Rating summary

Movie		3.0
Video		5.0
Audio		4.0
Extras		5.0
Overall		4.5

Spookies Blu-ray Movie Review

Reviewed by Brian Orndorf November 29, 2019

1986’s “Spookies” has an incredible production history. It began life as “Twisted Souls,” with directors Brendan Faulkner and Thomas Doran setting out to put their own stamp on horror offerings of the decade, loading the picture up with gruesome monsters and lighter, sexless elements of terror. After the movie’s completion, production moneyman Michael Lee wanted something different, bringing in a different helmer to create his own footage, with plans to mix the work with footage from “Twisted Souls.” The end result is a bewildering endeavor, but cat nip to genre fans, as “Spookies” offers plenty of violent encounters with rubber opponents, showcasing some real low-budget artistry in the midst of a highly confused but awfully determined feature.

While “Spookies” is a lot of things, it mostly wants to be another “Evil Dead,” with the “story” pitting hapless travelers against the nightmare inhabitants of a haunted house. Most cliches are tended to in the picture, but the appeal of “Spookies” isn’t dramatic ambition, as the film lacks any of that. The creatures are the main attraction, watching as a group of ding-dongs face all sorts of ghoulish menaces, including demons, a spider woman, and a Grim Reaper statue. Also, for reasons I’d rather not know, the invaders are stalked by…ahem…farting “muckmen.” Surely these mummy-like enemies are enough to conjure a passable fear factor, but here, they break wind as they advance on their victims. Hooray for Hollywood I guess.

The split personality nature of “Spookies” is something to behold, with little care put into connective tissue. There are just macabre encounters to enjoy and broad performances to bring them to life, with the final film more about select sequences than a cohesive whole. A lack of narrative momentum is frustrating, but as a practical effects demo reel, “Spookies” is interesting, as lots of care went into providing a creepy, goopy good time, making the monsters easily the highlight of the viewing experience.

Spookies Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

After decades of enduring the wilds of iffy distribution, "Spookies" finally finds a home on Blu-ray, and Vinegar Syndrome offers fans of this highly bizarre effort a fresh scan of the 35mm original camera negative. The AVC encoded image (1.85:1 aspect ratio) presentation handles the limited cinematic presence of the feature with care, securing deep textures with the multitude of rubbery and filthy creature encounters, capturing such B- movie artistry in full. Human elements are just as lively, examining detailed faces and fibrous costumes, and various house explorations retain all intended decorative displays and signs of decay. Colors are inviting throughout, providing bright period hues on clothing and rich horror highlights on special effects, securing earth tones and the more greenish, grayish appearance of the monsters. Delineation is precise, protecting evening encounters and darkly lit battles. Source is in strong condition. Grain is fine and film-like.

Spookies Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

The 2.0 DTS-HD MA sound mix does wrestle some with fuzziness, which carries throughout the listening event. Dialogue exchanges remain appreciable, surveying the emphasis of eager performance choices, also preserving accents and softer, undead interactions. Scoring is louder and distinct, presenting a budget synth push to support the genre ambition of "Spookies." Atmospherics are compelling, surveying the haunted house and some exterior encounters.

Spookies Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

DISC 1

• "2015 Alamo Drafthouse Screening Introductions" (HD) include director Thomas Doran (1:07) and co-writer/producer Frank Farel (4:07), with both men sharing production history and their own mixed feelings on the ultimate reception of "Spookies" before a showing of the film.

• "Q&A from a 2015 Hudson Horror Show Screening" (20:21, HD) brings actors Peter Iasillo and Anthony Valbiro, and production assistant Tom Sciacca in front of an audience to share anecdotes about the making and unraveling of "Spookies," and they do so with a healthy amount of candor about the shooting process and eventual editorial nightmare that transformed "Twisted Souls" into a cult curiosity.

• Archival Locations Featurette (5:34, HD) returns to the scene of the crime with Iasillo, who provides a tour of shooting locations, happily detailing the history behind the initial "Twisted Souls" shoot.

• "Pinreel Outtakes and Bloopers" (12:03, HD) showcase a running clothespin gag and crew camaraderie during the making of "Twisted Souls," though the footage is presented without sound.

• Behind the Scenes Gallery (15:26) collects film stills, candid shots, and special effects Polaroids.

• And a Theatrical Trailer (1:34, HD) is included.

DISC 2

• "Twisted Tale: The Unmaking of 'Spookies'" (100:54, HD) is a feature-length documentary on the conception, creation, and mangling of the picture, bringing together a handful of production participants to comment on their experiences with the endeavor. This is a deep dive for any fan of "Spookies," and it becomes incredibly candid as it goes along, with producer Michael Lee especially hated by those who worked on "Twisted Souls," marked as the villain who destroyed a simple horror film and killed many promising careers in the process.

• Commentary on "Twisted Tale" features directors Michael Gingold and Glen Baisley.

• Deleted Scenes (13:05, SD) are included.

• "Vipco: The Untold Story" (132:21, HD) charts the rise and fall of the British home video distributor, with honcho Michael Lee taking part in the interviews for the documentary, giving his side concerning the coldness of business demands, but doesn't go too far into the "Spookies" mess. Interviews with fans and film historians create an understanding of Vipco's industry survival, and the company's part in the "video nasty" scandal.

• Extended Interview (26:04, SD) features Michael Lee.

• And a Trailer (1:38) is included.

Spookies Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

"Spookies" is a treasured cult film to some, and such fandom makes sense. Production backstory is intriguing, and the end result is a highly entertaining collection of disparate ideas crudely mashed together. It's definitely not a stunning offering of considered cinema, but if one is in the mood for all kinds of monsters attacking all kinds of idiots, "Spookies" satisfies most B-movie cravings.