Rating summary

Movie		3.5
Video		4.0
Audio		4.5
Extras		3.0
Overall		4.0

Mausoleum Blu-ray Movie Review

Reviewed by Brian Orndorf November 23, 2018

1983’s “Mausoleum” is a horror picture, and the genre is known for its appreciation for the strange and outrageous, with most producers looking for some way to help their endeavor stand out from the considerable competition. Co-producer/co-writer/cinematographer Robert Barich goes for extremity with the effort, and while the feature isn’t incredibly violent, its blend of ghoulishness and titillation is, in many ways, charming, helping to define the decade’s reliance on visual appeal to support lackluster plots. “Mausoleum” isn’t a finely tuned dramatic enterprise, but it does have lots of salacious material and something of a sense of humor, with Barich stopping just short of softcore material as he works to pay tribute to the everlasting appeal of B-movies and make one himself.

As a 10-year-old girl mourning the loss of her mother at a cemetery, Susan is lured into a nearby mausoleum by the demon Nomed, who possesses the child, remaining hidden within until adulthood. Making a life with her husband, Oliver (Marjoe Gortner), Susan (Bobbie Bresee) is now ready to unleash her powers, using her sex appeal to tempt victims into her personal space before transforming into Nomed and killing them off. While Oliver doesn’t fully grasp what’s going on, Susan’s therapist, Dr. Simon (Norman Burton), does, working to get to the bottom of the possession and its longstanding hold on Susan’s family before she fully unleashes the wrath of Nomed.

Susan has a family issue when it comes to the power of Nomed, finding the demon poisoning the bloodline for quite some time, attracting the little girl’s attention during a time of mourning, preying on her weakness. The opening of “Mausoleum” promises a possession story, with Susan’s tell her glowing green eyes, but the screenplay doesn’t have much interest in a demonic takeover tale. Instead, such internal battling is reserved for key moments, with the production’s primary goal reserved for Bresee, trying to keep the lead actress nude for a long as possible. She’s the feature’s most sellable asset, and Barich is determined to highlight her as much as possible, in as little clothing as possible, transforming Susan into a succubus of sorts, using her feminine charms to lure horny men in close enough to kill. The primary gore zone visits of “Mausoleum” remain with seductive splatters, finding a hapless gardener, a dim deliveryman, and even Oliver targeted for destruction, while those who attempt to block her path, including a mall art dealer and a disco drunk, are exterminated in graphic ways.

Such sexual excitement gives “Mausoleum” a slightly askew appeal, with the production keeping Bresee either laced up in low-cut outfits or buried in demon make-up, with the actress doing an acceptable job projecting terror when the time calls for direct menace. The story isn’t much, and Barich seems to be mindful of such shortcomings, using Dr. Simon’s mental health concerns and awareness of family history to create a Dr. Loomis figure who’s always one step behind the trail of bodies as he searches for a way to return Nomed to Hell. It’s fairly easy to get wrapped up in Susan’s daily diet of flesh, but harder to embrace Dr. Simon, with windy analysis slowing the pace of “Mausoleum,” attempting to butch up the writing with wacky stabs at psychological sincerity when all anyone really wants to watch is Susan work her evil charms on dim-wit men who’ve never heard of the phrase, “Too good to be true.”

There is one character who offers some common sense. “Sanford and Son” actress LaWanda Page has a small supporting role as a household maid, and one who’s aware that Susan is up to something destructive in the dwelling. “Mausoleum” makes an abrupt change to silliness with Page’s antics, with scoring and pacing speeding up to match the performer’s unique way with addressing danger, which is to exit the abode as quickly as possible. Such intelligence and foresight is rarely displayed in this style of entertainment.

Mausoleum Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

The AVC encoded image (1.85:1 aspect ratio) presentation delivers a clear look at the surprisingly interesting cinematography, which strives to create menacing mood with Argento-style colors, blasting purples and greens with demon interactions. More earthbound hues are retained, enjoying a brighter palette with suburban investigation, with garden and pool visits keeping their vivid appearance. Detail is excellent, and there's plenty of visual information to work through, from sexuality to monsters, while close-ups retain true texture. Costuming is also a highlight, finding touchable surfaces on stiff business wear and Bresee's many outfits, which preserve their silky appearance. Delineation is acceptable, making sense out of dark interactions and heavy clothing. Source is in reasonable shape, but some issues are detected, including slight flicker and judder, mild scratches, single- frame chemical damage, and rough reel changes with visible cigarette burns.

Mausoleum Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

The 1.0 DTS-HD MA sound mix provides an appealingly loud listening experience that emphasizes the growing demon menace, dealing well with monstrous developments and appearances. Dialogue exchanges are direct, handling surges in panic and softer, procedural lines without issue. Scoring is simplistic, but it retains position and balance, giving horror sequences required authority. Sound effects maintain intent.

Mausoleum Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

• "Making Monsters" (8:39, HD) is a short discussion of creature effects with John Carl Buechler, who admits he likely won the job simply because he brought a sketch pad to the interview, creating the demon look to producer specifications. Buechler praises star Bobbie Bresee, who endured a lot of make-up time, also suffering through issues with removal. The special effects master makes it clear producer Robert Barich was really calling the shots on-set, not director Michael Dugan, and he identifies a few of the technical achievements found in "Mausoleum," including set design, contact application, and cinematography. Buechler closes with his reaction to the feature, praising its wild ideas for monster menace.

• Promotional Still Gallery (2:06) collects numerous lobby cards and international ads.

• T.V. Spots (1:03, HD) offer two commercials for the film.

• And a Theatrical Trailer (2:18, HD) is included.

Mausoleum Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

"Mausoleum" has an engaging, low-fi sense of horror duty, offering real filmic style to boost production values, and demon design offers at least two distinct, chest-level surprises when it comes to the true threat level of Nomed. Performances are committed, which always helps the cause, with the cast believing in such ridiculousness, though one has to feel a little bad for Bresee, often standing still as her male co-stars take a few moments to rub themselves all over her before macabre antics begin. Goofiness is unavoidable, but iffy elements such as a special effects (for one automobile explosion, it's obvious the production is detonating a toy car) retain low-budget appeal, and Susan's reign of blood results in some nifty body shredding, even making use of a suburban mall to stage one of the nastiest kills in the picture. "Mausoleum" isn't tight, carrying on for far too long (the ending is endless), but there's fun to be had with its craziness and exploitation obsessions. It's not refined work, but it manages to keep attention on the screen for most of its run time.