7 | / 10 |
Users | 0.0 | |
Reviewer | 4.0 | |
Overall | 4.0 |
A confused misfit becomes suicidal when his favorite TV show is cancelled. An agent promises to make him a TV star if he kills certain people, so he becomes "The Baby Mask Killer."
Starring: Michael St. Gerard, John P. Ryan, Maureen TeefyHorror | 100% |
Mystery | 6% |
Thriller | Insignificant |
Crime | Insignificant |
Drama | Insignificant |
Video codec: MPEG-4 AVC
Video resolution: 1080p
Aspect ratio: 1.85:1
Original aspect ratio: 1.85:1
English: DTS-HD Master Audio 2.0 (48kHz, 24-bit)
BDInfo
English SDH
Blu-ray Disc
Two-disc set (1 BD, 1 DVD)
DVD copy
Slipcover in original pressing
Region free
Movie | 3.5 | |
Video | 4.5 | |
Audio | 3.5 | |
Extras | 4.0 | |
Overall | 4.0 |
Writer/director Alexander Cassini takes an experimental route when conjuring the ravages of mental illness in 1991’s “Star Time.” To describe the picture as strange is an understatement, with the helmer embarking on a Lynchian tour of psychological decay, clinging to a few horror traditions to preserve some sense of movement for a production that doesn’t always prize forward momentum. It’s not a slasher movie, but there’s a body count and masked killer brandishing an ax, delivering a sense of threat to a feature that’s interested in deconstructing the ways of serial killing. “Star Time” has moments of abstraction, but it works as a swan dive into madness spotlighting a truly unhinged individual coming to terms with the expanse of his treasured media-worshiping delusions.
The AVC encoded image (1.85:1 aspect ratio) presentation provides a clear look at screen particulars in "Star Time," boasting a 2K scan from a 35mm original camera negative. It's a strange looking picture to begin with, favoring night scenes and uncomfortable close-ups, and the viewing experience is preserved, offering compelling skin textures and emotional urgency, capturing performance nuance. Apartment decay is also open for exploration. Colors are comfortable, offering a stable palette that maintains colder interiors and costuming. Nightlife brings out more vibrant hues, and bloodshed retains a defined red. Skintones are natural. Delineation has some heavy lifting, but remains communicative. Grain is heavy and filmic. Source is in good shape, without overt points of damage.
The 2.0 DTS-HD MA sound mix provides an involving listening event that maintains the unusual nature of the film, with dialogue emerging from whispers, screams, and televisions. There are sibilance issues, hitting a few harsher highs along the way, but performances remain alert, also combating some fuzziness at times. Scoring carries as expected, with appropriate volume and definition (to bring out the bizarre instrumentation, which includes use of a referee whistle). Sound effects are also strong, supporting tours of the city and heated chases.
"Star Time" tells the tale of Henry's graduation to serial killing to satisfy Sam's coaching, but the budget doesn't permit a full scale ceremony teeming with dead bodies and a law enforcement manhunt. The screenplay remains with the three characters, studying how they struggle with this new reality, which frequently blends with an older reality, presenting Henry with more reasons to lose control. "Star Time" isn't particularly scary, more about teasing horror formula than bathing in blood, but Cassini works to keep the effort distressing, employing claustrophobia and some shock value to maintain directorial authority. As a sneak peek into a melting psyche, the movie has some impressively unwound moments, but it's more artful than accessible, and all the good intentions when it comes to suspense and characterization can't prevent the film from feeling stale as it searches for a way out of the narrative maze. It's a picture for a more daredevil genre enthusiast, especially one interested in mind-bending areas of personal unrest, but captured with very little production money and contained to only a few locations.
2020
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