Shock 'Em Dead Blu-ray Movie

Rating summary

Movie		2.0
Video		0.5
Audio		1.5
Extras		4.0
Overall		2.0

Shock 'Em Dead Blu-ray Movie Review

Reviewed by Brian Orndorf November 27, 2015

It’s widely noted that Nirvana’s 1991 masterpiece, “Nevermind,” was the album that killed off interest in hair metal. But maybe, just maybe, the release of “Shock ‘Em Dead” that very same year also contributed to the cause. Horror meets killer licks in the genre extravaganza, which looks to dazzle viewers with driving music, topless women, and demonic acts of survival, riding a dying musical movement into Valhalla as it shares the pleasures of ornate guitars and towering hair. Admittedly, there’s the distraction of Traci Lords to keep things interesting, but as goofy B-movies blasting past their expiration date go, “Shock ‘Em Dead” is a surprisingly leaden effort, losing the war with coherence and passable acting as it fights to maintain utter absurdity.

A nerd who’s losing at life, Martin (Stephen Quadros) receives the opportunity of a lifetime when he’s asked to audition for Spastic Colon, an emerging metal band struggling with bitter front man Jonny (Markus Grupa). When he blows a chance to impress others, Martin is tempted into doom by a voodoo priestess (Tyger Sodpie), who offers the young man a chance to sell his soul for musical fame. Rechristened Angel and gifted three groupies and a new house, the struggling guitarist is suddenly rich with talent, immediately wrestling control of Spastic Colon away from the singer. Attracted to band manager Lindsay (Traci Lords), who’s dating bassist Greg (Tim Moffett), Angel must first deal with his new mortality, forced to swallow the souls of murder victims to keep himself alive, finding it difficult to target others while embarking on a mission of musical domination armed with extraordinary skills and a powerful double-necked guitar.

Co-writer/director Mark Freed doesn’t explore his imagination to the fullest in “Shock ‘Em Dead,” displaying more of a hanging-on-for-dear-life attitude during the film. It’s a horror effort with healthy dose of music, but neither extreme is triumphantly communicated, finding the movie struggling with the basics of storytelling as it builds Martin’s journey from a loser to a powerful demon who periodically vomits green goo. A Faustian bargain is struck between the pizzeria employee and the voodoo lady, with Martin signing away his life for stage glory. Unfortunately, the endless possibilities offered here are limited to sex and violence by Freed, who transforms Martin into Angel, dropped on the scene with towering black hair, shredded clothes, and accompanied by three scantily clad ladies with their own demonic issues to tend to.

“Shock ‘Em Dead” is cheaply made, looking like a cross between a Troma production and a T-NBC pilot. Freed doesn’t invest in screen detail, limiting the feature to Angel’s apartment, evening adventures outside, and a stage for maximum musicianship. It’s a small movie, but one with a few compelling ideas, including Angel’s aversion to human food, which will kill him if ingested. Instead, the rocker feeds on souls, creating a series of encounters where he forces himself on others armed with a special knife, soon singling out those who rejected him in the past, including the abusive owner of the pizzeria and the manager of a trailer park, who’s attacked while defecating. Angel needs to inhale a green spirit to survive, but his hunger pains refuse to dull his appetite for young women, eventually pursuing Lindsay, who’s unwilling to cheat on her protective boyfriend. If you’re hoping for a more interesting plot, “Shock ‘Em Dead” doesn’t offer much else, pushing the feeding and black magic elements as hard as it can, with mild special effects selling the nightmare.

Music periodically steps into view, with Angel mastering Spastic Colon hits such as “Hairy Cherry” and “I’m In Love with a Slut.” The songs are campy, with Jonny portrayed as a mincing fool who’s no match for Angel’s masculinity. And there’s guitar mastery, watching Angel’s fingers fly across the fretboard, tapping and stroking his way to power, driving fans crazy before he promptly vomits on them (the barfing isn’t explained, but it’s heavily recycled). The metal mood isn’t profound, but musicianship is impressive, capturing the subgenre’s capacity for grandiosity and blissful ridiculousness, transforming Angel into a formidable, but weirdly whiny, foe.

Shock 'Em Dead Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

Again, like their release of "Killer Workout," Slasher Video is upfront about limitations for "Shock 'Em Dead," lacking a proper HD source. The AVC encoded image (1.31:1 aspect ratio) presentation certainly lives up the warning, delivering a generally unpleasant viewing experience, equal to VHS rental. Colors are prone to bleeding, barely making sense out of what appears to a bright primary palette, while skintones are unconvincing. Detail isn't available through all the blurriness, and artifacts are common. Delineation is rarely attempted. If you already own the last DVD release of "Shock 'Em Dead," I doubt there's much improvement to be found here.

Shock 'Em Dead Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

The 2.0 DTS-HD MA sound mix has a lot to work with, remaining in a metal mood for much of the picture. Encouraging definition isn't available, finding scoring cues periodically overwhelming dialogue exchanges, which aren't strong to begin with. Intelligibility is threatened at times. Performance sequences showcase the most power, but there's no sense of range or depth. Atmospherics are also blurred during the track. Hiss is detected throughout.

Shock 'Em Dead Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

• Commentary features director Mark Freed.

• Interview (4:53, HD) with Freed discusses various aspects of the production, including location selection, songwriting efforts, on-set temptations with female cast members, feelings about the final product, and missing 35mm elements.

• Cast Reunion (22:59, HD) catches up with actors Stephen Quadros, Laurel Wiley, Mark Richardson, Tyler Bowe, and Christopher Maleki, co-writer Dave Tedder, guitarist Dave Celentano, and superfan Zak Beseda. Anecdotes about the shoot carry the featurette, highlighting casting choices, creative intention, and snake handling around a freaked-out Traci Lords.

• "Director's Cut" (1:42, SD) is a hee-hee, ha-ha collection of all the nude scenes from "Shock 'Em Dead." Meant to be jokey, the edit is actually more entertaining than the feature film.

• Deleted & Extended Scenes (5:15, SD) explore more time in the pizzeria, graveyard demon worship, party antics, and include a charged moment where Angel slaps one of the groupies.

• Actor Auditions (6:23, SD) present a look at the early stages of "Shock 'Em Dead," with select cast members attempting to charm producers with broad performances.

• Photo Gallery (8:27) collects continuity pictures, displaying the cast in various costumes and stages of distress.

• "Cast Revisits Audition Tapes" (6:18, HD) is a strange idea, with the viewer watching the reunited cast watch their early acting ambition. Silence and uncomfortable laughter dominates, with everyone focused on the screen.

• "Cast Views Deleted & Extended Scenes" (5:39, SD) provides more of the same, with the actors failing to come up with something substantial to say about their snipped work.

• Poster & Art Gallery (13:36) assembles an impressive collection of publicity stills, production photographs, VHS and laserdisc releases (which wisely emphasize Traci Lords), video store standees, and images of the source tape used for the Blu-ray.

• And a Trailer (:51, SD) is included.

Shock 'Em Dead Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

"Shock 'Em Dead" doesn't wind up as tightly as it should, with Freed struggling to find pace and tone for a film that teases camp, but frequently plays with a straight face. Fun is missing from the lethargic effort, which submits black magic, reptilian menace, and hair metal, but never gets the juices flowing, content to manage a few provocative elements, while the rest of the picture grinds to halt.