6.2 | / 10 |
Users | 0.0 | |
Reviewer | 4.5 | |
Overall | 4.5 |
Designed as a spoof of slasher movies, this gory comedy is set in a town that more than a decade ago was home to the infamous lawnmower killer. Set just before the big Halloween soiree at the local high school, it follows officer Dick Harbinger as he desperately tries to convince the town that the dreaded mechanical reaper is about to return for more bloodshed and horror.
Starring: Joe Don Baker, Stella Stevens, George Kennedy, Julia Duffy, Scott McGinnisHorror | 100% |
Comedy | Insignificant |
Video codec: MPEG-4 AVC
Video resolution: 1080p
Aspect ratio: 1.85:1
Original aspect ratio: 1.85:1
English: DTS-HD Master Audio Mono (96kHz, 24-bit)
BDInfo
English SDH
Blu-ray Disc
Two-disc set (1 BD, 1 DVD)
DVD copy
Region A (C untested)
Movie | 2.0 | |
Video | 5.0 | |
Audio | 4.0 | |
Extras | 4.0 | |
Overall | 4.5 |
Joining the early ‘80s craze to pants horror entertainment is director Greydon Clark, who gifts the world “Wacko,” his version of a slasher parody. Perhaps slightly miffed to watch as a bunch of no-budget scary movies conquer the box office, Clark elects to take down the absurdities of the genre, arriving with screenplay credited to four people and a cast that’s loaded with noted character actors, blended with younger talent from the day. The 1982 endeavor has no shortage of jokes, with Clark particularly attentive to the speed of the film, which carries on with rat-tat-tat timing, always on the hunt for cliches to spank and characters to mock. This is Clark competing in a post-“Airplane!” world, and it’s a big swing and a miss for the man behind “Joysticks,” “The Return,” and “Uninvited.” Instead of triggering laughs, “Wacko” mostly demands bewilderment, often coming at the audience with complete enthusiasm but no refinement or even simple punchline taste. It’s a scattergun of lame gags and clownish performances that’s periodically hard to watch, with Clark so caught up in the production effort, he misses a prime chance to dig into the goofy idiosyncrasies of slasher cinema. And yes, pies are flung during the run time.
Vinegar Syndrome makes a move to pull "Wacko" out of the depth of obscurity, giving the picture a Blu-ray release after its rental heyday in the 1980s. Billed as "Newly scanned & restored in 4K from its 35mm original camera negative," "Wacko" arrives on HD with ideal clarity and brightness. The AVC encoded image (1.85:1 aspect ratio) presentation easily reaches cinematographic limitations, capturing low-budget shenanigans with strong detail, surveying strange costumes (Halloween and otherwise) and facial features, while more outrageous elements of make-up, Pumpkinheadedness, and disease are easily observed, coming through as intended. Locations retain depth and interiors are loaded with decoration, presenting signs and sight gags to study when the material offers little to pay attention to. Colors are vivid, finding primaries intact and expressive. Bloodshed (and ketchup spills) retains deep redness, skintones are natural, and holiday extremity is distinct. Delineation is satisfactory, keeping evening adventures open for study. Source is in fine condition.
The 1.0 DTS-HD MA sound mix shows more age, with hiss carrying through the listening event, and some sibilance issues creeping into play on occasion. Dialogue exchanges are appealing, with heft on punchlines, supporting performances that truly offer a range of professional abilities. Scoring is supportive without overwhelming the track, and soundtrack cuts tend to energize the mood as intended, delivered with proper instrumentation. Sound effects are pronounced, playing into the comedic mood of "Wacko."
"Wacko" takes aim at "The Exorcist," "The Omen," and "Dr. Strangelove," providing defined satiric targets, which is welcome. The rest of the feature is more random, frustratingly so, with a character such as Vice Principal Harry Palms (oof) turned into a Southern preacher for no particular reason. Clark chases too many whims with "Wacko," ending up at a Big Dance finale that takes up the last 30 minutes of the film, trying to pay off a collision of jokes and violence that's never established with enough care to begin with.
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