1 aspect ratio) presentation is terrific, contributing a vivid range of color, supplying a rich sense of period hues for teenager costuming, and individual items showcase distinct artistry, including Kenny's cherry red car. Greenery is impressive, capturing a sense of the outdoors, with urban and rural life beautiful at times. Detail is great, picking out facial particulars with older and younger cast members, along with bloodied wear and tear as violence enters the picture. Interior decoration is open for inspection, and farmland depth is preserved. Delineation is exact, retaining shadow play. Grain is fine and film-like. Source is in good shape, without any significant points of damage.

Grandmother's House Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

The 5.1 DTS-HD MA sound mix provides a direct understanding of performances, keeping dialogue exchanges satisfactory from a range of acting styles. A few lines register with less emphasis, but this is likely an inherent issue. Surrounds aren't wildly active, but some directional activity is detected, also pushing out scoring efforts, which keep their sharp instrumentation, backing suspense needs acceptably. Sound effects are adequate, covering crackly fireworks and gunfire. Low-end is minimal, lacking deep punch for explosions. Mild hiss is detected.

Grandmother's House Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

• "The Mysterious Woman" (13:04, HD) is an interview with Brinke Stevens, who recounts the specifics of her audition, trying to age herself up enough to win the part, wowing the producers with her commitment. After playing a series of dangerous and dead young women, Stevens welcomed the acting challenge of "Grandmother's House," also embracing the small town shoot, which put the production in the middle of California history. Stevens details a brief deleted scene, which also happened to injure her, with bodily harm coming to another performer during the speedy shoot. The actress also explains the lack of stunt women, forcing her to do her own physical action. Stevens also offers a summary of co-stars and production appreciation, pointing out frame details.

• "Back to 'Grandmother's House'" (16:11, HD) sits down with Peter Rader, with the director exploring his early years in music videos, eventually meeting writer/producer Peter Jensen. "Grandmother's House" was initially conceived as a demo film for the Steadicam, with Jensen and Rader creating a trailer for the picture to help sell the project. Eventually finding his way to the "Greek Roger Corman," producer Nico Mastorakis, to make the feature, Rader was suddenly faced with enormous production challenges as a first-time helmer. A learning experience was offered to Rader, who remained with "Grandmother's House" throughout production, understanding how to build a film from the ground up.

• "Slow and Steady" (9:17, HD) examines career origins with writer/producer Peter Jensen, who worked his way through the industry before finding the Steadicam, focusing expertise on the stabilization device. Jensen goes on quite a bit about finding the proper visual energy for "Grandmother's House," praising the extended third act chase, and he describes the learning experience of the movie, which provided a swift education on production needs.

• Vintage Making-Of (5:51, SD) is a short retrospective clip with narration from Nico Mastorakis, who delivers little information on the making of "Grandmother's House," but does provide the initial trailer created by Jensen and Rader to sell the movie.

• Still Gallery (2:36) includes publicity shots.

• And a Trailer (3:03, SD) is included.

Grandmother's House Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

"Grandmother's House" offers a few thrilling action set pieces, including a mid-movie mess for David, who finds himself trapped on the roof, hoping to avoid Grandfather's gaze. Jensen doesn't portion out the excitement, saving most thrills for an extended finale, with the entire third act one large chase sequence, which exhausts the endeavor quickly. Shocks are eventually served up, which turns the picture into something lurid, but "Grandmother's House" should please those already turned on to the ways of Grandsploitation (in films like Shyamalan's "The Visit"), as Rader's feature presents plenty of moments where senior citizens menace younger characters, living up to viewing expectations.