Rating summary

Movie		2.5
Video		4.0
Audio		4.5
Extras		5.0
Overall		4.0

The Hills Run Red Blu-ray Movie Review

Reviewed by Brian Orndorf June 27, 2020

Dark Castle Entertainment was initially a welcome idea to bring mid-range horror to theaters, using industry flexing from Joel Silver, Robert Zemeckis, and Gilbert Adler to make it happen. However, the experiment to generate genre entertainment was quickly contaminated by content, with the company unable to secure quality projects as they fumbled with box office disappointments. Trying to limit financial exposure with a direct-to-DVD offering, “The Hills Run Red” aimed to give Dark Castle something macabre to offer horror fans without the burden of mounting a theatrical campaign. The end result is a semi-nasty offering from screenwriter David J. Schow and director Dave Parker, who try to celebrate the world of horror with “The Hills Run Red,” delivering a self-aware chiller with a killer hook but extreme limitation in execution. It’s a neat idea suffocated by mediocrity, finding a place for itself on the list of inexplicable Dark Castle whiffs.

Tyler (Tad Hilgenbrink) is a cinema fiend obsessed with the legacy of “The Hills Run Red,” a 1982 fright film from director Concannon (William Sadler) that was pulled from distribution and never seen again. Desperate to find the movie and its creator, Tyler decides to make a documentary about his hunt, soon joined by pal Lalo (Alex Wyndham) and girlfriend Serina (Janet Montgomery). Helping with the search is Concannon’s daughter, Alexa (Sophie Monk), who leads the gang to her father’s old farmhouse, working their way through the woods. However, what’s waiting for Tyler at the end of this journey is a sacrifice he isn’t prepared to make, learning that the monster from the picture, masked killer Babyface, is real and ready to add more bodies to its collection of victims.

The central idea of Tyler searching for the origin story of Concannon’s cursed creation is a strong one for “The Hills Run Red,” offering a treasure hunt challenge for the lead character, a supposed genre nerd who won’t rest until he finds the movie, with its theatrical trailer and some stills all that remains of its existence. Schow offers introductory intrigue with Tyler’s obsessive ways, which keeps Serina at arm’s length, inspiring a brief affair with Lalo, and his documentary project has promise, focused on reaching the Concannon compound and finally seeing an ultraviolent picture that was branded a danger during its initial release. Of course, nothing holds up to basic logic, but clarity of thought isn’t the idea here. Schow’s out to manufacture the allure of a cursed project, sending his characters into the woods where they don’t belong.

“The Hills Run Red” goes braindead pretty quickly, with the arrival of Alexa triggering a level of absurdity that’s hard to swallow. She’s the key to meeting Concannon, but she’s also a stripper and heroin junkie Tyler rescues, getting through her withdrawal torment in what appears to be a day or two. After that, she’s good to go, reconnecting with locations she experienced as a child (Monk is all wrong for the part, while Hilgenbrink is a blank in the lead role). There’s also Babyface, Parker’s attempt to launch his own masked maniac, but the monster isn’t all that distinct, failing to make an impression in a genre that’s loaded with all types of ghouls hoping to become brand names. “The Hills Run Red” tries to define itself through ugliness, presenting a sort of “Texas Chain Saw Massacre” vibe as the innocents are confronted with backwoods violence, leading to various scenes of torture, sexual assault, and imagery from Concannon’s grim opus. The production tries to class itself up with multiple reference to “Apocalypse Now,” but at the end of the day, this is just another offering of screaming characters in dire situations of rural survival.

The Hills Run Red Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

Originally released by Warner Brothers on DVD back in 2009, "The Hills Run Red" makes its way to Blu-ray courtesy of Shout Factory. The AVC encoded image (2.40:1 aspect ratio) presentation appears to be sourced from an older scan of the feature, though detail is satisfactory. Visiting gore zones and surveying creepy masks, there are textures to enjoy during the viewing experience, giving fans clarity with bodily harm and farmhouse decoration. Skin surfaces are adequate, tracking wear and tear during the hunt. Costuming is fibrous, while more exploitative outfits retains sheerness. Colors are acceptable, with a big push of red on clothing and bloodshed, living up to the titular promise. Greenery is appealing, and skintones are natural. Delineation is passable, periodically encountering milkier blacks.

The Hills Run Red Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

The 5.1 DTS-HD MA sound mix handles with horror urgency, providing crisp dialogue exchanges from a variety of performances. Argumentative behavior is balanced and screaming fits are comfortable. Atmospherics are active, capturing nighttime activity in the woods, along with violent encounters indoors. Mild panning effects are employed. Scoring cues are distinct, supporting the action without overwhelming it. Odd instrumentation is appreciable. Low-end isn't active, offering mild percussive hits.

The Hills Run Red Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

• Commentary #1 features director Dave Parker.

• Commentary #2 features Parker and filmmakers Joe Lynch and Adam Green.

• Commentary #3 features Parker, writer David J. Schow, and producer Robert Meyer Burnett.

• "Musical Terror" (18:54, HD) is an interview with composer Frederik Weidmann, who got his start as an assistant to composer John Frizzell, who recommended the young man to Dark Castle during the production of "Return to House on Haunted Hill." "The Hills Run Red" gig soon followed, and Weidmann describes his creative effort to generate the soundscape for the film, building a wood instrument library, playing around with a dulcimer, and hiring a vocalist to add some dramatic punch to the movie's finale. The interviewee discusses the employment of an Eastern European orchestra to complete the job and the challenges of finding the right synth sound for the 1982 trailer in the feature, and he laments the loss of certain scenes from "The Hills Run Red."

• "Running to the Hills" (22:47, HD) is an interview with executive producer Erik Olsen, who recalls finding "The Hills Run Red" screenplay, admitting surprise with the material's violent content, which was approved by Warner Brothers. Olsen examines the shoot in Bulgaria, supported by an amazing crew and a few tricks to help sell an American story. Casting is recounted, along the creation of Babyface. An assessment of director Dave Parker is shared, with both men early in their careers when they shot the movie. Olsen recalls the grim mood when the first cut of "The Hills Run Red" was presented to the studio, who demanded a softer feature, eventually settling on a DVD-only release, which went well, creating a cult legacy for the endeavor.

• "Deep in the Red" (29:54, HD) is an interview with director Dave Parker and writer David J. Schow. The men describe their first meeting during educational pursuits, with the pair eventually assigned to change the initial approach of "The Hills Run Red." Focused on the creation of Babyface, Parker was soon challenged to come up with a proof of concept trailer to prove his abilities, winning over Warner Brothers, who wanted something extreme for their DTV line. Casting his highlighted, including a discussion of Sophie Monk, who has apparently denounced the picture in recent years. Parker and Schow get candid when recounting their mistakes with "The Hills Run Red," and they remain a little heated when revisiting the studio's hesitation to release the original cut of the feature, demanding edits which created deleted scenes fans have been waiting to see for years.

• "Friday the 13th, June, 2008" (16:25, HD) is a set visit to Sofia, Bulgaria, with director Dave Parker offering a tour of the farmhouse set during a rainy morning. Select members of the cast and crew stop for a chat, and we're offered a chance to see the production in motion, creating a vivid death scene inside a barn.

• "The Hills are Alive…with the Sound of Improv" (15:49, HD) is footage from the documentary portions of "The Hills Run Red," observing the cast feel around scenes on their own to generate a sense of realism.

• Interviews (HD) include actors William Sadler (18:53), Sophie Monk (11:09), Janet Montgomery (12:05), Tad Hilgenbrink (14:12), and Alex Wyndham (8:28), production designer Antonello Rubino (11:46), and producer Robert Meyer Burnett (13:21). These conversations are all recorded on-set, offering more salesmanship than valuable post-mortem thoughts, but plenty of BTS footage is included to keep the run time worthwhile.

• Production Scrapbook (11:09, HD) provides a look at the BTS effort for "The Hills Run Red," highlighting cast and crew camaraderie, technical challenges, and interviews.

• "It's Not Real Until You Shoot It" (28:18, HD) is the official making of for "The Hills Run Red," covering the production effort while on location in Bulgaria.

• Original Animatic for Proof of Concept Trailer (2:34, SD) and Proof of Concept Trailer (2:31, HD) are offered.

• And a Trailer (1:24, HD) is included.

The Hills Run Red Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

Schow tries to stay ahead of the viewer with twists and turns, but few make sense, even for this type of entertainment. What's irritating about "The Hills Run Red" is how long it keeps away from the cursed movie idea, only returning to it in the finale. This sense of unknown and unease should run throughout the feature, but the writing doesn't know how to keep up the mystery, offering average gore zone visits instead (including one body-ripping moment completed with remarkably crude CGI). There's Sadler doing his best to turn up the creepiness dial, but Parker doesn't have the directorial muscle to really deliver a powerhouse horror event. "The Hills Run Red" has such promise, but it ends up flat and routine, which is, with a few notable exceptions, where all Dark Castle offerings end up.