Rating summary

Movie		3.0
Video		5.0
Audio		5.0
Extras		4.5
Overall		4.5

The Fear Blu-ray Movie Review

Reviewed by Brian Orndorf March 23, 2021

For his first screenplay, writer Ron Ford tries to get ambitious. For 1995’s “The Fear,” Ford hopes to examine the power of phobias and the pain of trauma, mixing deep-dive psychological scarring with the premise of a killer mannequin on the loose, attacking characters unwisely looking for a special weekend inside a cabin in the woods. There’s one half of the picture that’s aiming to be a sensitive study of broken people and their problems, and the other half is a slasher-style event featuring a menace carved out of magic wood. “The Fear” is definitely weird, and its level of oddness helps the viewing experience, as Ford struggles to create suspense with the effort, more interested in knotted character business than essential shock value. While some form of vision is there, keeping the feature compelling in a small way, the movie still struggles to define itself, with director Vincent Robert visibly struggling to manage a plethora of subplots, creating confusion along the way as the material throws a lot at the audience, hoping something will stick beyond the central image of a malevolent mannequin.

College student Richard (Eddie Bowz) struggles with fear, but he can’t place the source of his troubles. Taking advice from Dr. Arnold (Wes Craven), Richard organizes a weekend workshop at his family cabin, which he hasn’t visited in years, taking girlfriend Ashley (Heather Medway), pal Troy (Darin Heams), Leslie (Ann Turkel), Vance (Leland Hayward), Mindy (Monique Mannen), and Gerald (Antonio Todd) into the woods. Richard’s goal is to interview the participants, leaning about their fears with hopes to confront them. While confessions are made and interpersonal relationships are worked on, trouble arrives with the discovery of Morty, a wooden mannequin who was once a childhood friend for Richard. Using the dummy as a focal point for intimate conversations about anxieties, Richard and the subjects gradually realize that something isn’t right about Morty, with hopes for a weekend getaway dashed by the presence of an evil creation that’s coming after the students.

As the screenplay deals with bad dreams and haunted people, it only makes sense to have a Wes Craven cameo at the beginning of “The Fear.” The famous “Nightmare on Elm Street” helmer doesn’t have much to offer the picture, but he gives it a seal of approval in a way, offering a therapeutic push as Dr. Arnold inspires Richard to create his own study of trauma, using a secluded cabin to provide privacy, which inspires honesty, and he recruits a varied collection of college students, while Leslie is Troy’s sister, bringing along testy boyfriend Vance for a weekend away.

While the workshop idea should probably be the only plot running through “The Fear,” Ford tries to add additional pressure with the creation of a campus criminal targeting female students for sexual assault. It’s a grim subplot, and it factors into the flow of the feature, meant to provide additional unease and violence later in the film when the peaceful weekend starts to unravel. There’s already so much to deal with in the picture, which has a heavy workload of characterizations, adding a few unintentional laughs to the movie as the actors visibly struggle to sell hasty turns of plot and thin motivations. The cast isn’t exactly made up of seasoned talent, but they’re working hard to make something happen in “The Fear,” putting in a valiant effort while Robert tends to the creation of terror, managing to lose contact with a few participants along the way.

Morty is an interesting addition to “The Fear,” with the mannequin initially used as a sponge for workshop confessions, giving the students something to focus on as they share dark thoughts (Leslie has the most interesting troubles, terrified of getting older, chasing youth through plastic surgery). Morty is a neat creation, with the monster looking credible throughout the picture, adding a dash of the macabre that doesn’t translate into frightening encounters, but it does add a defined visual element to the production. After all, it’s difficult for Morty to become anything but an oddity in “The Fear,” which piles on so much backstory, Robert basically gives up trying to sort everything out. There’s something about “Black Peter,” who’s inspired a cult, and there’s a mystery to solve involving an anagram. Sexual power plays and Native American sorcery are introduced. And more personalities join the party, with Santa stand-in Uncle Pete (Vince Edwards) and his aquaphobic girlfriend Tanya (Anna Karin) arriving to make Robert sweat, suddenly in charge of more characters to keep track of, which he fails to do.

The Fear Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

The AVC encoded image (1.85:1 aspect ratio) presentation is listed as "Newly scanned & restored in 4K from its 35mm original camera negative." "The Fear" is superbly refreshed for its Blu-ray debut, offering fans a detailed look at production achievements, providing a dimensional romp around the woods and a theme park. Makeup effects retain their intended texture, with the woodsy look of Morty secured, while facial surfaces on human participants are exact. Colors are defined throughout, presenting lush greenery and distinct cabin interiors. Costuming also handles with primary snap on the red Santa suit and blue hats. Santa's Village is more varied, offering candied colors befitting a children's park. Delineation is satisfactory. Grain is fine and film-like. Source is in excellent condition.

The Fear Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

The 2.0 DTS-HD MA secures a wider listening experience with defined dialogue exchanges. Voices are crisp and emotional responses are balanced. Scoring efforts support with satisfactory instrumentation and position, and while the rap soundtrack isn't cranked up, music is appreciable. Atmospherics are inviting, with the sounds of nature present.

The Fear Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

• Commentary #1 features director Vincent Robert.

• Commentary #2 features executive producer Greg H. Sims.

• "Face to Face with 'The Fear'" (50:09, HD) is an overview of the production experience, offering interviews with executive producer Greg H. Sims, director Vincent Robert, writer Ron Ford, special makeup effects artist Tim Irvin, special effects technician Jason Hamer, and actors Darin Heams, Erick Weiss, Heather Medway, Eddie Bowz, and Ann Turkel (who, understandably, can't remember much about the endeavor). The gang (recorded separately) details early career ambition and story construction, with the script requiring some finesse to address the needs of an ensemble cast. Audition stories are shared, and locations are fondly recalled, with Sims returning to the Santa's Village park found in the movie. A deconstruction of the Morty suit is offered, with only two foam outfits used for the entire shoot, resulting in a smelly mess. Characters are studied and cast camaraderie is spotlighted, with Heams and Bowz remaining friends over the last 25 years. The theatrical release of "The Fear" is analyzed, along with the feature's cult appeal. Professional achievements for the cast and crew are also detailed.

• A Trailer has not been included on this release.

The Fear Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

"The Fear" is messy, attempting to be everything within its run time. It eventually leads to panicked characters running around in the dark, but before the inevitable arrives, there's a mildly diverting movie to be found, touching on universal phobias. "The Fear" doesn't come together with the psychological power Ford intends, yet it connects to in a mild way, showing more success with ideas than execution.