The Case

When you've seen as many slasher movies as I have in a lifetime, they mostly start to run together. Their sameness is part of the formula; in the post-Friday the 13th world (yes, Black Christmas and Halloween basically created the genre, but it was the original Friday that spawned hundreds of would-be imitators), novelty wasn't rewarded as much as how quickly, cheaply and how bloody the knock-offs could be produced. The success of so many '80s slasher movies was contingent not on innovation but on how well they delivered the things fans had come to expect. Every so often in my continued pursuit of seeing every slasher ever made, however, I'll come across one that's so uniquely bonkers that it stands completely apart from the pack. Sleepaway Camp is that kind of movie. Pieces is another. And now, thanks to Arrow Video's new Blu-ray, I can add 1987's Blood Rage to that list.

Shot in 1983 but not released until four years later, Blood Rage opens at a drive-in circa 1973. As a woman and man make out, two twin boys—Todd and Terry—sneak out of their car and approach a couple, at which point Terry murders the man with an axe and frames his brother. Todd is locked away in an asylum for years and Todd is raised by his mother (Louise Lasser, Crimewave). On Thanksgiving night 10 years later, Todd escapes from the hospital, making his mom paranoid and inspiring Terry to go on a massive killing spree knowing he can once again blame it on his brother.

There's a lot of setup for Blood Rage, but no real story. Once Terry starts killing again, that's the rest of the movie—just a series of insanely violent, mean-spirited deaths. The twin aspect gives the movie some novelty, but no attempt is made at a mystery. We always know who is innocent and who is doing the killing, even though the characters, for the most part, do not. What distinguishes Blood Rage from other slashers of the period is its own outrageousness, particularly in the gore effects courtesy of the legendary Ed French, who did effects on Terminator 2: Judgment Day and, yes, Sleepaway Camp and who has a small role in the movie. Blood Rage came at a time after Tom Savini had helped revolutionize horror movie gore but before the MPAA really started cracking down on every slasher that came down the pike, meaning it has some of the gnarliest kills I've ever seen in the genre. It's a gorehound's dream.

With so many holidays getting their own slasher movie, Blood Rage is the rare slasher movie set on Thanksgiving. Aside from the dinner sequence and Terry's repeated use of the catchphrase "It's not cranberry sauce" when referring to blood, the holiday doesn't factor into the film a whole lot. Yet the repetition of that line speaks to the lunacy of the movie, which features decapitations and vivisections and Louise Lasser giving it her all as a grieving mother with a performance that's way too big and way too melodramatic to ft in with the rest of what's going on here. It all adds up to something that's unintentionally but sublimely silly.

Arrow's new Blu-ray of Blood Rage is a minor miracle, not only bringing a film back from the brink of obscurity but offering the most comprehensive, tricked-out package anyone could have hoped for. The three-disc set offers three different versions of the film: on disc one is the original uncut Blood Rage presented in 1080p, and while it's clear that the film is over 30 years old and made on the cheap to begin with, Arrow's new 2K transfer is quite impressive. Detail is good, colors are stable and brightness is never an issue despite most of the film taking place at night. The LCPM 2.0 audio track gets the job done; it won't add anything to the experience, but it doesn't take anything away, either.

The first disc is stacked with bonus features, starting with a commentary track from director John Grissmer, who has only one other film to his credit (1977's False Face). There are also new interviews with actors Mark Soper, Louise Lasser, Marianne Kanter (who also produced), makeup effects designer Ed French and Ted Raimi, who made his first film appearance with a very small role in Blood Rage. A brief featurette revisits some of the Florida locations where the movie was shot. Also included is a collection of production stills set to music and the title sequence from the original VHS release.

Disc two offers a different version of the movie, called Nightmare at Shadow Woods. This was the version that went out to theaters in 1987, while Blood Rage appeared on VHS the same year. Shadow Woods eliminates almost all of the graphic gore and adds in a few short scenes (including some extra nudity, though it's really just a shot repeated from earlier in the film). That version is presented here in 1080p HD, as is a third cut, which combines the uncensored Blood Rage with the additional scenes included in Nightmare at Shadow Woods. While I can't see returning to the edited version and the composite cut doesn't offer enough of a new experience to become the definitive version, it's great the Arrow has been so thorough and comprehensive in their treatment of a mostly-forgotten '80s slasher. The second disc also contains nearly 30 minutes of outtakes. A third disc contains the uncut Blood Rage on standard definition DVD.

The high score I'm awarded to Blood Rage isn't so much for the film—which I thoroughly enjoyed, it should be said—as it is for the amazing package Arrow has put together. I know it's unrealistic to want every obscure cult film to get this kind of treatment, but it really does help make a wacky, outrageously violent horror movie feel that much more special. This is a great release.

Case Number 28962: Small Claims Court

Blood Rage (1987) (Blu-ray)

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