Rating summary

Movie		3.5
Video		4.0
Audio		4.0
Extras		4.5
Overall		4.0

Vacation of Terror Blu-ray Movie Review

Reviewed by Brian Orndorf May 2, 2023

Director Rene Cardona III tries to keep his filmmaking family’s legacy going with 1989’s “Vacation of Terror,” which mixes bits and pieces of “Poltergeist” and “Evil Dead” to inspire a new nightmare from the Mexican movie industry. It’s a simple tale of malevolence in the form of a doll capable of making things horrible for a family trying to enjoy their summer home, and Cardona III endeavors to do something with his limited budget, laboring to add as much mayhem as possible without the cash to truly do something explosive. Even at 81 minutes, “Vacation of Terror” feels long, with the helmer slipping into repetition to fill the run time, but there are some neat stabs at genre chaos, and Cardona III certainly has a love of the game, pushing to make a little noise with his ode to haunted house cinema.

Fernando (Julio Aleman) has a loving wife in Lorena (Nuria Bages), who’s expecting a baby, joining their three other children, including Gaby (Gianella Hassel), while his niece, Paulina (Gabriela Hassel) also lives with them. Fernando has big news for the family, making plans to spend the summer at an old house he’s inherited, excited to relax in the country with his loved ones. Traveling to the dwelling, Fernando realizes the place is falling apart, but he’s determined to make it work, hoping to clean everything up with help from Paulina’s boyfriend, Julio (Pedro Fernandez). Soon enough, the gang senses something off about the home, and Gaby manages to fall down a well, discovering a doll at the bottom, which she adopts as her own. However, this toy isn’t an average plaything, containing the spirit of evil, bonding with the little girl as it tries to kill off her parents and siblings. Help emerges in the form of a special medallion Julio has acquired, which is the key to containing the wicked doll, only he doesn’t immediately recognize its importance.

A prologue details the plight of a witch about to be burned alive, condemned by an angry mob for evildoing. There’s some vague magic that pulls such evil energy out of the air and transfers it to a doll with help from the medallion, but fine details aren’t important to Cardona III. He just needs to put a creepy doll and cursed area into play, quickly jumping forward in time to Fernando’s family experience, where the father oversees a busy household, managing his pregnant wife, three little kids, and his teenage niece, who has a weird boyfriend. “Vacation of Terror” eventually relocates to the summer house, which is the primary set for the production, following the characters as they explore a dilapidated living space, which becomes hostile very quickly.

“Vacation of Terror” develops a fear factor, starting small with weird egg-related events in the kitchen and the discovery of a dangerous tree on the property. Gaby locates the doll in the well and Cardona III is off to the races, staging various dangers around the house, also separating the parents from the kids when the doll triggers a pregnancy complication in Lorena. The bulk of “Vacation of Terror” focuses on Paulina, who’s trapped inside the house, and Gabby, who’s being controlled by the shifty-eyed toy, helping to make life miserable for the teen by conjuring visions of snakes, spiders, and spoiled food. Walls bleed as well. Julio is also involved, offered more physical activity as he’s tossed around the home, creating larger stunt opportunities for the endeavor, which needs all the variation it can find.

Vacation of Terror Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

The AVC encoded image (1.85:1 aspect ratio) presentation for "Vacation of Terror" is sourced from a 4K scan of the 35mm original camera negative. Detail is generally good, securing a look at character appearances, with clear facial surfaces and period clothing. House interiors retain a decrepit look, exploring decay, and rotten food and creatures are also textured. Exteriors are limited but dimensional. Color is active, with a cooler sense of haunted house activity, balanced well with the brightness of fashion choices, which offer brighter primaries. Greenery is distinct. Delineation is satisfactory. Grain is fine and film-like. Source has some wear and tear, along with brief stretches of discoloration and scratches.

Vacation of Terror Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

The 1.0 DTS-HD MA mix provides a basic understanding of dialogue exchanges, which come through clearly, reaching the limits of the sound equipment at times. Scoring cues support suspense adequately, with decent instrumentation. Sound effects register as intended.

Vacation of Terror Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

• "Backlot Rats" (18:55, HD) is an interview with brothers Carlos East Jr. and Ernesto East, who recall their family connection to director Rene Cardona III, helping them to acquire parts in "Vacation of Terror," using their familiarity with filmmaking. Memories from the shoot are shared, with the production team looking to keep the kids busy by having them help out with special effects, giving the boys an interest in BTS activity. Thoughts are shared about their father, Carlos East, who appears in the feature, and the siblings recall their free-range days around the studio, with endeavors such as "Total Recall" and "Honey, I Shrunk the Kids" being made nearby. Memories from select scenes are detailed, including time inside a burning set, and the interviewees also discuss time with "Uncle Rene." The brothers close with a celebration of practical effects and the vibe of the Mexican movie industry at the time.

• Interview (11:36, HD) is a discussion of "Vacation of Terror" with siblings Gianella and Gabriella Hassell, who initially identify the film's original title, "The Doll from Hell." Gabriella is the actress of the pair, with Gianella pulled into the production after reciting poetry for the producers, ending up having a good time during the shoot, bonding with the East Brothers. Memories of director Rene Cardona III are shared, and co-stars are recalled. The cult longevity of "Vacation of Terror" is also examined.

• Interview (9:49, HD) is a look at the music of "Vacation of Terror" with composer Eugenio Castillo.

• Interview (12:56, HD) is a conversation with special effects artist Jorge Farfan, who details his place in the plans of the production, contacted to create the gold medallion featured in the film, graduating to evil doll movement and bleeding walls. The interviewee also discusses a few additional tricks found in the picture.

• A Trailer has not been included.

Vacation of Terror Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

"Vacation of Terror" does stall on occasion as Cardona III runs out of new ideas to help terrorize the characters, but nothing stops the feature in full. It's a scrappy, reasonably performed endeavor, with the production retaining a slight sense of humor before managing evil events, and material is mindful of ugliness, trying to remain accessible to a wider audience with its display of household hellraising. Again, it's a movie about a demonic doll, which has been done repeatedly, but "Vacation of Terror" makes a noticeable effort to slip in some craziness, aiming to tickle genre fans and play up horror history as Cardona III runs through a series of highlights and ideas pulled from his favorite films.