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Shakma (1990) - Blu-ray Review

Movie Review

3 beersThe study of human aggression goes astray when the experimenting turns toward a primate.  At least that is what we are led to believe.  Poor Shakma.  The biggest baboon in the room just got spinal tapped and he’s not too happy about it.  In fact, this damn primate hates everything and everyone – especially closed doors – and now those are all he sees.  Shakma break down that door! 

Directed by Hugh Parks and Tom Logan, this is actually an above average “When Animals Attack” movie.  Shakma is a low budget horror movie in which Dr. Sorenson (Roddy McDowall from Planets of the Apes) and his team of college-aged gamers – Sam (Chris Atkins), Bradley (Tre Laughlin), Tracy (Amanda Wyss), and Gary (Rob Edward Morris) – stay after hours to play a live action version of a sort of Dungeons & Dragons game. 

Because that’s what geeks do and everyone is having a jolly good time.  That is until Shakma wakes from the dead and starts ripping faces apart.  Even Cornelius himself gets canned!  Oh, no!

"If you want to have a good time with a low-grade flick, this is the massacre for your tastes.  Shakma is now on blu-ray thanks to Code Red."


Now, you can’t really dismiss Shamra as a waste of 100-minutes.  You could if you only ever saw the film’s trailer because that pile of shit, my friends, is pretty funny in its attempt to get asses in seats.  The actual movie; however, does too many things well when it comes to blood and guts.  Suspense, thanks to this ugly red-assed creature roaming the halls, is amped up, too. 

Sure, everything is cheesy as hell – including the Casio keyboard score – but that stops when the first growl from Shakma comes echoing through the hall.  WHAT THE FUCK WAS THAT?!?!  They thought they had put him to sleep.  They were wrong and the pile of dead bodies filling up the hall is their proof. 

Suddenly, things get tense and Shakma – knowing they are his enemy – doesn’t fuck around when it comes to delivering rough justice.   His teeth are bared and, because he got too many shots of the experimental drug, he’s not taking any prisoners.   Fuck these scientists and fuck their live action computer game, too!

He’ll take down any door!  Those piercing red orbs in his eye sockets are built for this madness.  Running will do you no good either.  The halls belong to him and him alone!

Necks get eaten, faces get scratched, and the terror caused as this unstable baboon bounces off of doors will make you shit your pants. Shakma is pissed off and everyone in this research facility is going down!  Nom! Nom! Nom!  Now, if only these humans will let him in behind the locked doors. 

If you want to have a good time with a low-grade flick, this is the massacre for your tastes.  Shakma is now on blu-ray thanks to Code Red. 

Let the fur fly!

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Film Details

Shakma (1990) - Blu-ray Review

MPAA Rating: R.
Runtime: 98 mins
Director: Hugh Parks, Tom Logan
Writer: Roger Engle
Cast: Christopher Atkins, Amanda Wyss, Ari Meyers"
Genre: Horror
Tagline: The world's most aggressive primate just got mad.
Memorable Movie Quote: "You are sooooo male!"
Theatrical Distributor:
Official Site:
Release Date:DVD/Blu-ray Release Date: May 26, 2015
Synopsis: A murderous baboon with Red ass escapes from a Florida laboratory and roams the research building, and begins to kill some teenagers who are also in the building playing a live-action Dungeons-and-Dragons-esque game. Lame game doesn't kill them, Shakma will!!! Starring cult stars Christopher Atkins, Ari Meyers, Amanda Wyss and screen legend Roddy McDowall, now see it in horrifying HD!

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Shakma (1990) - Blu-ray Review

Blu-ray Review

Blu-ray

Blu-ray Details:

Limited Edition of 3,000

Home Video Distributor: Code Red
Available on Blu-ray - May 26, 2015
Screen Formats: 1.78:1
Subtitles: None
Audio: English: DTS-HD Master Audio 2.0
Discs: Blu-ray Disc; Single disc
Region Encoding: Region-free playback

Shakma’s brand new 16x9 (1:78) HD master is detailed and looks better than ever.  Some shots, due to the era of the day, are fuzzier than others but the image is reasonably well defined with crisp contrasts and solid textures. Colors are solid. Blacks are, too. Surprisingly, there's enough fine detail on display to make this seem revelatory for those used to the previous DVD release.  The era-ready color palette looks terrific, too. While there is not much difference between them, the disc comes with a DTS-HD Master Audio Stereo soundtrack.

Supplements:

Commentary:

There is a new audio commentary with director Tom Logan.  It is moderated by Cult director David DeCoteau as both the film and its actors are discussed. 

Special Features:

I highly recommend you watch this movie in the Bucket List mode.  It is hilarious.  This release is limited to 3000 copies.

On camera interview with director Tom Logan

Katarina's Bucket List Theater Mode

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Shakma (1990) - Blu-ray Review

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