Mind, Body & Soul Blu-ray Movie

Rating summary

Movie		2.0
Video		3.5
Audio		4.0
Extras		4.0
Overall		4.0

Mind, Body & Soul Blu-ray Movie Review

Reviewed by Brian Orndorf December 2, 2022

1992’s “Mind, Body & Soul” isn’t deeply considered work from writer/director Rick Sloane, though he’s not a filmmaker all that interested in creating refined entertainment. He’s a B-movie slinger, responsible for two “Hobgoblins” features and six installments of the “Vice Academy” series. It’s during the production of “Vice Academy: Part 3” where Sloane hatched a plan to make a second picture during the shooting of the first, quickly hammering out a script for “Mind, Body & Soul,” which definitely plays like a production that was pieced together in a hurry. A fuzzy take on Satanic cults and witness intimidation, the endeavor is perhaps unsurprisingly sloppy, providing more of a random journey of screen events, while performances are stuck with Sloane’s undercooked screenwriting and static staging. It’s a low-budget journey into the black heart of crime and sacrifice, but the helmer pays no attention to pace or genre impact.

Brenda (Ginger Lynn Allen) is in love with her boyfriend, Carl (Jesse Kaye), and to celebrate their 90-day anniversary, the young man has decided to open up his life and bring his girlfriend to a Satanic cult ceremony. Brenda is horrified by what she sees, breaking up a human sacrifice in the process, managing to escape. Detective McKenzie (John Henry Richardson) is brought in to investigate the situation, initially unsure of Brenda’s innocence, but soon coming to rely on her as a witness. Lawyer John (Wings Hauser) looks to protect Brenda, getting her out of prison and offering a place at his home for safety purposes, but the witness is restless, endeavoring to learn more about the cult and prove what she experienced was real, only to be haunted by some type of curse that turns her reality into a nightmare.

90 days. That’s apparently the time when a relationship is ready to take things to the next step, with lover boy Carl hoping to impress his live-in girlfriend by taking her to a Satanic ceremony hosted by a man with an obscured face and a love of carving pentagrams into topless women. “Mind, Body & Soul” dumps viewers into the middle of this relationship, which ends in a hurry, as Carl is eventually cornered in his apartment, electing to blow it up (with the help of footage from another movie) to cover his tracks. Somehow, this manages to land Brenda in prison, but the fine details of law and order aren’t on Sloane’s to-do list. He simply has a prison set he can reuse, putting Brenda in harm’s way as she’s sexually assaulted by a malevolent guard in a scene that’s unnecessary to begin with, and carries on for far too long.

Logic isn’t a priority for “Mind, Body & Soul,” which soon meanders all over the place, dealing with Brenda’s detective skills, Carl’s revenge plan, John’s completely-not-predatory-I-swear interest in Brenda’s case and physical well-being, and the saga of Brenda’s cellmate, Rachael (Tamara Clatterbuck), who’s also pulled into dark magic happenings. Sloane doesn’t have a complete thought, just the vague shape of ideas, sending Brenda to a daytime talk show to discuss her case with the mass audience (where’s John the lawyer when you need him!), and Rachael has an encounter with Priestess Tura (Toni Alessandrini), with the witch casually summoning a demon for the character, who inexplicably becomes the movie’s lead for a stretch of time in the second act.

Mind, Body & Soul Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

The AVC encoded image (1.85:1 aspect ratio) presentation does fine with the surprisingly colorful world of "Mind, Body & Soul." Primaries are appealing, with moodier purples and defined reds, supporting the Satanic elements of the story. Costuming retains period hues, and exteriors explore blue skies and greenery. Skin tones are natural. Delineation handles acceptably, preserving frame elements. Detail is softer, but offers decent textures on skin surfaces and clothing, including heavy cult robes. Interiors retain decorative elements, and distances are passably dimensional. Grain is heavy and slightly blocky at times. Source is in good condition, with a few brief displays of damage.

Mind, Body & Soul Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

The 2.0 DTS-HD MA mix offers clear dialogue exchanges, maintaining some balance with diverse performances and argumentative behavior. Synth scoring cues support as intended. Sound effects are appreciable as violence arrives.

Mind, Body & Soul Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

• Commentary features writer/director Rick Sloane.

• "Rick Sloane: Occult Filmmaker" (13:50, HD) is a 2012 interview with the writer/director, who identifies "Mind, Body & Soul" as his chance to get away from making "sexy comedies," only to end up with the worst censorship issues of his career, with the feature banned in some areas of the world. Slone discusses his research into the world of Satanism, soon facing issues with equipment and construction on-set, believing evil was present. Shot simultaneously with "Vice Academy: Part 3," Slone points out the recycling of sets and scenes required to bring "Mind, Body & Soul" to life. Casting is highlighted, with Wings Hauser happy to not play a cop, while Ginger Lynn Allen was also offered a change of pace, though the interviewee recalls an unhappy set. He's also open to pointing out stock footage utilized to complete the endeavor, along with risky stunt work. Slone closes with his recollection of the editing process, with his suite located next to Quentin Tarantino, who was putting the finishing touches on "Reservoir Dogs."

• "Ginger Lynn Allen: Hell's Belle" (12:57, HD) is a 2012 interview with the actress, who recalls a "turbulent" time in her life during the shooting of "Mind, Body & Soul," with one of her distractions being boyfriend Charlie Sheen. She discusses her relationship with writer/director Rick Sloane, which has been somewhat tempestuous, identifying his frugality during the production and his need for nudity during Allen's "mainstream" years. Lackluster catering is also exposed. The interviewee offers her limited appreciation for Slone's plotting and characterization, but she found the task of playing two characters for two different movies on the same day challenging. Co-star Wings Hauser is recalled, with Lynn finding him difficult to work with, and the occult nature of the material supplied its own uneasy mood during the shoot.

• "Mark A. Richardson: Demonic Art Director" (6:37, HD) is a brief discussion of "Mind, Body & Soul," with the interviewee recalling his previous collaborations with writer/director Rick Sloane, identifying his on-set demeanor and ability to roll with low-budget moviemaking punches. Anecdotes are shared about the shoot, with Richardson forced to deal with a particularly creepy individual, and he offers a few insider tips about working in Hollywood, identifying Slone as a leader who followed through on his promises, especially monetary ones.

• And a Trailer (1:54, HD) is included.

Mind, Body & Soul Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

"Mind, Body & Soul" is fairly dreary, with Sloane borrowing exciting footage from his other productions, giving the feature a Troma-esque appearance. There's sex and violence, but no real life to the endeavor, and those who've done time in the B-movie trenches are sure to solve the mystery of the cult leader within moments of the figure's introduction. Without a mystery, the picture becomes ineffective, and without real directorial muscle helping to overcome obvious production limitations, it frequently transforms into a chore to sit through.