Death by trouser snake!
With a ripe sense of eeriness kicking about its engines, The Lamp (aka The Outing) begins deep in the past as a daughter watches her mother hopelessly die at the hands of a murderous Jinn. We are in Galveston, Texas circa 1893 to be precise (which is where the movie was filmed). It is here, among the fog and dark waters, where the bloodletting begins as the girl escapes with the lamp and the glowing red bracelet.
Years later, that little girl - now grown old (Deborah Winters) and referred to as an “old witch” by a wild group of amateur thieves - finds herself the victim of a robbery turned violent. Desperation turns to anger, you know? I mean, the home they are robbing is a mansion, so the cash has to be there! The three thieves know not what they are after, but money is their objective. What they find is something more powerful.
The lamp calls to them through the wall; however, upon holding the lamp, one of them is overcome with anger and proceeds to kill the old gypsy. Uh-oh.
Let the rubbing commence! Suddenly, the old woman greets them with glowing green eyes and enacts her bloodthirsty revenge, sending them all straight to Hell. It is a gnarly punishment full of strangulations and axes right into the skull!
And that’s just the beginning of this wild and often berserk tale of summoned Jinn possession. Still to come is decapitation by fan blades, a sleepover in a museum gone tits up, a poisonous snake in one poor dude's pants, a possessed mummy, and so much more!
The main story - while involving the Jinn - happens once the lamp and the bracelet are placed within the walls of The Houston Museum of Natural Science. It is there, under the watch of the museum's curator, Dr. Bressling (Danny D. Daniels) and Dr. Wallace (James Huston) and Wallace’s daughter, Alex (Andra St. Ivanyi), that the shit really hits the fan as Alex begins to act, well, not like herself at all.
Turns out, the revengeful Jinn needs a new host and Alex is the perfect fit!
Produced and written by Warren Chaney, The Lamp is directed by Tom Daley and features lots of familiar sites in and around Galveston. While cheesy in its handling of teenage drama and angst, The Lamp definitely delivers its fair share of killer KILL sequences as one teen after another is dealt with rather brutally by the Jinn.
Now on blu-ray thanks to Vinegar Syndrome, the 2K restoration from the film's 35mm interpositive print, with extended scenes, results in a 92-minute version of The Lamp not previously released on home video. This special limited edition embossed slipcover (designed by Earl Kess) is limited to 5,000 units and is only available at VinegarSyndrome.com!
The Lamp is an archeological find that not even Indiana Jones could dig up!
Home Video Distributor: Vinegar Syndrome
Available on Blu-ray - July 27, 2021
Screen Formats: 1.85:1
Subtitles: English SDH
Audio: English: DTS-HD Master Audio 2.0; English: Dolby Digital 2.0
Discs: Blu-ray Disc; single disc
Region Encoding: Locked to Region A
Primed with an assortment of gruesome deaths and a very dark sense of humor, Tom Daley's The Lamp (aka The Outing) is a wild, Texas-lensed, mid 80s supernatural horror gem. Starring Deborah Winters (Kotch), James Huston (Ray, Powder), and featuring the voice of cult actor Jackson Bostwick (TV's Shazam, The Prey) as the voice of murderous genie, Jinn, Vinegar Syndrome is delighted to resurrect The Lamp on Blu-ray, featuring a brand new 2K restoration of a never-on-video, 92 min cut, and an extended making-of documentary featuring new interviews with its cast and crew, thus finally allowing the incredible story of its production to be told!
Video:
Newly scanned & restored in 2k from its 35mm interpositive, The Lamp might not be the best-looking release that Vinegar Syndrome has ever put it out, but it is a far cry from its origins. An awful amount of love went into putting this release together and it shows. The crisp transfer is presented in a 1.85:1 aspect ratio and looks quite warm in the color department. Reds are the dominant colors. Black levels are solid, though. The film looks crisp and colors are bold, with special gooey attention paid to the creature feature aspect of the special makeup effects. It’s unlike any other version of the movie released thus far; focused and detailed.
Audio:
An English Stereo track provides all the screams and the scares in this tale of Jinn possession.
Supplements:
Commentary:
- With writer/producer Warren Chaney, actress Deborah Winters and actor Barry Coffing (moderated by Zack Carlson), the commentary track is just as entertaining as the movie itself.
Special Features:
Vinegar Syndrome is delighted to resurrect The Lamp on Blu-ray, featuring a brand new 2K restoration of a never-on-video, 92 min cut, and an extended making-of documentary featuring new interviews with its cast and crew, thus finally allowing the incredible story of its production to be told!
“All in the Family: Taking an Outing in the Lamp” - an extended making-of documentary with: writer/producer Warren Chaney, executive producer Fred T. Kuehnert, along with actors Deborah Winters, Andra St. Ivanyi, André Chimène, Hank Amigo, Michelle Watkins and Barry Coffing
- Commentary track with writer/producer Warren Chaney, actress Deborah Winters and actor Barry Coffing (moderated by Zack Carlson)
- Original Theatrical Trailer
- Reversible cover artwork
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Composite Blu-ray Grade
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MPAA Rating: R.
Runtime: 87 mins
Director: Tom Daley
Writer: Warren Chaney
Cast: Deborah Winters; James Huston; Andra St. Ivanyi
Genre: Horror | Mystery
Tagline: They're not coming back.
Memorable Movie Quote: "What's the matter, afraid?"
Theatrical Distributor: Moviestore Entertainment
Official Site:
Release Date: September 11, 1987
DVD/Blu-ray Release Date: July 27, 2021.
Synopsis: After a group of thieves decide to ransack the home of a strange, old Gypsy woman, murdering her in the process, they unwittingly free a vengeful genie named Jinn who has been held captive for centuries in an ancient oil lamp. Soon after, the lamp is acquired by a local museum. But as Alex Wallace, daughter of the museum's curator, decides to sneak a group of her friends into the museum after hours for a night of partying, she doesn't realize that Jinn is looking for a new 'keeper' and that Alex is the perfect vessel to carry out the genie's diabolical actions...
