6.3 | / 10 |
Users | 0.0 | |
Reviewer | 4.5 | |
Overall | 4.5 |
During the winter season, a family camping in the woods, and a group of camp counselors training in the same forest both find themselves being killed one by one by an unhinged psycho.
Starring: Blake Gibbons, Ingrid Vold, John Marzilli, Tom Hamil, Joe BaloghHorror | 100% |
Video codec: MPEG-4 AVC
Video resolution: 1080p
Aspect ratio: 1.33:1
Original aspect ratio: 1.33:1
English: DTS-HD Master Audio 2.0 Mono (48kHz, 24-bit)
BDInfo verified
English SDH
Blu-ray Disc
Single disc (1 BD)
Region A (B, C untested)
Movie | 3.0 | |
Video | 4.5 | |
Audio | 3.5 | |
Extras | 4.5 | |
Overall | 4.5 |
During the 1970s and ‘80, campgrounds were downgraded as a cinematic setting, transformed from a peaceful time in nature to a slaughterhouse environment for slasher cinema, boosted by the success of “Friday the 13th.” 1989’s “Moonstalker” hopes to participate in some nightmarish encounters, with writer/director Michael S. O’Rourke taking the production to Nevada during the wintertime, arranging a tale of a determined killer and the campers he’s targeting, with future victims more interested in sex than survival. “Moonstalker” is as basic as it gets, with O’Rourke leaning on genre highlights to get by, failing to head in different creative directions, depending on horror fans to meet him halfway as tent encounters commence and bodies begin to pile up. And yet, despite such familiarity, there’s something compellingly low budget about the effort, finding O’Rourke battling intense cold and snow while trying to sell some form of suspense. And there’s a slight endgame here worth sticking around for, finally exposing some sickness to keep the movie interesting.
"Moonstalker" is reborn on Blu-ray, with Vinegar Syndrome pulling the feature out of video limbo, offering an AVC encoded image (1.33:1 aspect ratio) presentation, sourced from 16mm original camera negative. Clarity reaches as far as possible here, offering a look at character appearances and campsite additions, exploring tents and motorhomes. Facial surfaces are appreciable, along with costuming choices. Gore zone visits are also textured. Exteriors provide as much dimension as possible. Color is respectfully refreshed, with clothing choices offering distinct primaries, and the orange glow of fire is preserved. Snowscapes are crisp, and blacks are deep, protecting frame information as light sources become scarce at times. Skin tones are natural. Grain is heavy and film-like. Source is in good condition.
The 2.0 DTS-HD MA mix does showcase some elements of age, with sibilance issues periodic. Dialogue exchanges aren't crisply defined, with some muffling, but intelligibility isn't threatened. Scoring is also acceptable, delivering decent suspense stings and general moods. Sound effects register as intended, along with basic atmospherics.
"Moonstalker" has strange personalities to examine, and performances are acceptable for this type of entertainment, with most offering spirited takes on horny people and their desperation to have sex with each other in freezing temperatures. The balance of suspense and silliness isn't quite there, with O'Rourke clearly running out of things to do in the last act of the feature, hastily introducing a cop to the mix, though the law enforcement official doesn't bring anything to the story. Still, there's a final destination for "Moonstalker," with Bernie up to something in the woods, presenting the production with a little disturbing behavior to help spice up the conclusion. O'Rourke doesn't color outside the lines with this endeavor, but some of his ideas land as intended, and when the dramatic potential of the movie falls apart, there's always the sight of visibly cold actors working to sell flirtations in the middle of the night, which is quite amusing at times.
(Still not reliable for this title)
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