BADass SINema Unearthed - Blu-ray 4K UHD Review

Craving a howling good time at home?  The Wolf of Snow Hollow, with its offbeat humor and characters, is your meal ticket for small town terror . . . you just have to be willing to follow the breadcrumbs.  

With The Wolf of Snow Hollow, writer/director Jim Cummings (Thunder Road) takes genre fans for a wild ride through some pretty hair-raising exploits.  And the results are to die for.  Literally.  Just ask PJ (Jimmy Tatro) and his girlfriend Brianne (Annie Hamilton) when their romantic getaway gets turned on its ass thanks to something - or someone - who leaves behind big ass paw prints in the snow.

As the investigation begins, another body is discovered.  It happens again the next night.  And the next.  And now, no matter what police officer John Marshall (Cummings), the ailing sheriff (Robert Forster), or Officer Julia Robson (Riki Lindhome) can say or do, the town is convinced that there is a serial-killing werewolf on the loose in the snow-caked mountain town.

And they totally do not not trust Marshall and his unraveling mental state.  He leaves disasters in his wake and Marshall, facing his father’s failing health (among other things) is about to crack.  If it isn’t from his messy divorce and custody battle, it’s due to the people on the force who continue to hysterically undermine the investigation.  They either don’t want to investigate the murders or are happy to take their feelings about the killer being a werewolf to the press, and let the feds take over.  

If Cummings made a name for himself with his fantastic debut, then it is with The Wolf of Snow Hollow in which his talent in bringing the unusual to the screen shines completely.  Everyone in this flick is slightly off-kilter.  Even the victims.  And this makes for a deliciously fun watch as deadpan deliveries from Cummings and his cast make for wicked kills as the whole sleepiness of a ski town gets flipped on its head with each blood-soaked attack.

Made with a limited budget and shot in Utah, The Wolf of Snow Hollow ratchets up tension with almost every frame as these characters and their discomfort with the murders increases the longer the investigation continues.  From the white of the snow in the daylight to the pitch black of the night surrounding them, this movie and its characters weave a spell that is intoxicating.  They are all cracked in their own individual ways and it makes for an awesome and, yes, chilling watch thanks to the work of cinematographer Natalie Kingston and editor Patrick Nelson Barnes, who manage to squeeze every bit of tension from the proceedings.

Released by Orion Classics, The Wolf of Snow Hollow is no sophomore slump.

Home Video Distributor: Warner Bros.
Available on Blu-ray - December 15, 2020
Screen Formats: 1.85:1
Subtitles: English SDH, Spanish
Audio: English: DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1
Discs: Blu-ray Disc; single disc
Region Encoding: Locked to Region A

A small-town cop (Jim Cummings), struggling with a failed marriage, a rebellious daughter, and a lackluster team of officers, is tasked with solving a series of brutal murders that are occurring on the full moon. As he's consumed by the hunt for the killer, he struggles to remind himself that there's no such thing as werewolves…

Video:

With an aspect ratio of 1.85:1, Orion Classics’ transfer of The Wolf of Snow Hollow is crisp and pristine.  It makes for a chilling watch thanks to its snowy atmosphere and those snow drifts look illuminating against a crisp, black night of terror.  Digitally shot and smooth with its use of colors, this low budget flick is a thrill to watch unfold.  Blacks are deep and shadowed with thick edges and colors are bright during the daytime scenes.  Overall, this is a solid release.

Audio:

Hair-raising!  That’s the best way to describe this DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 track.  Dynamic and full of growling bottoms, the track gives your system a good workout.

Supplements:

Commentary:

• None

Special Features:

There are a small batch of featurettes with glimpses into the making of the movie.  There is also a digital code provided.

• The Impetus
• Working with Jim Cummings
• The Story and the Genre 
• The Design of the Werewolf

	Movie
	Video
	Audio
	Extras
Overall Blu-ray Experience

MPAA Rating: R for violence, bloody images, language throughout and some drug use.
Runtime: 83 mins
Director: Jim Cummings
Writer: Jim Cummings
Cast: Jim Cummings, Riki Lindhome, Robert Forster
Genre: Comedy | Horror
Tagline: Welcome to Snow Hollow.
Memorable Movie Quote: "Beer bottle? Who would wanna throw a beer bottle at a cop car?"
Theatrical Distributor: Orion Classics
Official Site: https://orionpictures.com/
Release Date: October 9, 2020
DVD/Blu-ray Release Date: December 15, 2020.
Synopsis: A small-town sheriff, struggling with a failed marriage, a rebellious daughter, and a lackluster department, is tasked with solving a series of brutal murders that are occurring on the full moon. As he's consumed by the hunt for the killer, he struggles to remind himself that there's no such thing as werewolves…