Rating summary

Movie		3.0
Video		2.0
Audio		2.0
Extras		4.5
Overall		3.5

Scream Queen Blu-ray Movie Review

Scream Queen is a rare horror oddity for fans of cult actress Linnea Quigley. Produced by David S. Sterling (Theater of Horror, One Million Babes BC) and Brad Sykes (Lord of the Vampires, The Pact), Scream Queen was considered as an abandoned or “lost” Linnea Quigley horror film for years. The film was originally shot back in 1998 and was not completed by the producers until 2002. Visual Vengeance provides a new director-approved release available on home media for the first time.

Though never released during the original production era of the previously lost film, Scream Queen will appeal to fans of the cult- favorite horror actress looking for a previously unearthed title from her filmography. Linnea Quigley is one of the most popular horror icons of the period and this is a fascinating release in the canon of her career. For the diehard Linnea Quigley fan, consider it an unearthed love letter for her undeniable charm.

Malicia Tombs (Linnea Quigley) is a beloved cult horror icon who stars in a number of popular horror films. After finishing up on set with one of her films, Malicia finds herself ending up on the chopping block – literally! Malicia is now dead and there’s a lot of work left to do on the unfinished film.

The guesswork is through the roof and a masked madman killer is looming around the scene of the film with diabolical plans – to kill off others who were involved in the cast and production because of the death of Malicia. The madness is soaring and the death toll is rising. Who can survive the slaughter carried out by the deranged killer?

Linnea Quigley is the star of the show. How can one resist the charm of Linnea Quigley? Linnea Quigley has always had an abundance of natural charm, sex appeal, and spunk. There is something fun about her quirky style, personality, and her incredible vibe. One can’t help but get lost in her manic energy and her goofy charisma. Linnea Quigley brings so much to her roles. Linnea Quigley is an iconic horror icon – an actress of incredible ferocity – that even in sometimes average films, she always brings her lovable self and charm for her adoring fans.

The supporting cast includes Detective Hammer (C. Courtney Joyner), Runyon (Kurt Levee), Eric Orloff (Jarrod Robbins), Devon (Nova Sheppard), Jenni (Emilie Jo Tisdale), and Christine (Nicole West). The supporting cast doesn’t have as much time to shine as Linnea Quigley but the cast of supporting performers do offer some shady horror antics and sleaze to round out the horror. The actresses providing some “bosom” entertainment for the sex-fueled horror-crowd.

The production values are average-at-best and some of the weakest elements of the production. The low-fi quality of these production merits might help explain (at least partly) why Scream Queen is a unearthed VHS-era horror film and one that producers didn’t finish for several years after filming completed. The cinematography by Dave Smith (Lord of the Vampires, Mad Jack) is nothing special, offering average VHS-era cinematography with too much haze – the overcast photography feeling a bit more in-tune with a cable-television skinomax special than a horror film.

Edited by Greg Cannone (Bikini Hotel, Vampyre Femmes), Mark Polonia (Camp Murder, Land Shark), and Brad Sykes (Hi-8 (Horror Independent 8), Plaguers), Scream Queen is a surprisingly decently edited film, with better end-results than one would expect for a forgotten horror film that was revisited after an extended period. The pace and flow of the film is entertaining and despite any other editorial weaknesses, things are engaging. Of note – additional editing by Tony Masiello (Hi-8 (Horror Independent 8), Hi-Fear) was provided to Scream Queen as well.

The make-up effects work by Kaye Cochran add some low-fi horror charms – though the film never manages to stack-up alongside truly great VHS-era shot-on-video horror productions. These special effects and make-up effects are fleeting and only sporadically make an impression in the production. One can appreciate these qualities while acknowledging they played a small role in the film.

Written and directed by Brad Sykes (Babes in the Woods, Lord of the Vampires), Scream Queen is not a long-lost cult classic gem but it is a surprisingly entertaining horror film that offers up some fun with genuine cult actress Linnea Quigley. Scream Queen plays out much better than expected with some genuine fun and goofy antics. Though its not a particularly scary horror outing, Linnea Quigley is a Bonafide star and reason enough to see the previously thought lost Scream Queen.

Scream Queen Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

Released on Blu-ray by Visual Vengeance, Scream Queen is presented in 1080i upconverted high-definition from the original standard definition footage. The presentation is from a 480p SD master from the original tape elements. The source footage looks frequently abhorrent with poor visual fidelity and overall clarity. The presentation quality isn't anything special and the fidelity is decidedly lackluster. Color reproduction is average at best. Make no mistake, there is nothing "high-definition" about a upconverted presentation of a lackluster standard-definition source. The source footage doesn't impress. A shot-on-film low-budget horror (even as a 8mm or 16mm production) would have potentially yielded far better results than the shot-on-video material of Scream Queen.

Scream Queen Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

The release is presented in English Dolby Digital 2.0. The 448kbps audio encoding isn't anything special and the lossy audio doesn't impress or add much to the viewing presentation. The audio track sounds low-budget and done on a shoestring budget. The low-fi nature of the audio source is par the course with shot-on-video horror films of the era. Nonetheless, the dialogue on the release is generally distinct even if not as crisp or clear as would be ideal. These low-fi audio source quality elements are somewhat underwhelming, to say the least. Lossless audio encoding wouldn't have added anything special to the presentation considering the low-quality source material being utilized in the first place.

Scream Queen Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

The release comes with a limited-edition slipcover. The limited-edition o-card slipcover features unique artwork. The release provides additional key artwork underneath the slipcover. The cover-art features alternate cover options with both commissioned art and original VHS- style artwork. The cool cover art stuns as one of the best-selling points for the package. The cover-art is a cool collectable in-and-of itself, providing a throwback to the video store era with a nice package that will look great in the hands of collectors and on the shelf of any avid film enthusiast.

The release also comes with some pack-in collectables. The release includes six-page linear notes by Tony Strauss (of Weng's Chop Magazine), a collectable Linnea Quigley mini-poster, and stickers.

Audio Commentary with writer/director Brad Sykes

Once Upon a Time in Horrorwood: Behind the Scenes Documentary (HD, 29:46)

Producer's Cut of Scream Queen (SD, 1:18:35)

Linnea Quigley Interview (HD, 12:19)

Editor Mark Polonia Interview (HD, 2:58)

Behind the Scenes Image Gallery (HD, 3:14)

Linnea Quigley Image Gallery (HD, 00:50)

Original Script Excerpts includes 7 slides of click-through script pages.

Original Trailer (SD, 2:09)

Visual Vengeance Trailer (SD, 00:51)

Scream Queen Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

Scream Queen is a surprisingly entertaining horror film. Previously long-lost and recently unearthed, Scream Queen is solid entertainment for fans of cult genre star Linnea Quigley. The filmmaking is certainly well-done considering the low-budget shot-on-video style and there is enough of an entertainment factor to make it worth seeing. A curious piece in the filmography of Linnea Quigley and something diehard fans won't want to miss out on seeing.

The Blu-ray is jam-packed with supplements, including audio commentary, behind-the-scenes, interviews, an alternative producers cut of the feature-film, and much more. The release also includes a nicely designed o-card slipcover, reversible sleeve artwork, a booklet, a collectable mini- poster, and stickers. Visual Vengeance continues to deliver with stunning packaging and a huge array of bonus features. Recommended.