6.7 | / 10 |
Users | 4.0 | |
Reviewer | 3.0 | |
Overall | 3.1 |
Young girls are disappearing in and around the Mary Magdalen Halfway House for Troubled Girls. Desperate to find out what became of her sister, Larissa Morgan goes undercover to infiltrate the Catholic-run institution. Once inside, she encounters Father Fogerty, a priest with a passion for punishment; Sister Cecelia, a nun with a dark past plotting an even blacker future; Edwina and her love-toy Cherry Pie; tough Latino Angelina and her home girls and a sinister handyman named Lutkus. It's not long before she's caught up in a twisted web of sadism, violence, and wanton lust before finally learning the ultimate secret of the Halfway House.
Starring: Mary Woronov, Janet Tracy Keijser, Shawn Savage, Stephanie Leighs, Athena DemosHorror | 100% |
Comedy | Insignificant |
Video codec: MPEG-4 AVC
Video resolution: 1080p
Aspect ratio: 1.78:1
Original aspect ratio: 1.85:1
English: DTS-HD Master Audio 2.0 (48kHz, 24-bit)
English SDH
Blu-ray Disc
Single disc (1 BD)
Region A (B, C untested)
Movie | 3.0 | |
Video | 3.5 | |
Audio | 4.0 | |
Extras | 3.5 | |
Overall | 3.0 |
Mary Woronov is one of the most weirdly endearing performers of her generation, and if she might never be accused of offering overly subtle portrayals, she's so consistently enjoyable in her typical hyperbolic mode that it's really hard to argue with how effective she can be. Woronov is arguably the highlight of the daffy The Halfway House, as a supposedly devout Catholic nun named Sister Cecelia who has actually been worshiping what one assumes is supposed to be Cthulu or some other denizen of H.P. Lovecraft's imagination. Cecilia and Father Fogerty (Joseph Tatner) run the titular facility, with an emphasis on titular (in Beavis and Butt-Head mode), since the film features a rather nonstop array of full frontal female nudity. The story begins with one of its odder elements, given the later conceit that the halfway house is in fact a "grocery store" of sorts for Sister Cecilia as she attempts to feed the Lovecraftian beast she keeps in an underground lair beneath the building. That's due to the fact that instead of a resident of the house being sacrificed, a random jogger out on the streets is kidnapped by a cowled villain (whose identity is rather quickly revealed, as discussed below) and who is then fed to a tentacled and single (red) eyed monster. It's ludicrous at its core, and of course Woronov is the perfect actress to deliver overheated lines with equally exaggerated readings in a story that is thankfully often played for winking laughs.
The Halfway House is presented on Blu-ray courtesy of Severin Films with an AVC encoded 1080p transfer in 1.78:1. There's no technical information online or on the back cover of this release (other than an announcement that the film is making its Blu-ray debut), though the archival making of featurette seems to show what almost look like old style minicams that were used for at least some of the shoot. As always with my reviews, if anyone can point me to authoritative information on the shoot, I'll happily update the review. This has a pretty flat, glossy appearance a lot of the time that nonetheless offers a nicely suffused palette and at least decent fine detail levels. That said, things can look fairly soft throughout the presentation, and some of the darker material in particular can offer little in the way of fine detail. I'm wondering if some of the VFX workflow may have had an interlaced component, since the shots of the monster in particular look like they have slight combing artifacts when the tentacles move. There's a slightly processed look here as can perhaps be gleaned from some of the screenshots I've uploaded to accompany this review, but my hunch is they're the result of a low budget capture.
The Halfway House has a nicely robust sounding DTS-HD Master Audio 2.0 track. Some kind of quasi-punk source cues are utilized, and the roar of the monster provides some decent low end energy. Dialogue is rendered cleanly and clearly throughout, and there are no problems of any kind to report. Optional English subtitles are available.
It's maybe slightly hilarious that the halfway house is called Mary Magdalen, as if no one thought to spellcheck the screenplay. But even aside from unintentional comedy, the film's kind of slyly winking quality may help it to elide some of its more shocking aspects. Woronov is the highlight here, and she's a lot of fun as a woman on a mission from the elder gods. Technical merits are generally solid, and as usual Severin has assembled some really enjoyable supplements (though why the commentary track seems to be a "secret" is kind of weird), for those who are considering making a purchase.
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