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[tab title="Movie Review"]
I mean, it isn’t every day you see a body being dragged on the ground by your grandparents. That’s just one of the MANY shocks in this creepy gem from the video store. Newly scanned and remastered in 4K from its original 35mm camera negative, Vinegar Syndrome gives us another reason to revisit Grandmother’s House.
I imagine that it isn’t the easiest thing to be a grandparent. Sure, you get to spoil your kid’s sons and daughters and then drop them off for others to worry about, but you tire easily and, well, there goes daytime television watching because you are probably napping after dealing with all the high energy after effects. But, if you are anything like the grandparents at the center of Grandmother’s House, Ida Lee and Len Lesser, then you are going to have to reschedule all your planned killings.
That’s what happens in director Peter Radar’s Grandmother’s House. Hailing from 1988, this horror movie, starring Eric Foster (Cry Wilderness) as David and Kim Valentine (Family Matters, Parker Lewis Can’t Lose) as Lynn, tells the story of these two unfortunate (and unexpected) orphans as they struggle with the sudden loss of their father. Next thing they know, after the funeral, they are shipped clear across the country, to their Grandparent’s house in California where some super strange things are happenings . . . and it might just have to do with their super creepy and super kind grandparents. {googleads}
Strange things are happening in and around their farm. A man is found dead floating in the lake near their house. And David, already having nightmares thanks to his father’s super scope, is warned that a woman was killed and raped in a sewer tunnel that runs under their house. There’s just a lot of people talking about the deaths; too many for David to ignore. So, while his sister bats her eyes and tries to find herself a man, David goes all Scooby Doo-like and starts exploring the land next to his grandparent’s house where the mysteries start piling up and he sees, rather unfortunately, his grandparents beat a woman, burn her luggage, and carry her limp into the house. 
Who it is will rattle the kids to their core. We might be able to guess her identity, but the performance from Brink Stevens is especially creepy. Something is obviously wrong with her. This fun little creeper from the late 1980s might not be often discussed by the hounds of horror, but the film – especially when we consider the extra-creepy performance from Lesser – is surprisingly effective, creating a hallucinogenic atmosphere that isn’t soon shaken off, thanks to its low-key vibes.
Full of great moments of terror and surprise, this trip to Grandmother’s House won’t soon be forgotten. This Blu-ray/DVD combo offered through Vinegar Syndrome comes with a limited edition slipcover for the first 1,500 units sold. The two versions are identical, aside from the slipcover.
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[tab title="Blu-ray Review"]
Blu-ray Details:
Home Video Distributor: Vinegar Syndrome
Available on Blu-ray - April 30, 2019
Screen Formats: 1.85:1
Subtitles: English SDH
Audio: English: English: DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1; English: Dolby Digital 2.0
Discs: Blu-ray Disc; Two-disc set; DVD copy
Region Encoding: Locked to Region A
Presented in a crisp 1080p transfer, the new 4k scan of the original negative is a thing of pristine beauty. The film is dominated with reds and greens that absolutely burst with color. It’s a cheap film, for sure, but the simple backgrounds burst with new details and a nice level of clarity. Black levels are solid and skin tones are natural. This is, after all, a dark film. There are lots of night scenes; thankfully, the lines hold their edges. Shadows are defined and the film has a new depth previously unseen. Audio wise, the DTS-HD MA 2.0 stereo soundtrack is included as well as a 5.1 mix which amplifies the effects. The dialogue is clear and the score/effects are never lost or hard to hear.
Supplements:
Commentary:
- None
Special Features:
This region-free Blu-ray/DVD combo has been newly scanned & restored in 4k from its 35mm original camera negative. It features an interview with actress Brinke Stevens, an interview with director Peter Rader, an interview with writer/cinematographer Peter Jensen, a short concept film, 5.1 and sterep sound mixes, a still gallery, and the original trailer.
- The Mysterious Woman
- Back to Grandmother's House
- Slow and Steady
- Featurette
- Still Gallery
- Original Trailer
Blu-ray Rating:
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[tab title="Film Details"]
MPAA Rating: R.
Runtime: 90 mins
Director: Peter Rader
Writer: Peter Rader
Cast: Eric Foster, Kim Valentine, Len Lesser
Genre: Horror
Tagline: She'll Spoil You To Death!
Memorable Movie Quote: "This is her underwear, I could make you eat them!"
Theatrical Distributor:
Official Site:
Release Date:
DVD/Blu-ray Release Date: April 30, 2019
Synopsis: David and Lynn have just lost their father. Now orphaned, the youngsters are sent to live with their grandparents in a beautiful victorian mansion. But no sooner than boarding the coach bus scheduled to take them to their new home do strange things start to occur, initially in the form of a mysterious woman who seems to appear and disappear in the blink of an eye. It's not long, however, before murdered bodies are found in the area and, to make matters worse, David becomes increasingly fearful that his doting grandparents might be involved in the killings.
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[tab title="Art"]
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