TerrorVision / The Video Dead Blu-ray Movie

Rating summary

Movie		2.5
Video		3.5
Audio		2.5
Extras		2.5
Overall		3.0

TerrorVision / The Video Dead Blu-ray Movie Review

Made for TV.

Reviewed by Martin Liebman February 12, 2013

TerrorVision
Score: 2.5/5

It's gonna be dynamite!

Rare are the movies that are both wonderful and repulsive, great for what they are in a focused sense but awful in the broader context. TerrorVision is a bottom-feeding B-grade Horror/Comedy hybrid flick that's easy enough to enjoy but at the same time a truly godawful movie in nearly every way, except for where it counts on B-grade moviemaking: sheer entertainment value. TerrorVision knows its boundaries and its audience. It never takes itself seriously -- this thing is openly cheesy, so cheesy it's like a stuffed-crust pizza with extra, extra, extra, extra cheese and with sides of cheesy bites and fried mozzarella sticks for good measure -- and has a lot of fun at being really bad. But for all the movie does right within that tight little confine where it finds success, it also does plenty wrong everywhere else. It's a real drag of a picture, one that's much, much longer than necessary. It's also terribly acted and sourced from what seems like a hastily penned script of a good idea never fleshed out beyond the basics. Still, TerrorVision delivers B-cinema Horror goodness, encapsulating the low-rent Horror genre, really, and making for a nearly lovable little flick that seems to achieve what it wants, warts and all.

The Putterman family is about to enjoy a brand new world of televised entertainment options, but only if father Stanley (Gerrit Graham) can get the do-it-yourself dish to work right. Satellite salesman Norton (Sonny Carl Davis) refuses to help; this particular model forbids dealers from performing any work on the install. In a move of pure frustration, Stanley gives it a few good whacks with a wrench; just then, a mysterious energy beam shoots down from the heavens and right into the dish. Suddenly, it works. After getting a good look at what's on the new and improved boob tube -- they see a samurai movie, "troop movements" in an old war film, MTV, and a little X-rated fun -- the set goes haywire, but seems to settle back in on a Horror marathon. Stanley and wife Raquel (Mary Woronov) head on out to a swinger's club while daughter Suzie (Diane Franklin) and rocker boyfriend O.D. (Jon Gries) go do their thing. That leaves the family's ex-military, survivalist patriarch (Bert Remsen) and his little commando grandson Sherman (Chad Allen) behind to watch a Horror marathon hosted by "Medusa" (Jennifer Richards). Little do they know that they'll soon come face-to-face with a terror from another world.

The movie is actually significantly more straightforward than it sounds, at least until it takes a turn for the truly bizarre in the final act. Mixing together the weird family (swinging parents, warmongering grandson that takes after his survivalist grandpa who lives in a bunker, rocker chick dating rocker dude) with an ooey-gooey monster from another world seems a recipe for B-level fun, and it is. Add in the big-breasted bimbo from the late night cable Horror marathon and a couple of extra victims for the creature to kill and the stage is set for one of the most ridiculous but also more strangely endearing Horror-Comedies of the 1980s. It's difficult to "judge" a movie such as this; little about it is particularly good, but much of the charm comes from the bottom-budget feel, including the phony soundstage house, the gross overacting, and the horrendous script. Indeed, TerrorVision might not have worked so well were it played in a more straightforward manner. The premise is ridiculous to begin with -- then again that's Horror movies -- but the very obvious tongue-in-cheek flow actually allows the audience to lower its guard and accept the film's massive flaws as part of the appeal rather than see them as a fatal flaw to the experience. TerrorVision knows exactly what it is, and it's hard to argue against a movie that achieves what it sets out to accomplish.

The ridiculous creature design suits the movie's offbeat stylings quite well. Truth be told, TerrorVision's alien bad guy looks like something removed from a blender -- it's nothing but a random collection of slime, gore, and eyeballs tossed together in a seemingly random pattern -- and the absence of a real cohesion makes it the perfect villain for a movie that's all about low-rent pieces that feel scattered and with little attention paid to authenticity. The picture earns its heartiest laughs in a scene in which all of its victims -- now fused to the creature -- share a bed together in an effort to "fool" the Putterman children into believing some of the characters are still alive. It's the film's best gag but one that's not used to its fullest extent, probably because of budget constraints and low-end movie magic logistical limitations. The movie does get a lot of mileage out of what little it has, though; it all comes back to that sense of perfect B-grade harmony at work, that notion that it's the little things done well, the charmers behind the clutter, are enough to mask the really, really lousy pieces that would be deal breakers in most any other movie. TerrorVision's pursuit of oddball humor and low-rent charm should please open-minded audiences looking for something rather unique in a world of mindless Horror cinema.

This thing will be the death of me!

The Video Dead
Score: 2.0/5

It's what comes out of the TV that does the killing.

Maybe this will help create a more clear picture of what, exactly, The Video Dead has to offer. Imagine back in the 1980s or early 1990s, before DVD and Blu-ray and video on demand and all the other nifty newfangled ways of watching movies. Travel back down memory lane to that mom and pop video shop that certainly stocked the latest and greatest -- movies like The 'Burbs, Lethal Weapon 2, K-9, Tango & Cash, and When Harry Met Sally lined the front shelves and their posters decorated windows and walls -- but also offered some forbidden video fruit in the section dad or grandma warned about staying away from, that Horror movie shelf with creepy boxes from series like Friday the 13th and A Nightmare on Elm Street, complete with honest-to-goodness artwork, not just photoshopped floating heads, that really set a tone for the movie even before it was taken from the store. But buried a bit deeper, even, than those "mainstream" Horror flicks was stuff like The Video Dead, completely off-limits, brain-rotting, flesh-eating stuff that promised awful nightmares and scarring for life. Well, here it is decades later on Blu-ray, and about the only thing scary about The Video Dead is the acting. It's a nifty Horror movie idea, but the execution usually leaves something wanting.

An acclaimed writer named Henry Jordan (Michael St. Michaels) is awakened early one morning by two delivery men with a package they insist is for him. He hasn't purchased anything, nothing should be coming in, but he's stuck with it anyway. He tears open the wooden crate to reveal a lot of old newspaper and one very beat-up television set. Not only did he not order it, he's not much of a TV watcher. He sets it aside but allows curiosity to get the best of him. He turns on the set to find a fuzzy black-and-white image of zombies moaning and roving about. He tries to cut it off but cannot; pulling the plug from the wall does the trick, but only temporarily. The television returns to life and zombies escape from his set, walking out in full color and size. They kill poor Mr. Jordan. His house is sold and a few months later occupied by young siblings Zoe (Roxanna Augesen) and Jeff (Rocky Duvall) who are awaiting their parents' return from a lengthy overseas trip. Jeff befriends new neighbor April (Vickie Bastel) but also discovers the old television up in the attic, beckoning to him to watch. He discounts the creepy and ultra-realistic images that seem to come out of the television as a marijuana high, but he and his sister and new friend are about to discover that they're up against the living dead in a battle they seemingly cannot win.

Horror films aren't exactly bastions of award-caliber acting. The Video Dead is not different, unless one goes to the opposite end of the spectrum in search of Razzy-worthy performances. The Video Dead's cast does little to help the movie; it has quite the amateurish feel to it, and at best the performances are merely satisfactory. Most times, however, it feels like a high school drama class (not club) slugging through the material for a passing grade and waiting out the semester for the studio art or music appreciation classes to come. The script certainly gives them nothing meaty with which to work; this is an incredibly straightforward picture that wouldn't challenge even a mediocre actor. Nevertheless, the cast ofttimes struggles with basic emotions and simple dialogue delivery. The performances are clunky and haphazard, but then again this is a B-level Zombie flick, not something that cries out for more nuanced and natural performances. Acting aside, the movie is fairly constructed. The direction is unremarkable but effective, the score often incorporates that classic "shriek! shriek! shriek!" Horror motif, and the picture is generally fairly paced. Yet it all comes down to the monsters; without good zombies and kills, a movie of this sort could not survive no matter how strong the peripherals, and on the flip side, great monsters can save an otherwise terrible effort.

Fortunately, The Video Dead does manage some fine zombie makeup and decent kills. There isn't a very diverse collection of zombies -- just a few in total -- but the quality outweighs quantity here. The makeup appears thorough and convincing, nasty with a charred flesh sort of look -- including a blue zombie who must be the Andorian equivalent -- that's really quite gross and visually effective. There are some fun scenes in which the zombies play around with household appliances and others in which they're on both ends of a nasty little chainsaw. The film offers some choice blood and guts moments but doesn't reach quite the level of absolute hardcore gore as some of its genre brethren like Day of the Dead or Zombie. This is more of a straightforward Horror flick, a bit playful around the edges but nowhere near as cartoonish and grossly over-the-top as something like TerrorVision.

TerrorVision / The Video Dead Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

TerrorVision
Score: 3.0/5

TerrorVision has never looked better on home video, but then again there's not an awful lot with which to compare it. Shout! Factory's high definition presentation isn't exactly the poster child for stunning Blu-ray catalogue material, but viewers will find a watchable and stable image. It's severely flat and rather pasty. There's no life or texture to the film, and even a light bit of grain can't seem to help improve on it. Flesh tones -- and the color palette in general -- are quite warm. Those colors are rather bland, too; there's almost no pop, brilliance, or vibrancy to any shade in the film, even the daughter's multicolored makeup, the nude art on the walls, or the flags and other assorted items in Grampa's bunker. The image does offer adequate details; the monster looks quite good, and the Blu-ray brings out many of the nasty, slimy intricacies to be seen on its body. Small details like wear on grampa's guns, the definition of little objects around the house, or the massive remote control look good enough. This is certainly not a reference quality video presentation, but at the very least it's a workable image that should please fans who have not seen the movie through other than very low grade tapes.

The Video Dead
Score: 3.5/5

The Video Dead features a fairly strong high definition transfer. The image enjoys a grain overlay; it's a little spiky but consistent and not too terribly heavy. Fine details range from satisfying to excellent. Clothing and facial details are of good, filmic quality. The image is stable, sharp, crisp, and consistent. Surrounding textures are nice, too; a beat up old truck dashboard seen in one shot, old odds and ends around the house, the dusty and dented (and melted?) television set, and leaves and grasses and other vegetations seen in exterior shots all look quite good. Colors are balanced and satisfying, not at all brilliant but not really worn down, either. Blacks are fine and flesh tones never too rosy or, on the other end of the spectrum, ghastly. The print shows a little wear and tear, some minor pops and speckles and scratches but nothing too terribly detrimental to the experience. This is a pretty solid Blu-ray picture from start to finish.

TerrorVision / The Video Dead Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

TerrorVision
Score: 3.0/5

TerrorVision features a decent DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 lossless soundtrack. Music delivery is generally robust and with a positive low end -- including a rather nice thumping in the "pleasure room" as heard in chapter five -- but it's also mostly front heavy with negligible surround support. Still, the presentation is satisfying, particularly the film's theme song that plays over the opening titles. Various sound effects are delivered adequately, whether beams of energy, monster growls, or gunfire. Dialogue remains front-center focused and clear; there is some slight echoing in the "outdoor" soundstage scenes. Overall, this is a rather basic track, not particularly memorable but certainly adequate for the film's needs.

The Video Dead
Score: 2.0/5

The Video Dead arrives on Blu-ray with a flat and rather featureless DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 lossless soundtrack. The primary culprit here is dialogue. Shallow, muddled, detached, quiet: name it, it probably applies. It's just strong and clear enough to get listeners through the movie, but clarity is certainly not this track's strong suit. Musical delivery is largely centered and lacking in range; neither general score nor Rock tunes find much stage presence beyond the center, and all music lacks verve. There is fair woodland ambience in chapter eight, noted primarily in quiet, dialogue-free moments, but the effect largely remains property of the front speakers. A few heavier sound effects -- a whirring blender, a spinning chainsaw -- sound rather mushy and indistinct. A dynamic track this is not, but it handles the basics just well enough to get listeners through the film, nothing more and nothing less. Note: 'The Video Dead' was originally released with a monaural soundtrack; the DTS-HD MA 2.0 lossless soundtrack will offer a presentation more faithful to the original.

TerrorVision / The Video Dead Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

Both films and all supplements appear on a single 50GB disc. A DVD copy with both films, along with revisable cover art, are included in the case.

TerrorVision
Score: 2.0/5

TerrorVision contains a short, but rather sweet, assortment of extras.

• Audio Commentary: Writer/Director Ted Nicolaou and Stars Diane Franklin & Jon Gries offer an informative but at the same time entertaining track. They share plenty of small anecdotes from the time of the shoot but also specific details, including music, creature design, the film's "over the top" stylings, the film's audience, performances, shooting styles and locales, and much more. This is a good, enjoyable track that fans should love.
• Monster on Demand -- The Making of TerrorVision (HD, 34:22): From the menu: "An all-new retrospective with Writer/Director Ted Nicolaou, Stars Diane Franklin, Mary Woronov, Jon Gries, Ian Patrick Williams, Special Make-Up Effects Designer Jon Carl Buechler, Executive Producer Charles Band, Composer Richard Band and others!" In other words, this is a satisfying, comprehensive piece that looks back at the film, its style, its long term success, project origins, selling the project from its infancy, character design, casting, shooting in Italy, creature design, music, and more.
• Poster & Still Gallery (HD, 2:17).

The Video Dead
Score: 2.5/5

The Video Dead's supplemental section is headlined by a pair of audio commentary tracks.

• Audio Commentary: Writer/Producer/Director Robert Scott, Editor Bob Sarles, and Makeup Effects Creator Dale Hall, Jr. discuss the project's origins, shooting specifics, budget constraints, anecdotes from the shoot, making the film largely for the VHS markets, selling the film through the trailer, the film's structure, and more. The track is a bit slow, but it's informative and worth a listen.
• Audio Commentary: Stars Roxanne Augesen and Rocky Duvall, Moderator Chris MacGibbon, Production Manager Jacues Thelemaque, Makeup Effects Creator Dale Hall, Jr. and Makeup Assistant Patrick Denver offer a track that's a little lighter and with fewer gaps than the first. They cover much of the same information, but fans will appreciate some new perspectives.
• Pre-Recordead (HD, 11:49): "An interview with Makeup Effects Creator Dale Hale, Jr. and Makeup Assistant Patrick Denver." Discussions revolve around, of course, the zombie makeup and visual effects with a little bit of banter on the film itself and the making thereof.
• Outtakes (SD, 1:51).
• Behind the Scenes Still Gallery (HD, 4:22).
• Poster and Still Gallery (HD, 0:57).
• The Video Dead Trailer (HD, 1:40).

TerrorVision / The Video Dead Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

Honestly, TerrorVision and The Video Dead make for a pretty entertaining double feature. They're similarly themed in that they revolve around the "horrors" of television but drastically different in terms of style and cadence. Both movies are greatly flawed but also highly entertaining in a mindless sort of way. This is the perfect late-night double bill, and Shout! Factory has produced a likable Blu-ray set. The video and audio presentations average out to, well, average, and the supplements are fine for this quality of product. Worth a rental for the Horror curious, highly recommended for genre aficionados.