6 | / 10 |
Users | 0.0 | |
Reviewer | 4.5 | |
Overall | 4.5 |
A kindly old grandfather is actually the leader of a murderous satanic cult which sacrifices its victims on Halloween.
Starring: Hy Pyke, Gregory Scott Cummins, Jeanna Fine, Carla Baron (I), Katina GarnerHorror | 100% |
Video codec: MPEG-4 AVC
Video resolution: 1080p
Aspect ratio: 1.78:1
Original aspect ratio: 1.85:1
English: Dolby Digital 2.0 (192 kbps)
English: Dolby Digital Mono (192 kbps)
BDInfo verified. Stereo Mix & Original Mono Mix set-up options.
English
Blu-ray Disc
Two-disc set (1 BD, 1 DVD)
DVD copy
Region A (B, C untested)
Movie | 3.5 | |
Video | 4.5 | |
Audio | 3.0 | |
Extras | 4.0 | |
Overall | 4.5 |
Horror is synonymous with Halloween, but a few productions tend to take the connection literally. 1988’s “Hack-O-Lantern” (a.k.a. “Halloween Night”) is one of many slasher experiences set during the famous night of evildoing, and it makes an honest attempt to embrace the atmosphere of the evening with occult interests and the piling of dead bodies, looking to give fans a pleasing ride of creepy, campy encounters and some bloodshed. “Hack-O-Lantern” isn’t always the most professionally crafted picture, but director Jag Mundhra (who passed away in 2011) has his heart in the right place, building a chiller that’s full of diseased characters, Satanic panic (all the rage in the 1980s), and a climatic Halloween party, setting up a rudimentary but appropriately distracting genre offering. I don’t think anyone will walk away from a viewing with a feeling of awe, but the movie is charmingly goofy and eventful.
The AVC encoded image (1.78:1 aspect ratio) presentation is advertised as a "New 2K restoration from the original camera negative," which helps to give an obscure title a new life on Blu-ray. While dealing with obvious production limitations, the viewing experience is quite appealing, offering a level of clarity that brings out compelling facial particulars, identifying make-up work and masked mischief. Locations are open for study, and set decoration is appealing, setting the party and occult mood. Distances are preserved. Colors are tastefully refreshed, sustaining Mundhra's interest in deep primaries and spookier hues. Town greenery is also bold. Delineation gets about as far as possible, with a few softer evening engagements. Grain is heavy but filmic. Source displays light emulsion scratches throughout, but mostly avoids heavier points of damage.
Disappointing but functional is the 2.0 Dolby Digital sound mix, which doesn't bring out genre impishness with any sort of enlivening clarity. The track remains intelligible, picking up on dialogue exchanges without disruption, but dullness remains, lacking precision when it comes to voices and levels of panic. Music suffers the same fate, emerging loud but blunt, without defined instrumentation to perk up scoring efforts and give heavy metal songs their intended thunderous presence. Sound effects are basic, mildly detailed. Hiss is soft, but carries throughout the listening event.
"Hack-O-Lantern" is pretty silly, but it's colorfully shot, permitting the effort to be visually compelling. Characters are thinly drawn, but they remain on the move, keeping the feature active as suspicions are raised and lives are lost. And Satanic energy carries throughout, giving Mundhra something to work with as the aforementioned devil horn salute is used repeatedly, and Grandpa's barn-based portal to Hell is returned to time and again, home to genre requirements such as torture and nudity (for those playing at home, adult film star Jeanna Fine, billed here as "Angel Rush," has a small role as Tommy's doomed girlfriend, who also sports a pentagram brand on her rear end). It hardly redefines holiday horror, but "Hack-O-Lantern" is surprisingly palatable. Of course, it's as dumb as can be, but when dealing with B-movie expectations, it's easily digestible.
1973
The Gates of Hell Part II - Dead Awakening / Slipcover in Original Pressing
1988
2004
Mil gritos tiene la noche | Remastered | Limited Edition Puzzle to 3000
1982
2K Restoration
1980
1990
2022
2022
2017
2014
2014
Una vela para el diablo | Limited Edition - 1,000 copies
1973
Director's Cut
1963
1987
1987
Standard Edition
1981
Collector's Edition
1981
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1980
1981
1983