Intruder (1989)
Studio: Synapse Films
Release Date: April 19, 1989
Blu Ray Release: December 13, 2011
Not Rated
Review by James Klein
If there ever was a movie that was meant to be watched with a group of friends, sharing pizza and beer, Intruder is that movie. This over the top comedy/horror is just completely silly and would make for a great double feature with the original The Evil Dead. Director Scott Spiegel's debut in the director's chair (he had worked with Sam Raimi for many years, even writing Evil Dead II) knocks this gross out horror film out of the park and thanks to the fantastic blu ray by Synapse, viewers can experience Intruder in its original uncut version.
It's closing time at the Walnut Lake Supermarket and the grocery store is finally closing its doors for good. The employees take inventory, plus clean and prepare for its new owners. Check out girl Jennifer has been getting harassed by her creepy ex-boyfriend who keeps showing up at the store after being told to leave. When the phone lines are cut and people start to disappear, is it this ex or is it somebody else in the store?
Intruder is just a ton of fun to watch. It never takes itself too seriously and with small roles by Sam Raimi, Ted Raimi, Lawrence Bender, and Bruce Campbell its obvious that these friends all got together to make a movie and just have fun with it. Even some of the bizarre and silly camera angles that Spiegel does such as a telephone's point of view is just hilarious on its own and sets the tone of the film immediately. It also separates this movie from other slasher films. However, the main star of the film is KNB's gruesome make up effects, which have never been fully seen until now. Faces are crushed in a presser, eyeballs are poked out, people are hung on meat hooks, faces are sawed in half. One effect that always makes me laugh is when a guy gets stabbed in his stomach and huge sprays of blood shoot out everywhere. Everything about this film from the acting, effects and directing is just outrageous. It's a shame that these amazing and nasty effects have never been fully seen and only on third generation VHS bootleg tapes...until now.
The blu ray by Synapse is just as ridiculous. It is filled to the brim with special features including a DVD of the film as well as the blu ray. There is an excellent audio commentary by Spiegel and producer Bender. There is a great making of featurette on the film which interviews everyone involved with the production and focuses on the problems Spiegel had with the censors. There is even more extended scenes of the gore sequences from an old work print as well. What I really loved was some of the clips from the now missing short 16 mm film Night Crew starring Raimi that Spiegel directed back in the late 70's.
How does the picture look? This is Synapse we are talking about folks! Of course the picture has never looked better and the sound has never been this clear. You would be a fool to pass up this blu ray as Intruder may be one of the last great slasher films released in the glorious 1980's. A perfect Christmas gift for a horror fan!
Release Date: April 19, 1989
Blu Ray Release: December 13, 2011
Not Rated
Review by James Klein
If there ever was a movie that was meant to be watched with a group of friends, sharing pizza and beer, Intruder is that movie. This over the top comedy/horror is just completely silly and would make for a great double feature with the original The Evil Dead. Director Scott Spiegel's debut in the director's chair (he had worked with Sam Raimi for many years, even writing Evil Dead II) knocks this gross out horror film out of the park and thanks to the fantastic blu ray by Synapse, viewers can experience Intruder in its original uncut version.
It's closing time at the Walnut Lake Supermarket and the grocery store is finally closing its doors for good. The employees take inventory, plus clean and prepare for its new owners. Check out girl Jennifer has been getting harassed by her creepy ex-boyfriend who keeps showing up at the store after being told to leave. When the phone lines are cut and people start to disappear, is it this ex or is it somebody else in the store?
Intruder is just a ton of fun to watch. It never takes itself too seriously and with small roles by Sam Raimi, Ted Raimi, Lawrence Bender, and Bruce Campbell its obvious that these friends all got together to make a movie and just have fun with it. Even some of the bizarre and silly camera angles that Spiegel does such as a telephone's point of view is just hilarious on its own and sets the tone of the film immediately. It also separates this movie from other slasher films. However, the main star of the film is KNB's gruesome make up effects, which have never been fully seen until now. Faces are crushed in a presser, eyeballs are poked out, people are hung on meat hooks, faces are sawed in half. One effect that always makes me laugh is when a guy gets stabbed in his stomach and huge sprays of blood shoot out everywhere. Everything about this film from the acting, effects and directing is just outrageous. It's a shame that these amazing and nasty effects have never been fully seen and only on third generation VHS bootleg tapes...until now.
The blu ray by Synapse is just as ridiculous. It is filled to the brim with special features including a DVD of the film as well as the blu ray. There is an excellent audio commentary by Spiegel and producer Bender. There is a great making of featurette on the film which interviews everyone involved with the production and focuses on the problems Spiegel had with the censors. There is even more extended scenes of the gore sequences from an old work print as well. What I really loved was some of the clips from the now missing short 16 mm film Night Crew starring Raimi that Spiegel directed back in the late 70's.
How does the picture look? This is Synapse we are talking about folks! Of course the picture has never looked better and the sound has never been this clear. You would be a fool to pass up this blu ray as Intruder may be one of the last great slasher films released in the glorious 1980's. A perfect Christmas gift for a horror fan!
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