Easter
Sunday
(2014/Camp Motion Pictures DVD)/Lake
Eerie
(2016/MVD DVD)/Split
(2016/Kampmeier/Candy Factory DVD)
Picture:
C/B-/B Sound: B-/B-/B Extras: C/D/D Film: C-/C/C+
Easter
Sunday
An
attempt at Holiday horror, Easter
Sunday
(2014) is a micro-budgeted indie that takes the slasher film formula
and mixes it with crude humor that consists of more groans than
screams.
Obviously
shot digitally but altered in post to look like a '70 or '80s video
nasty or grindhouse-type film, the film achieves this look and it's
goal of being a Z-grade slasher but doesn't offer up anything
particularly groundbreaking or inventive enough to leave a lasting
impression.
The
film stars Robert Z'Dar, Jeremy Todd Morehead, and Ari Lehman (the
first Jason in Friday
the 13th)
to name a few.
A
small town is stalked by a bunny mask wearing killer with an axe that
is relentlessly hacking to death every human that crosses his path.
Thought to be a long dead deranged serial killer named Douglas
Fisher, who viscously killed a bunch of innocents on Easter Sunday, a
group of kids conjure up the killer during a campfire ritual and are
soon running for their lives.
Presented
in 1.78:1 widescreen with a lossy Dolby Digital 2.0 Stereo track, the
film doesn't look too bad on DVD and doesn't really necessitate a
Blu-ray release either. The best aspect of the film is its score by
Dave Ferguson, which mimics the work of John Carpenter.
Special
Features include...
Behind
the Scenes Mini-Doc
Trailer
Vault
Easter
Sunday
is a challenge to sit through in how incredibly dumb its script is,
but may amaze some who don't aim high for horror.
Lake
Eerie
Chris
Majors' low budget indie Lake
Eerie
(2016) is a supernatural haunted house horror film in the same vein
as What
Lies Beneath
in that it takes place by a river and has a ghostly presence in a
seemingly perfect house that has gone bad. Featuring Betsy Baker
(the original Evil
Dead),
B-Movie Icon Lance Henriksen (TV's Millennium,
Pumpkinhead,
Aliens),
a more than a cameo by Marilyn Ghigliotti (Clerks)
and a score by Harry Manfredini (Friday
the 13th),
the film has these three things going for it but unfortunately isn't
anything we haven't seen before.
Kate
(Meredith Majors - who also helped write the film) is a young widow
who moves into a house near a lake. As soon as she moves in, she
immediately starts to notice several strange and bizarre things
happening. With the help of her bizarre neighbor (Baker), her father
Pop (Henriksen), Kate struggles to adapt to her new lifestyle.
However, as she soon discovers, the longer she stays inside his
haunted house, the more power it feeds off of her.
The
standard definition presentation of Lake
Eerie
has a 1.78:1 widescreen aspect ratio and a lossy Dolby Digital 2.0
Stereo track that looks and sounds good enough but not very
impressive. The color correction is a bit underwhelming with shots
that don't feature as much contrast as they certainly could. The
score by Harry Manfredini is fantastic and really helps give the film
life.
No
Extras.
Split
Not
to be confused with the recent M. Night Shymalan film, Split
(2016) is a very dark and immersive film that certainly is for
acquired tastes. Directed by Deborah Kampneier, the film stars Amy
Ferguson, Morgan Spector, Anna Mouglalis, and Fredrick Lehne to name
a few.
The
film is a visceral mix of theater performance, dreams, and reality -
centering around the disturbing life of a young actress (and
sometimes stripper) named Inanna, who falls in love with a mask maker
and discovers herself sexually and spiritually through a bizarre
series of events.
Presented
in standard definition with a widescreen aspect ratio of 1.78 and a
lossy Dolby Digital 5.1 Surround mix, the film looks better than
expected on DVD with a unique color palette and an unsettling score
that helps channel the darker themes of the film. An HD release
could be benefit to help bring out some more of the detail in the
cinematography and help make the sound mix more intimate as well.
The
disc simply features the film itself. No extras or menus of any
sort.
If
you're a fan of Lars Von Trier films or movies of that tone and
nature, then this Split
may be up your alley. For all of its artistic merits, the film tends
to beat you over the head with some of its themes a bit too much and
at some points feels like its aiming to put as much nudity and
unsettling imagery on the screen as possible.
-
James Lockhart
https://www.facebook.com/jamesharlandlockhartv/