Igor and the Lunatics Blu-ray Movie

Rating summary

Movie		1.5
Video		4.5
Audio		3.5
Extras		4.0
Overall		4.0

Igor and the Lunatics Blu-ray Movie Review

Reviewed by Brian Orndorf May 20, 2025

1985’s “Igor and the Lunatics” retains unusual credits. The director listed on the feature is Billy Parolini, but he shares the work with Tom Doran and Brendan Faulkner, who are responsible for “horror, action, and suspence (sic) sequences.” The film definitely reflects a production that was managed by multiple people, undergoing borderline random reshoots, with the final cut a wild mess of characters and ideas that, maybe, once made sense to those who created the picture. “Igor and the Lunatics” is meant to become a rough ride of violent activity tied to the persistence of a cult attempting to maintain power in rural New York. It’s a show of menace and physical brutality that’s been done before, but in this endeavor, ideas and people are placed into an editorial blender, and the resulting mush of genre highlights is offered as entertainment. There’s a lot of “huh?” and “what?” going on in the offering, and very little of it is amusing, intentionally or otherwise.

In the 1960s, Paul (T.J. Michaels) is a cult leader looking to become a god, collecting a flock willing to follow his every order. Sensing something wrong, Tom (Joseph Eero) elects to leave the order, hoping to bring Sharon (Joanellen Delaney) with him, as she’s recently given birth to the next generation of followers. Years later, Tom is a media figure and depressed man, leaving girlfriend Mary Ann (Mary Ann Schacht) to take care of unfinished business as he sets out to locate The Boy (Buddy Durrant). Out of prison and ready to go crazy is Paul, who’s joined by top priest Ygor (Joe Niola) and other cult enforcers, eager to murder Tom and terrorize Mary Ann as they restart the cycle of violence.

“Igor and the Lunatics” (the title, despite the “Ygor” spelling of the character’s name) offers introductory horrors involving Sarah (Constance Rogers), a woman trying to escape Paul (who’s sometimes referred to as “Byron,” but we only learn that’s his full name at the very end of the movie), only to be caught by the madman, eventually fed into an industrial saw. It’s a nasty scene, and it’s repeated almost in full in the middle of the picture. It’s one of those editing choices that’s a real head-scratcher, but “Igor and the Lunatics” is filled with these types of decisions, as distributor Troma Entertainment battles to create something sellable out of an almost unwatchable feature.

The plot of “Igor and the Lunatics” is vague, mostly centered on the hunt for The Kid and Tom’s drive to make Paul pay for his crimes. The cult leader is ready to share the “New Way” with his flock, but he’s mostly in it for the sex and violence, released from prison in 1983 to return to his evil ways. Mary Ann is introduced as a supporting character, but she eventually becomes the main player in the story, getting involved with Hawk (Peter Dain), a man of the woods who’s been caring for The Kid. “Igor and the Lunatics” stumbles from one scene to the next, but some clarity is provided by Tom’s determination to stop Paul, a figure of menace easily overshadowed by Ygor, his overcaffeinated right-hand man. Niola isn’t restrained at all in his performance, supplying the movie with enough yelling to power a small town, going so far over the top in his work it almost registers as intentional comedy. However, such campiness is doubtful, as the rest of the offering is fairly humorless, downright grim at times.

Igor and the Lunatics Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

The AVC encoded image (1.33:1 aspect ratio) for "Igor and the Lunatics" is listed as "newly scanned and restored in 4K from its 16mm original camera negative." Damage is detected throughout the viewing experience, as scratches are common, along with some brief debris. Color is alert, exploring the autumnal locations of the picture, securing distinct greenery. Town tours and costuming provide clear primaries, and red blood is vivid. Hair color is defined, and skin tones are natural. Detail goes as far as the original cinematography allows, delivering a look at household decoration and fibrous costuming. Skin particulars are reasonably textured. Interiors are dimensional, exploring cult dwellings and apartments. Exteriors maintain depth, doing well with forest chases. Delineation is satisfactory. Grain is heavy and film-like.

Igor and the Lunatics Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

The 2.0 DTS-HD MA shows its age during the listening event. Damage is also detected, finding sibilance issues present during dialogue exchanges. Intelligibility isn't threatened (most of the performances are sold through yelling). Music has its limitations as well, but a basic sense of synth accompaniment is retained. Sound effects are blunt.

Igor and the Lunatics Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

• "The Lunatics Fringe: Remembering 'Igor and the Lunatics'" (34:09, HD) is a making-of for the picture, featuring interviews with production coordinator Frank Farel, co-director Brendan Faulkner, extra Cecilia Cosentini, and cinematographer John Raugalis. The feature was originally titled "Like Father," and the material's origin story is recalled, finding the New York employment opportunity collecting interested crew members, snowballing into production. Out to become a "psychological thriller," the screenplay required a lot of work and a major genre overhaul, adding frights to the endeavor, while Troma Entertainment came up with a more eye-catching title. The interviewees highlight the performance from Joe Niola, who went bananas in the role, trying to capture attention with his wild work. Additional thespian contributions are also inspected, highlighting cast members and their particular skill levels, and their endurance in cold, messy conditions. Special effects and gory events are recalled, and locations are identified, extending to a day at Sing Sing Correctional Facility. Moviemaking challenges are detailed, going into labor demands, sudden acting requirements, and electricity issues. "Igor and the Lunatics" and its power plays and troubled post-production are inspected, eventually becoming a much different endeavor than originally planned, offering a "good learning experience" for a team that would go on to make "Spookies."

• "Bloodshed" (92:41, HD) is a different cut of "Igor and the Lunatics," listed as "the original and much longer edit, making its home video debut."

• A Trailer has not been included on this release.

Igor and the Lunatics Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

There's a police presence in "Igor and the Lunatics," but the directors don't like to deal with the law, turning them into clowns who, at one point, run away from an active crime scene. The mystery of The Boy is meant to sustain throughout the feature, but most viewers will be able to solve it seconds after it's introduced, and gory highlights are certainly graphic, but poorly executed by the production, exposing the seams of the work. The movie zigs and zags all over the place, sprinting past characters and pieces of the plot. That it somehow closes with a menacing encounter inside a hibachi restaurant should probably come as no surprise. "Igor and the Lunatics" is a low-budget endeavor, and one that's been reworked by Troma to give it more oomph, not necessarily clarity. And that's the viewing experience, watching the endeavor try to share horrible things happening to innocent and less-than-innocent people as dramatic connective tissue and a general sense of coherency are snipped away.