5.3 | / 10 |
Users | 0.0 | |
Reviewer | 2.5 | |
Overall | 2.5 |
The Exorcist meets the Winter Olympics in this tale of demonic possession and snowbound slashing from director Christopher Webster, producer of Hellraiser and Hellraiser II: Hellbound. For a group of young couples, a snowmobiling trip turns into a waking nightmare when one of their number is thrown from their vehicle and knocked unconscious. Seeking refuge in a nearby abandoned summer camp, the group find themselves holed up in a cabin filled with bizarre and ominous religious artefacts. As night falls, the discovery of a Ouija board amidst the dusty relics awakens a terrifying evil.
Starring: Dawn Laurrie, Aaron Kjenaas, Connie Snyder, David Fields, Eve MontgomeryHorror | 100% |
Thriller | 8% |
Sci-Fi | Insignificant |
Video codec: MPEG-4 AVC
Video resolution: 1080p
Aspect ratio: 1.78:1
Original aspect ratio: 1.85:1
English: LPCM 2.0 (48kHz, 24-bit)
English SDH
Blu-ray Disc
Single disc (1 BD)
Region free
Movie | 2.0 | |
Video | 3.0 | |
Audio | 3.5 | |
Extras | 4.0 | |
Overall | 2.5 |
For some positively charming information (to this reviewer, anyway) on the background of a little organization called Windsor Lake Studios, I recommend a perusal of our Trapped Alive Blu-ray review, which gets into some of the history of the production house and its unlikely location in the woods of northern Wisconsin, an area which by chance I happen to be somewhat familiar with (as I also get into in that review). As I mentioned in that review, some of the supplements talk about two other films Windsor Lake Studios managed to put out, and I guessed that one of them was The Chill Factor, which indeed turns out to be the case (I’m still not absolutely positive, but I believe the third one may have been a 1990 horror opus called The Inheritor). As with Trapped Alive, The Chill Factor evidently came out under a variety of titles, including Demon Possessed and just plain old Chill Factor (i.e., without a definite article attached), but it’s arguable that this film makes at least somewhat better use of its Wisconsin locations, since in this instance the action takes place above ground rather than in an abandoned mine, as was the case with Trapped Alive. This is another kind of silly lo-fi horror effort, but it’s kind of goofily enjoyable, much like its Windsor Lake Studios sibling.
The Chill Factor is presented on Blu-ray courtesy of Arrow Video with an AVC encoded 1080p transfer in 1.78:1. Arrow's insert booklet contains the following information on the restoration:
The Chill Factor has been exclusively restored by Arrow Films and is presented in 1.85:1 with stereo audio.With an understanding that a low-con print is probably not the ideal source for a transfer, The Chill Factory actually looks surprisingly good quite a bit of the time, again with a proper understanding about sourcing. The opening few minutes are pretty rough looking, and recurrently throughout this presentation some of the snowbound scenes feature a pretty coarse looking grain field and middling at best detail levels (see screenshot 14 for just one example). Some of the supposedly fireplace lit interior camp scenes don't offer a surplus of shadow detail. There looks like there was also at least one malfunctioning lens utilized on the shoot, as there are noticeable refraction "ghosts" that show up. The entire transfer is on the soft side, and the snow and mist laden scenes probably don't help in that regard. All of this said, the palette pops quite pleasingly through the bulk of the transfer, and detail levels in more brightly lit moments are more than passable. This obviously is not an optimal presentation, but for such a little remembered cult item, it probably looks better than anyone might have expected. My score is 3.25.
An original 35mm low-con print was scanned in 2K resolution, graded and restored at OCN Digital Labs.
The soundtrack was sourced from a set of original 2" tape masters.
All restoration work was completed at OCN Labs.
All original materials used in this restoration were accessed from Films Around the World.
The Chill Factor features an LPCM 2.0 track that serves the film's somewhat limited sonic ambitions perfectly well. Some of the outdoor material, with the revving motors of multiple snowmobiles, bristles with at least occasional energy, but much of this film takes place inside, and consists of patently silly dialogue scenes, interspersed with the occasional scream of terror. There's a slightly boxy sound in the highest registers, but overall this is a problem free track that encounters no serious issues along the way.
If you see only one film about desperate snowmobilers caught in the wilds around Eagle River, Wisconsin, make it The Chill Factor (probably because you won't be able to find another film about desperate snowmobilers caught in the wilds around Eagle River, Wisconsin). This is another lo-fi effort that has its own goofy charms, but whose Blu-ray release may be more alluring due to its often charming special features rather than the film itself. A less than ideal source element means only so much could be done with this, but with that said, technical merits are generally solid for those considering a purchase.
2016
2016
Unrated Director's Cut
2006
2018
2013
2020
2019
2015
2009
Deluxe Edition | SOLD OUT
1981
Collector's Edition
2019
2016
Haunted
2014
2012
Collector's Edition
1981
Slipcover in Original Pressing
1981
2011
1981
1982
Collector's Edition
1988