Nurse Sherri Blu-ray Movie

Rating summary

Movie		3.0
Video		3.5
Audio		3.5
Extras		5.0
Overall		4.0

Nurse Sherri Blu-ray Movie Review

Reviewed by Brian Orndorf June 25, 2017

1978’s “Nurse Sherri” was marketed as the next horror sensation, following “Carrie” and “Ruby” in the ongoing saga of meek women coming into contact with unusual, destructive powers. It’s a bit of a stretch to position the effort next to more respected genre offerings, but when it stands up straight and goes for chills, “Nurse Sherri” can be entertaining, working to generate a level of dread and horror as evil erupts from unexpected sources. Director Al Adamson isn’t known for quality work (“Carnival Magic,” “Dracula vs. Frankenstein”), and his streak continues here, but with lowered expectations, the weird highlights of the feature provide a reasonably successful distraction.

Cult leader Reanhauer (Bill Roy) fails in his attempt to restore life to a dead member of his flock, expiring in the process. However, death isn’t about to slow down the ghoul, sending his spirit into the body of Sherri (Jill Jacobson), a nurse who begins to kill off those who wronged the monster, with her behavior confusing her lover, Dr. Peter (Geoffrey Land).

“Nurse Sherri” doesn’t stick directly with the titular character’s reign of terror (she’s possessed, or raped, by green animation meant to represent Reanhauer’s essence), taking time to sample other activity around the hospital, including fellow nurse Tara (Marilyn Joi) and her efforts to cozy up to a blinded football player who happens to know a thing or two about voodoo rituals. Sexual gamesmanship and nudity are present, and the saga of Sherri follows a routine of murder sequences, traveling around on the hunt for those who failed to take Reanhauer seriously. In one of her first roles, Jacobson is cast more for her looks than her presence, but she performs reasonably well with violent incidents, communicating the innocence of the character and the killer inside, with Adamson enjoying any chance to bloody her up.

Nurse Sherri Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

There's a note at the start of the feature that explains the viewing experience to come, with "Nurse Sherri" originally shot in 16mm, with reshoots in 35mm. Blow-up elements were created to form a consistent theatrical viewing experience, but for the Blu-ray, 16mm camera elements were lost. The AVC encoded image (1.85:1 aspect ratio) is sourced from the 35mm blow-up version, creating "fluctuations in grain structure as well as overall image quality." It's generous of Vinegar Syndrome to admit shortcomings right off the bat, and "Nurse Sherri" has its issues throughout, including delineation troubles and distorted black levels, giving dense hair and costuming a sort of photo negative look (seen in screencap #5). Clearly, Vinegar Syndrome was working uphill on this title, and considering the obscurity of the movie, the presentation isn't troubling, still showcasing enjoyable, filmic clarity for a scrappy production, delivering a degree of detail that works for more graphic encounters. Color also manages to survive, working with a palette that wasn't remarkable to begin with, bringing out street signage and costuming, while skintones look natural. Scratches, speckling, hairs, and reel changes are detected.

Nurse Sherri Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

The 1.0 DTS-HD MA sound mix is on the sharp side due to age, with harsh S-sounds and some fluctuations in quality. Dialogue exchanges are adequate, with some muddiness here and there, though quieter moments tend to register the best. Scoring also isn't precise, but it supports as intended, giving the feature some atmospheric boost. Mild popping is detected.

Nurse Sherri Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

Blu-ray:

• Commentary features producer Sam Sherman.

• Interview (20:47, HD) chats up the women of "Nurse Sherri," sitting down with stars Jill Jacobson and Marilyn Joi to discuss the making of this oddball movie. Joi doesn't have much to add to the conversation besides mild anecdotes and her philosophy on nudity, with Jacobson more interested in exploring character motivation and her own eerie encounters with possession during production. It's difficult to tell if her contribution is one big goof, but Jacobson is amusing to watch, also revealing the awkwardness of the effort's original theatrical release, offering nude scenes that did not please her family.

• "Locations Then and Now" (2:34, HD) takes a look at the suburban and hospital settings of the movie, which haven't changed much over the last four decades.

• Promotional Still Gallery (1:18) collects newspaper ads and reviews from the theatrical release of "Nurse Sherri."

• And a Two Theatrical Trailers (3:02, SD) are included.

DVD:

• "Killer's Curse" (84:06) is the alternate cut of "Nurse Sherri," which is basically the same story, only without the 35mm subplots and a generous boost in softcore distractions.

Nurse Sherri Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

"Nurse Sherri" is bizarre at times, barely coherent, and Adamson is a fan of filler, stretching out a simple car chase to six minutes of squealing tires and speeding automobiles, doing whatever he can to reach a 90 minute movie. Shadowy encounters, the laughing wrath of Reanhauer, graveyard visits, and straight-up stabbings are far more interesting to watch, giving "Nurse Sherri" some genre muscle to help boost its appeal.