THE LODGERS (Epic Pictures Blu-ray Review)

Ireland/2017
Directed By: Brian O'Malley
Written By: David Turpin
Starring: Charlotte Vega, Bill Milner, Eugene Simon
Color/92 Minutes/R
Region Free
Release Date:
Blu-ray/DVD

The Film
Rachel (Charlotte Vega) and Edward (Bill Milner) are orphaned twins living alone in their family's crumbling estate, haunted by a family curse. As long as they obey the curse's rules of being in bed by midnight, no strangers in the house and if you try to leave the other will die, the curse will leave them alone. But now as they've grown to be adults the curse becomes more overbearing and demanding of them and Rachel sees her chance to leave it all behind when she has a romantic encounter with a local man from the village who has to deal with his own type of curse; the horrors of war.

THE LODGERS is a gothic romance horror film that feels straight out of the 1960s. It feels like a film of another time, more interested in mood, tone and characters rather than loud obnoxious scares devoid of any substance. Director Brian O'Malley is more concerned with getting an emotional response out of the audience than pandering to the lowest common denominator of fright berating them with volume. Charlotte Vega flourishes as the troubled Rachel who not only has to deal with her cursed existence but also in fighting off her brother's romantic advances and the family's accountant played by David Bradley (Argus Filch of the Harry Potter franchise). Edward's longing for his sister is an uncomfortable scenario and one that shows Edward's fractured mind. He is terrified of the curse and follows their rules to a T. His incestuous lust is almost understandable however as he has been locked in the house with his sister alone for years and knows nothing of the outside world. Rachel tends to the day to day needs including going to town for groceries every so often, it is there where she's followed home by Sean, a veteran of the war who not only lost his leg in battle but now has to face the bigoted locals who don't like that he served.

You must be patient with THE LODGERS, it is not meant to bombard you with scares and action. Instead David Turpin wrote a very deliberate script that burns slowly and builds to a crescendo with important beats along the way. Your patience will pay off with a story rich in story and mood, with characters you come to know and have real feelings for for better or worse. Enjoy the landscape of the forest and the breathtaking mansion that is dripping and crumbling around the twins and acts as a symbolic structure for their entire existence. There's plenty of imagery that will be etched into your memory for some time to come. Take note of any scene at the lake and how well composed they are.

THE LODGERS deserves to be seen and it deserves discussion. There are horror films that have been released wide in theaters over the last few years that wish they were as stylish, moody and well acted as THE LODGERS is including those with gothic backgrounds. If THE LODGERS proves anything it is that there is still plenty of life in gothic horror and that a horror film is a fine setting for a romance. It always was.

The Audio & Video
Epic Pictures delivers THE LODGERS on Blu-ray with a stunning transfer that perfectly translates the film's gothic setting to disc. The film's color palette is intentionally drab, heavy in grays and age faded hues but those tones look exceptional. Detail, including finer details is well defined and black levels are deep and inky. Skin tones are natural with no signs of excessive DNR. The 5.1 Dolby surround mix sounds excellent, balancing delicate sound effects with the dialogue and score. The track is crisp and clear and is quite pleasing to the ear from start to finish. Numerous other language and subtitle options are available including English, Spanish, French, German, Portugeuse and more for the subtitles.

The Extras
-Mini Behind The Scenes Documentary
-Deleted Scenes
-Trailers

The Bottom Line
THE LODGERS nails the gothic tone and successfully balances horror and a twisted romance and should not be overlooked by horror fans who prefer a touch of class with their scares. A definite recommendation.

THE LODGERS is available HERE

MY CHAUFFEUR - Vinegar Syndrome Blu-ray Review

USA/1985
Directed By: David Beaird
Written By: David Beaird
Starring: Deborah Foreman, Sam J. Jones, Howard Hesseman
Color/97 Minutes/R
Region FREE
Release Date: July 25, 2017
Blu-ray/DVD

The Film
Casey Meadows is about to upgrade her life as a dishwasher when she receives a job offer to become a driver for the very prestigious Brentwood Limousine company. The male dominated industry is tossed on its head as Casey finds out that being a chauffeur is much more than just driving but that's not always bad as true love could be hiding in the back seat.

How did Deborah Foreman not become a superstar? She was a solid actress with great charisma and screen presence and she was pretty damn cute too. She had a decent string of movies in the mid to late 80s including the horror cult classics April Fool's Day and Waxwork but by the early 90s her roles began to fizzle out and it certainly isn't because she can't carry a movie. MY CHAUFFEUR wouldn't be the same movie without her in the lead. Sure, it has a charming script with just enough of an edge to keep things just a bit raunchy and edgy from the apparent incest ("Daddy we've been bad!") to the dirty mouthed old men that steal the show every time there's a scene taking place in the driver's lounge room and the performances across the board are all quite good including Sean McClory who plays the only the driver to support the young girl and acts as a fatherly figure and mentor for her new career. And there has to be mention of Sam J. Jones' drunken rampage through a park after a recent break up in the back of Casey's car where he slams a bottle of booze, strips down to his bare ass cheeks and runs around terrorizing everyone while Casey chases frantically behind. It's one of the funniest scenes in the movie.

You can't speak of comedy in this film without mentioning the cameos by a young Penn and Teller in a scene where Teller plays Abdul, a foreign dignitary and Penn Gillette plays Bone, a scam artist that takes Abdul on a wild night of partying all while posing as his body guard and spending Abdul's own money. David Beaird wrote and directed the film, one of only seven features he would helm which surprises me because if the rest of his filmography is half as good as MY CHAUFFEUR he'd be a keeper in my book and someone you could count on to make entertaining small-mid budget comedies. MY CHAUFFEUR sums up the fun and playful nature of the 80s without being childish or immature and ends up being a highly entertaining light hearted comedy.

The Audio & Video
Vinegar Syndrome has given MY CHAUFFEUR a new 2K scan and restoration from the original 35mm negative with very nice results for its HD debut. The colors are vivid and details are sharp. Black levels are deep with no compression issues. There is a bit of speckling scattered throughout but nothing distracting. the DTS-HD Mono audio is crisp and extremely pleasant to the ear. The mix is stable and free of any distortions or background noise. Optional English SDH subtitles are included. MY CHAUFFEUR looks and sounds exactly as it should.

The Extras
This Blu-ray is pretty stacked with features including:

-"License To Drive" - An interview with star Deborah Foreman
-Audio Commentary with writer/director David Beaird and actor Leland Crooke
-Audio Commentary with production assistant Jeff McKay
-Isolated Soundtrack
-Original theatrical trailer
-TV spots
-Still Gallery
-Reversible cover art

The Bottom Line
MY CHAUFFEUR is exactly what a romantic comedy should be. It has a cute charismatic leading lady, just enough of an edge and great writing that makes it legitimately funny and just a bit quirky at times. Vinegar Syndrome has given this cult favorite the treatment it is deserving of.

MY CHAUFFEUR is available HERE

THAT'S OUTRAGEOUS - Vinegar Syndrome DVD Review

USA/1983
Directed By: Fred Lincoln
Written By: Figaro Beulah Vincinzo, Randall Edwards, Fred Lincoln
Starring: Jamie Gillis, France Lomay, Natasha
Color/86 Minutes/X
Region FREE
Release Date: May 30, 2017

The Film
Jamie Gillis stars as a fashion photographer living and working in Paris where he has relationships going on with a pair of sisters under the names of Paul and Philippe unbeknownst to the sisters that they are one and the same. Unsurprisingly his main goal is to get the sisters into bed at the same time, the ultimate menage a trois.

THAT'S OUTRAGEOUS is a X-rated take on comedic romance movies starring a man gallivanting around the city having flings with various women while blowing his chance with his one true love, or two true loves in this case. Jamie Gillis is no stranger to acting in traditional films and shows it here with a solid performance when he's not busy putting the moves to both sisters. He also has one of the most self loathing sex fantasies I've ever seen in a film and it is hilarious in the grand scheme of the film and on top of that adds a level of genuine love and emotion that completely elevates the story above a lustful level and shows Gillis' character in a more positive light.

Director Fred Lincoln gives a grandiose feeling with much of the film being shot within Paris and a few scenes at the end in New York. The film looks good and features solid performances including the sexy sisters played by France Lomay and Natasha who help end the film on a bang with a set up for Paul in New York City that comes crashing through the door like an unwelcome guest but by the end of the party ends up being the life of the party. That ending scene is so out of left field but it is a stupidly silly surprise that sums up how cutely romantic this film is at its core beyond the numerous sex scenes. It doesn't take long to realize THAT'S OUTRAGEOUS has soul and spirit. The catchy original theme song and opening credits make you realize the personality this movie has immediately. The rest of the music is great as well with the passionate wails of the electric guitar being rivaled only by the passionate moans of the sisters in their romps with Jamie Gillis' split character.

I love THAT'S OUTRAGEOUS from start to finish. It's a transatlantic X-rated romp filled with almost as many laughs as money shots.

And there's a slow motion money shot so how could you not want to see it?

The Audio & Video
THAT'S OUTRAGEOUS has been given a new 2K scan and restoration from the original 35mm camera negative courtesy of Vinegar Syndrome and it looks very nice for a standard DVD release. The picture is sharp including natural but vivid colors and fleshy, healthy skin tones. Detail is good and there's minimal imperfections in the 16x9 anamorphic widescreen transfer. The English audio is handled with a Dolby Digital mono mix which is solid. There's no crackling, popping or other annoying imperfections present and the dialogue and score are mixed nicely.

The Extras
A 12 minute interview with supporting actor John Mozzer is the lone extra but it's a welcomed addition to the feature.

The Bottom Line
Much of the attention to this month's Vinegar Syndrome releases is being paid to Malibu High and The Hearse and for good reason but it would be a crime to overlook THAT'S OUTRAGEOUS because it is wildly entertaining and a fine release.

THAT'S OUTRAGEOUS is available HERE

HAUNTED HONEYMOON (Blu-ray Review) - Kino Lorber

USA/1986
Directed By: Gene Wilder
Written By: Gene Wilder, Terence Marsh
Starring: Gene Wilder, Gilda Radner, Dom DeLuise
Color/82 Minutes/PG
Region A
Release Date: September 20, 2016

The Film
Gene Wilder stars as Larry, a beloved radio show actor who is quite preoccupied with irrational fears. He is to be married to his co-star Vickie (Gilda Radner) on a vacation trip to his aunt Kate's (Dom DeLuise) old mansion where his family has plans to cure him of his fears by scaring him... death! That promise may be taken a bit too seriously by jealous family members when Aunt Kate names Larry the sole heir to her estate. Oh and did I mention that one of the family members might be a werewolf?

HAUNTED HONEYMOON is a horror themed comedy romp with an amazing cast. Gene Wilder is one of a kind and I'm glad to have been able to enjoy this film that he not only stars in but also co-wrote and directed so soon after his passing, for the first time. Wilder is endlessly likable and genuinely funny without needing a schtick to fall back on. His real life marriage with Gilda Radner translates seamlessly to the screen and they're absolutely adorable together. They have perfect chemistry and are a perfect duo to lead the film.

The film's mix of spoofing gothic horror tropes and murder mystery ala Clue lends itself to be silly and goofy fun. It only takes one look at Dom DeLuise in drag as Aunt Kate to start the chuckling, before heartier belly laughs come about. DeLuise is excellent, as he always was, giving a warm performance as the matriarch of the family who is trying to help her beloved nephew and the love of his life have a perfect wedding all in the midst of a police investigation into a murder and a werewolf running around creating all sorts of havoc. Paul L. Smith gives a booming performance as Larry's doctor and uncle and is one of several others in the supporting cast that hold their own with the stars of the picture. There really isn't a bad performance in the bunch.

The film has excellent set design with a mansion you'd find straight out of a Hammer production from two decades earlier, and a really well done wolf man creature design that would rival any straight forward horror production of the era. HAUNTED HONEYMOON succeeds by keeping things lighthearted and cute with enough kooky comedy thrown in to keep things feeling like they're moving even more briskly than they are. If there's such a thing as a gothic murder mystery romantic comedy than HAUNTED HONEYMOON is probably the tops of the genre which makes it quite surprising to me that the film was panned by critics and was a poor performer at the box office. Hell, even Dom DeLuise earned a Razzie award for his portrayal of Aunt Kate. I'd think that HAUNTED HONEYMOON would have been at least a moderate success on name power alone. Hopefully the film has found it's audience or this Blu-ray will help spread the gospel of HAUNTED HONEYMOON because while this film isn't perfect it really is a delight to watch.

The Audio & Video
Kino Lorber gives HAUNTED HONEYMOON its high definition debut with an attractive 1.85:1 anamorphic widescreen transfer that is very clean and clear allowing for finer details to come through. Colors are strong and natural, despite a very dreary color palette through most of the film's production in the old gothic style mansion. Appropriately, the black levels fare well with no compression or blocking issues. The DTS-HD English audio is free of distortions, dropouts or other imperfections. The mix is well done, and steady throughout.

The Extras
Bare bones.

The Bottom Line
HAUNTED HONEYMOON is a perfect choice for lighter and more family friendly viewing for the Halloween season and would make for a wonderful viewing for the memories of the stars of this film that have since passed away.

HAUNTED HONEYMOON is available HERE