Mail Order Murder: The Story of W.A.V.E. Productions Blu-ray Movie

Rating summary

Movie		4.0
Video		4.0
Audio		4.0
Extras		4.0
Overall		4.0

Mail Order Murder: The Story of W.A.V.E. Productions Blu-ray Movie Review

Reviewed by Brian Orndorf July 27, 2021

“Mail Order Murder: The Story of W.A.V.E. Productions” initially seems like a standard offering of geek love to a filmmaking subculture, with the world of video moviemaking the subject for the documentary. Directors William Hellfire and Ross Snyder are quick to deliver their valentine to the ways of no-budget productions, asking writers and enthusiasts to recall their interactions with such bottom shelf entertainment, finding most impressed that something so awful could feel so right. And then “Mail Order Murder” finally focuses on what W.A.V.E. Productions actually achieved during their run, which takes the endeavor into a strange direction, examining the questionable ways of the company and their eventual quest to capture any sort of fetish for any sort of customer. No questions asked.

“Mail Order Murder” tracks the development of W.A.V.E. Productions, with owner Gary Whitson waking up one day in the 1980s with a dream to compete in the video store revolution. He didn’t have money, a crew, or much equipment, but he had a camera. A video camera, and he was going to use it, beginning a career of low-tech moviemaking that would eventually reach over 400 completed endeavors. That’s all well and good, but the real entertainment value of “Mail Order Murder” arrives when Snyder and Hellfire get around to dissecting Whitson’s business plan, which involved the creation of a custom video company, allowing those with a dream and access to a little cash a chance to see their cinematic vision put on a VHS tape.

What these customers wanted wasn’t horror, but fetish videos, and “Mail Order Murder” hits its stride when digging into the oddity of it all. Whitson and his collaborators were suddenly responsible for creating specific imagery for particular tastes, with pie fights and bare feet being a few of the lighter subjects, while others craved a chance to witness death, paying to watch W.A.V.E. actresses perish in quicksand or strangulation scenarios, not requiring a story to get to their desired destination. There’s talk of art with a few of the interviewees, and Whitson tries to sell himself as a man with dramatic demands, but “Mail Order Murder” cuts through the nonsense, tracking the popularity of W.A.V.E. Productions as it indulged a wide variety of darkness from strangers to sell tapes, first at conventions and soon through a thriving mail order business.

Mail Order Murder: The Story of W.A.V.E. Productions Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

The AVC encoded image (1.78:1 aspect ratio) presentation manages the extremely low-res clips from the W.A.V.E. catalog with interview footage. The conversations offer comfortable commercial-grade camera clarity, highlighting facial surfaces and textured hairstyles. Colors are satisfactory, presented in lighting choices and outfits, and old video footage retains limited hues. Skintones are natural. Delineation is acceptable.

Mail Order Murder: The Story of W.A.V.E. Productions Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

The 2.0 LPCM mix doesn't offer anything extravagant, primarily dealing with interview audio, which ranges in quality but always remains clear. Scoring is limited, but the synth sound is deep and sharp.

Mail Order Murder: The Story of W.A.V.E. Productions Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

• Commentary features directors Ross Snyder and William Hellfire.

• Extended Interviews (15:37, HD) offer additional thoughts from Gary Whitson, Pam Sutch, Michael Raso, Michael Gingold, Laura Giglio, Tina Krause, and Josh Schaefer.

• "The Video Makers" (10:47, SD) is a vintage cable access T.V. show featuring an interview with Gary Whitson and Aven Warren.

• "I Want You In My Life" (7:09, SD) is a music video from Debbie D.

• "Wave of Terror" (49:15, SD) is a W.A.V.E. release featuring the short films "Road Kill" and "Hadley's Hellhole."

• And a Trailer (3:12, HD) is included.

Mail Order Murder: The Story of W.A.V.E. Productions Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

While analyzing some depraved releases from Whitson, "Mail Order Murder" manages to remain amusing and relatively honest about the whole W.A.V.E. Productions experience, talking to actresses who had a great time with the company, and fans who unironically (I think) adore the whole shot-on-tape revolution. "Mail Order Murder" is informative, covering Whitson's business plan and, perhaps inadvertently, the extent of mental illness in America. It also manages to surprise, including the reveal of a particular fetish involving the sight of a woman using a shrink way on victims to ease the consumption of these innocents (sold with terrible visual effects). I could've gone my entire life without knowing that was a thing.