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Released by: Kino Lorber/Redemption Films
Released on: 3/13/2012
Director: Alan Birkinshaw
Cast: Anthony Forrest, Joanne Good, Tom Marshall, Jane Hayden, Georgina Kean
Year: 1978
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The Movie:
A group of schoolgirls make their way to some singing competition, all packed into a bus along with two teachers and a goofy bus driver. Evidently the bus is a piece of shit as it breaks down multiple times, the last one halting the trip in the middle of nowhere. So what's the most sensible thing to do when it's getting dark and you're in a place you're not familiar with? Walk until something shows up, of course. So the girls and their keepers grab their gear and make for civilization. The must be a hotel around there somewhere.
Meanwhile, there are a couple of meanwhiles. Two swinging dicks are tucked up in a tent in the woods living with nature and screwing big-titted women. During one of bus breakdowns, one of the hippies ran into the flock of skirts so he knows they're in the area. They'll probably turn up later in the movie, these tent-lovers. Then the other meanwhile involves the antagonists of the story. Apparently the local mental hospital has been conducting some experimental treatment with a special drug that keeps the patient in a mental dream-state. These patients are convinced that reality is a dream and they can do whatever they want. Oh shit, four of the asylum's finest have escaped and they're running around the very same woods where the bums have their tent and the supple young schoolgirls have ended up. And back to them (the girls), they've found lodging and are staying the night.
The escaped loons find they way to the building where the girls are and lots of stuff happens, mostly in the rape-and-murder category. These Clockwork Orange understudies get right to business doing whatever they want to without fear of consequence because to them it's all a dream. Total chaos, you see? And remember the filthy hippies living in the woods? They get involved when one of their big-titted pumps get ganked by the homicidal goons, and then a new pump arrives when one of the school girls escapes and falls under their protection.
This is fun movie. Labeled as one of those “video nasties†in The U.K., Killer's Moon certainly deserves the eyebrows it raised to the old crips who put it on that list, mainly due to the raping of young schoolgirls. The violence level is up there, but pretty tame by today's standards, aside from the rapes of course. The acting is decent, a lot of the movie takes place in a neat mansion, and cute girls (all of age hopefully) run around in nightdresses. It's chock full of nudity and it's plenty sleazy, which is a good formula for some good exploitation. Plus the fact that it might be a bit disturbing to some people is a positive thing. Disturbing equals effective.
Some of the dialogue is funny, intentionally most probably, with some in-humor for those living in England at the time and that gives it additional plus points. Intentional or not, there are some great lines that help increase the fun factor with this irresponsible little movie. This isn't upper shelf horror; this is good, old-fashioned drive-in movie slime. Nice and grimy. Memorable? Maybe not, but certainly satisfying.
Video/Audio/Extras:
The film's hi-def debut looks better than it needs to (a movie like this loses its charm if it looks too good), and delivers some nice color and detail. There's plenty of natural grain and missing are any noticeable compression troubles. There's dirt present but it's not distracting, and neither are the cigarette burns that appear in the corner to signal the reel change. Oh, and for anyone keeping track the aspect ratio is 1.85:1. The audio is a 2.0 channel track that serves it purposes. Not much action from the subwoofer, and although there're no troubles to report it's just kind of flat and unimpressive.
For extras, a commentary track with the director and actor Joanne Good (moderated by James Blackford of Redemption) is available. They share their memories and experiences concerning the making of the movie and they cover the gambit, talking about the troubles the filming provided, and the reaction the film garnered. Also on the disc is an interview with Alan Birkinshaw (14 minutes) and discusses the movie's originsand there's another interview, this time with Joanne Good (12 minutes). A trailer for the feature and trailers for Jean Rollin films recently released by Kino/Redemption on Blu-ray finish of the supplements. If you have the DVD Redemption put out a few years back, these extras should look familiar to you.
The Final Word:
Good, mindless slasher fun before slasher fun became less fun. That made perfect sense. Cult classic? If not for the video nasty moniker, probably not. The audio/video presentation won't blow anyone away, but it should turn anyone off either. There isn't anything new for extras, but it's still worth the upgrade if you're a fan of the film.
Click on the images below for full sized Blu-ray screen caps!
