BADass SINema Unearthed - Blu-ray 4K UHD Review

Movie Review

Before you press play on Terror, you need to throw logic out the window.  Don't think.  Just do it.

“Father! Take back to the bosom this woman whom Satan has defiled!” This is the plea from the religious who have gathered to burn a woman to death. Ironic, isn’t it; Old Testament religion being used to perform a public execution. Don’t worry, the tables are about to be turned as their flames wind up catching their own sleeves on fire and the woman, thrashing and gnashing about, gets her revenge through the centuries again and again and again.

Written by David McGillivray (Schizo) and directed by Norman J. Warren (Prey, Satan’s Slave), Terror begins, of all things, with a witch-hunt. No kidding. Caught in a trap set by the villagers, she is to be burned at the stake by order of Lord Garrick (William Russell). Fortunately, she pleads out to Lucifer himself. What follows is an insane sequence of swordplay and fiendishly yellowed arms bustling through walls to enact her revenge.

And then, cleverly enough, the words “THE END” splash across the screen. Wait, what?! This movie is already over? Not exactly. And Vinegar Syndrome, offering this 1978 horror flick on blu-ray with a newly restored transfer from the original camera negative, continues to roll out the gruesome goodies with this HD release.

Yes, Terror, a fun little horror flick built around groovy murder sequences, begins as a movie within a movie. And it works. When the lights in the room come up, we soon realize that the Garrick mentioned in the movie is directly related to the director of the movie these people are screening. Directed by James Garrick (played by John Nolan), the movie ends with the revelation that the events depicted actually took place near the house these attendees have been invited to. And Garrick couldn’t be unhappier about his film.

Soon enough, a hypnotist named Gary (Michael Craze) is performing parlor tricks that lead certain “touched” partiers at the house to do some pretty twisted stuff with big ass swords. Ann (Glynis Barber) grabs the sword and ends up taking a swing at James before leaving the party.

But she’s not done. The killing of the Garrick family has just begun … again!

Okay, okay, so the film strays from its own rules left and right, but it’s a lot of nonsensical fun. Many, many people are killed and, yeah, they aren’t members of the cursed family at the center of the picture. Some of these deaths are from accidents and some are intentional. But I’m not sure Mad Dolly (L.E. Mack) even cares. This is a film that just wants a high body count. Forget the reasons why.

This is a horror film that puts everything out there; it’s not afraid to get its hands dirty (and bloody) and that I can appreciate. It creates a great deal of tension and atmosphere and then happily subverts its own work with extreme close-ups of knives slicing flesh - all thanks to its Italian giallo influences – before going for the jugular with gallons of fake blood. From the final reel in the opening film’s beheading to the cop getting smashed by his own car, Terror is a bloody night of fearless fun.

Terror is now available thanks to Vinegar Syndrome. This release is a special limited edition, complete with a double-cover embossed slipcover that was designed by Earl Kessler. It is limited to just 1,000 units and is only available at VinegarSyndrome.com.

Mad Dolly strikes again!

Films Details

MPAA Rating: R.
Runtime: 84 mins
Director: Norman J. Warren
Writer: David McGillivray
Cast: John Nolan, Carolyn Courage, James Aubrey
Genre: Horror
Tagline: One Step beyond horror...
Memorable Movie Quote:
Theatrical Distributor: Crown International Pictures
Official Site:
Release Date: October 26, 1979
DVD/Blu-ray Release Date: April 24, 2018
Synopsis: The country estate of filmmaker James Garrick has been haunted for centuries by a mysterious and deadly curse. Everyone in his family line comes to a gruesome end at the hand of an unknown supernatural assailant. When Garrick's long lost cousin Ann unexpectedly arrives at his secluded manor, mayhem and bloodshed soon follow. But is Ann the person behind these acts of carnage or could something more horrifying be afoot?

Blu-ray Review

Home Video Distributor: Vinegar Syndrome
Available on Blu-ray - April 24, 2018
Screen Formats: 1.85:1
Subtitles: English SDH
Audio: English: DTS-HD Master Audio Mono
Discs: Blu-ray Disc; Two-disc set
Region Encoding: Locked to Region A

Newly scanned and restored in 2k from the original 35mm camera negative, Vinegar Syndrome’s handling of Terror is to be commended. This horror film bursts out of the gate with vivid colors and a whole new energy. Leafy greens are abundant. Black levels are crisp. The wardrobe items on the actors are crisp. Shadows are defined. The modeling house in the story is also more vibrant – and so are the city locations – than remembered. This AVC encoded image (with a rich 1.85:1 aspect ratio) presentation is another win for Vinegar Syndrome. The crisp 1.0 DTS-HD MA mix serves the dialogue and score well.

Commentary:

While highly recommended, it is sad that there are no commentaries for the film.

Special Features:

First up is an audio interview with the film’s director. It is handled by Kat Ellinger. The release also includes brand new interviews with Norman J, Warren, David McGillivray, Carolyn Courage, Tricia Walsh, Mary Maude, and Peter Craze. There is also a collection of deleted and extended scenes included with this release.

Audio Interview with director Norman J. Warren

Norman J. Warren Video Interview

David McGillivray Video Interview

Carolyn Courage Video Interview

Tricia Walsh Video Interview

Mary Maude Video Interview

Peter Craze Video Interview

Deleted Scenes

Extended Scenes