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[tab title="Movie Review"]
Believe it or not, the meta-munching kills of Babyface (Raicho Vasilev) are back! Completely ignored by damn near everyone at the time of its release, The Hills Run Red brought the “babyface” mask to horror enthusiasts a decade before Happy Death Day and Happy Death Day 2 U and while it doesn’t get the credit it deserves, the film remains ballsy horror entertainment that continues to gather fans.
And Scream Factory finally throws it a bone with this release.
Concerning itself with the existence of a lost slasher film from the 1980s, four young adults in the modern world - Sophie Monk as Alexa, Tad Hilgenbrink as Tyler, Janet Montgomery as Serena, and Alex Wyndham as Lalo - head for the woods in search of film's director, Wilson Wyler Concannon (William Sadler) and any proof of the film’s existence. What they find instead is the real killer and starring roles as the film continues to evolve into something unexpected..
With plenty of gore, humor, and nudity leading the way, The Hills Run Red is a gritty experiment in terror that most Gore-Gore Ghouls and Horror Hounds never really nibbled on. Now, we get a second chance to rediscover its particular brand of schlocky slashing. And this release, full of NEW interviews with the crew and the cast, doesn’t disappoint. {googleads}
It’s a lot like the enjoyment of the movie. With a completely messed-up slasher figure at the center of its killing spree, The Hills Run Red understands what most of Horror gets wrong when it comes to teen-killing-facemasked-psychos: a good (and bloody) backstory that pays off as a horror-film junkie gets so obsessed with a movie that he becomes a part of the nightmare in a nasty way as blood splatter becomes the order of the day.
Directed by Dave Parker (The Dead Reborn) and written by David J. Schow (The Crow, Leatherface: The Texas Chainsaw Massacre Part III), the past decade has been very, very kind to The Hills Run Red, solidifying its chances at becoming a cult classic as every couple of years the cyclical journey of this film’s popularity expands. And rightly so, too. There’s no weak bone in this flick’s structure. Hell, even its self-referencing never becomes shtick.
This horror movie is both smart and nasty, proving that at one time, Warner Bros had brains and balls when it came to supporting shriek-nasty, gore-rotten horror films. It was originally released on their direct to video line, Warner Premiere, but deserved so much more. Unfortunately, though, for this release, Warner Bros refused to release the uncut version of the film, which is commented upon here.
Acknowledging the fact of this film’s growing fanbase comes Scream Factory’s latest handling of The Hills Run Red, complete with brand-new interviews from the cast and the crew and two new audio commentaries from the filmmakers.
You've heard the story. Now, see the movie! For fans who like their horror both twisted and creepy, The Hills Run Red has arrived!
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[tab title="Blu-ray Review"]
Blu-ray Details:
Home Video Distributor: Shout Factory
Available on Blu-ray - June 16, 2020
Screen Formats: 2.35:1
Subtitles: English SDH
Audio: English DTS-HD Master Audio Surround 5.1
Discs: Blu-ray Disc; single disc
Region Encoding: Locked to Region A
You know it well. The story about the goriest, bloodiest splatter flick ever, the one made in the '80s but mysteriously lost. Flash forward to now: Young cinema buffs search for the secret location where the movie was shot, hoping to find the film. What they find is that the goriest, bloodiest splatter flick ever is more than a movie. It's real. And it's happening to them. The Hills Run Red vaults into a whole new level of horror as the terrified interlopers confront a demented killer who covers his hacked-up face with a baby doll mask. Wait, Babyface is just a character from the movie, right? Wrong. He's alive. He's waiting. He's thrilled to meet fans who will die – slowly, gruesomely, shockingly – for his art. Get ready to meet a new horror icon, Babyface!
Video:
The new transfer, with a 2.35:1 aspect ratio, of the film is seriously golden. The film is presented in this crackling 1080p courtesy of Scream Factory. The dastardly practical effects look fresh and appropriately bloodied. The sets loaded with details unseen before. Overall, the film looks gloriously fresh in 1080p and buzzes with a new sense of urgency as the crisp visuals are punctuated in a way I previously had not noticed. The outhouses, barns, and buildings within are rich with details and bold black levels. Interiors, especially in the farmhouse sequence, are solid and expressive. Black levels are strong throughout, revealing layers in the shadows as the building from top to bottom is presented with warmth and clarity.
Audio:
With an English DTS-HD Master Audio Surround 5.1 as its source for sonics, the film simply doesn’t disappoint.
Supplements:
Commentary:
- There are THREE commentaries, see Special Features for details.
Special Features:
Scream Factory has invested a lot of time and money into this release and it shows with terrific interviews with most everyone involved in the production.
- NEW Audio Commentary With Director Dave Parker And Patrick Bromley Of "F This Movie" Podcast
- NEW Audio Commentary With Director Dave Parker And Filmmakers Joe Lynch And Adam Green
- NEW Deep In The Red – An Interview With Writer David J. Schow And Director Dave Parker
- NEW Running To The Hills – An Interview With Executive Producer Erik Olsen
- NEW Musical Terror – An Interview With Composer Frederik Wiedmann
- NEW Friday The 13th, June 2008 – A Tour Of The Set With Director Dave Parker (Never Before Seen)
- NEW The Hills Are Alive... With The Sound Of Improv – Interviews With The Cast (Never Before Seen)
- NEW William Sadler As Wilson Wyler Concannon – An Interview With The Actor From The Set (Never Before Seen)
- NEW Janet Montgomery As Serina – An Interview With The Actress From The Set (Never Before Seen)
- NEW Sophie Monk As Alexa Concannon – An Interview With The Actress From The Set (Never Before Seen)
- NEW Tad Hilgenbrink As Tyler – An Interview With The Actor From The Set (Never Before Seen)
- NEW Alex Wyndham As Lalo – An Interview With The Actor From The Set (Never Before Seen)
- NEW Interview With Producer Robert Meyer Burnett From The Set (Never Before Seen)
- NEW Interview With Production Designer Antonello Rubino From The Set (Never Before Seen)
- NEW Production Scrapbook
- NEW Original Animatic For The Proof Of Concept Trailer
- NEW Proof Of Concept Trailer
- Original Audio Commentary With Director Dave Parker, Writer David J. Schow And Producer Robert Meyer Burnett
- It's Not Real Until You Shoot It: The Making Of The Hills Run Red
- Trailer
Blu-ray Rating:
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[tab title="Film Details"]
MPAA Rating: R for strong bloody horror violence and torture, grisly images, sexual content, nudity, language and some drug use.
Runtime: 81 mins
Director: Dave Parker
Writer: John Dombrow
Cast: Sophie Monk, Tad Hilgenbrink, William Sadler
Genre: Horror | Thriller
Tagline: Trespassers will be slaughtered...
Memorable Movie Quote:
Distributor: Warner Bros
Official Site:
Release Date: September 29, 2009
DVD/Blu-ray Release Date: June 16, 2020.
Synopsis: You heard the story. The one about the goriest, bloodiest splatter flick ever, the one made in the '80s but mysteriously lost. Flash forward to now: Young cinema buffs search for the secret location where the movie was shot, hoping to find the film. What they find is that the goriest, bloodiest splatter flick ever is more than a movie. It's real. And it's happening to them. The Hills Run Red vaults into a whole new level of horror as the terrified interlopers confront a demented killer who covers his hacked-up face with a baby doll mask. Wait, Babyface is just a character from the movie, right? Wrong. He's alive. He's waiting. He's thrilled to meet fans who will die – slowly, gruesomely, shockingly – for his art. Get ready to meet a new horror icon, Babyface!
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[tab title="Art"]
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