Rating summary

Movie		3.5
Video		4.5
Audio		4.0
Extras		3.5
Overall		4.5

Luther the Geek Blu-ray Movie Review

Reviewed by Brian Orndorf January 29, 2016

A geek, as defined in “Luther the Geek,” is a disturbed carnival sideshow performer who bites the heads off snakes and chickens, usually for a reward that helps to calm urges of alcoholism and drug addiction. It’s not the geek as we know it today, making future trips to Best Buy all the more uncomfortable. “Luther the Geek” is a horror film that plays around with the nightmarish vocation, transporting a Depression-era celebration of the macabre to a slightly more modern setting, with writer/director Carlton J. Albright creating a slasher-type event with a truly disturbing murderer. It’s a weird movie, but one that owns its strangeness through a commitment to character and unusual encounters between the (clucking) hunter and his understandably confused prey.

In 1938, Luther (played as an adult by Edward Terry) was exposed to the antics of a geek during his time traveling with a carnival. The ghoulish man, who bit heads off chickens, lived to horrify others, inspiring Luther to do the same. Decades later, Luther sits in prison for the murder of three people, patiently sharpening his metal dentures as a parole board debates the sincerity of his rehabilitation. Freed due to good behavior, Luther quickly returns to his wicked ways, biting through the throat of an innocent senior citizen before targeting Hilary (Joan Roth), following the woman to her farmland home. Soon capturing his latest victim, tying her up in her bedroom, Luther’s plan for a simple murder increases to the possibility of a triple homicide when Hilary’s daughter, Beth (Stacy Haiduk), and her boyfriend, Rob (Thomas Mills), return home from college, unaware that they’re about to face an unforgettable force of evil.

To his credit, Albright tries to shake up the routine with “Luther the Geek,” attempting to construct a different type of menace in the form of a mentally ill man who, long ago, got his teeth knocked out while watching a geek execute his greatest (and only) trick. Luther’s a lunatic, and one with a particularly strong chicken fetish, sharing physical tics with the birds, speaking only in clucks, and drawn to the nutrition of eggs, with the opening of the movie highlighting his impolite manner around a grocery store manager who doesn’t like to see his inventory drained by an obvious monster. Luther isn’t misunderstood, he’s genuinely disturbed, eventually chewing through the neck of an old lady waiting for a bus. And this incident occurs only hours after Luther is let out of jail. Intentionally or not, Albright somehow creates a commentary on the futility of prison rehabilitation, with the main character basically playing possum for bleeding heart parole board members. Perhaps they didn’t notice his shiny, razor-sharp teeth? The clucking didn’t register as particularly strange?

“Luther the Geek” eventually becomes a home invasion story of sorts, with the titular ghoul beating Hilary into submission, chasing the poor woman around her own property before claiming his prize. Albright isn’t much for elaborate visuals, but he has a way with mood, finding eeriness with Luther’s general presence, with viewers never quite sure if the monster is simply out to kill or perhaps engage in a few cruelties before he gets down to murder. Complications arrive with Beth and Rob, an understandably amorous couple (Haiduk is game to participate in Albright’s quest for gratuitous nudity) humping their way into Luther’s crosshairs, with the midsection of the picture devoted to an extended game of hide and seek, watching all three potential victims scramble for safety. Help arrives in the form of a state trooper (Jerry Clarke), but if you think law enforcement is able to shut down Luther’s thirst for blood, you haven’t seen many horror films.

Luther the Geek Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

The AVC encoded image (1.85:1 aspect ratio) presentation once again proves that Vinegar Syndrome should really be handling titles from the Troma library. Detail is superb with this low-budget effort, handling slightly softer cinematography with care, pulling textures out of set decoration and gore zone visits, while the actors are explored in full. Grain is full and filmic. Colors are sharp and true, with wonderful primaries that look superb in the natural light. Skintones are secure. Delineation is open for inspection, permitting a good look at evening encounters. The source is in encouraging shape, with no major points of damage detected.

Luther the Geek Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

The 1.0 DTS-HD MA sound mix carries the "Luther the Geek" listening experience along with ideal menace, only encountering a degree of hiss that isn't distracting. Dialogue exchanges are agreeable, with intelligibility preserved, which extends to all the clucking. Scoring needs are met, with passable instrumentation and secure dramatic support. Atmospherics aren't highly designed, but echoed interiors are preserved, along with farmhouse expanse.

Luther the Geek Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

• Intro (:38, HD) introduces the viewer to Carlton J. Albright's temper, with the director lashing out at the original distributors of "Luther the Geek" (calling them "miserable bastards") before welcoming newcomers to the Blu-ray.

• Commentary features Albright.

• Interview (10:17, HD) with Jerry Clarke explores the life of the actor, who now spends his time as an artist and musician. Talk of "Luther the Geek" is offered, including his need to soften footsteps on rickety wooden floorboards and his feelings on the picture's directorial shortcomings.

• Interview (6:36, HD) returns to Albright, who expands on the production experience, discussing set construction and a special problem with the make-up artist on the project, who wanted to leave early, ultimately refusing credit.

• And a Theatrical Trailer (2:26, HD) is included.

Ported over from the previous DVD release:

• Interview (5:12, SD) with Albright returns to the "Luther the Geek" conversation, adding a much needed postmortem on the movie's reception.

• Interview (2:40, SD) with Will Albright, Carlton's son, details the director's love of horror movies and the boy's experience on the "Luther the Geek" set (he plays the younger version of the titular character).

• Interviews with Albright delve into the shoot, separated into "Shower Scene" (7:30, SD), "Old Lady Bite" (2:38, SD), "Fight" (8:50, SD), and "Final" (1:12, SD). Beyond the director's thoughts on select production achievements, the snippets include interesting BTS footage.

Luther the Geek Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

The picture has a few surprises, most emerging from character expendability and a finale that kinda, sorta attempts to make sense of the killer's scrambled mind. It's not a terribly successful psychological probe (after all, this is a movie where the main character only speaks in clucks), but the effort is appreciated, along with more chilling examples of the murderer in his element, chewing on chicken heads (animal lovers: the authenticity of the act is up for debate) and human flesh. "Luther the Geek" has moments of silliness, and it's a frustrating sit at times, especially when it becomes obvious that Albright doesn't know the difference between building suspense and padding a run time, with a few excursions in the dark of the country house lasting roughly a century. Still, there's much to enjoy here, including a memorable villain and a few authentically unnerving encounters. At the very least, "Luther the Geek" is different than the average chiller, doing what it can to separate itself from the white noise (or perhaps red noise?) of a repetitive genre.