THE WRONG DOOR (1990) (Visual Vengeance Collector's Edition Blu-ray Review)

THE WRONG DOOR (1990)

Visual Vengeance Collector's Edition

Label: Visual Vengeance
Region Code: Region-Free

Rating: Unrated 
Duration: 73 Minutes 32 Seconds
Audio: Dolby Digital 2.0 Stereo with Optional English Subtitles 

Video: 1080p HD Fullscreen (1.37:1) 
Director: James Groetsch, Bill Weiss, Shawn Korby
Cast: Matt Felmlee, Loreal Steiner, Jeff Tatum, Jeannine Bourdaghs

Super 8mm regional thriller The Wrong Door (1990) was a film directed and produced by a trio of like-minded film school students; James Groetsch, Bill Weiss, and Shawn Korby, a low-budget flick that owes a debt to the "wrong man" thrillers of Hitchcock as well as a heavy Brian De Palma Blow Out influence, about film school student studying sound design named Ted (Matt Felmlee, Lovers and Liars). Ted  moonlights as a party-performer, and one night while performing at a party at an apartment complex, dressed as a jester, he accidentally knocks on the wrong door. A woman who look distressed answers the doors and silent mouths for help, but he shrugs it off and continues on to the party, performing his routine, but he cannot shake the incident at the wrong door down the hall. Returning he finds the door open, entering he finds the woman who has been stabbed near death on the floor of the apartment, her attacker still in the apartment. Ted flees and escapes the assailant, but later finds the woman's corpse has some how ended up in the backseat of his Volkswagen Beetle, and he is now being followed by her attackers Jeff (Jeff Tatum, Drop Dead Gorgeous) and Vic (Chris Hall), who are after some incriminating evidence left behind by way of a cassette tape they believe the dying Jenifer gave to him. 

This low-budget super 8mm shot thriller has a lot going for it, the whole "wrong guy at the wrong time" aspect of it is well-done, our protaganist is quite likable enough, and when he finds himself drawn into the murder mystery I was also pulled right in. It's micro-budget and shows it's production limitations, but I tell you what, for an SOV-era era cheapie it's pretty well made, and the story structure is quite solid. There's some interesting use of sound, and sound drop-outs that were quite interesting. The solid set-up gets to a solid start with some strong suspense, I was in, I liked the energy of it, but the middle section strays a bit, before we come to a fun twist at the end that adds a nice punch to it. It's not the most ambitious SOV-era flick in terms of special effects and gore, which makes sense, it's a thriller not a slasher, but it excels with some excellent low-budget lensing, story structure and building of tension, it's rough-edges and don't obscure the solid thriller elements and the heart behind it by the trio of film school students who made it. I definitely wouldn't recommend this to an average Hollywood thriller fan, but if you're a lover of independent regional no-budget thrillers and SOV-era curiosities there's a lot here to love. 

Audio/Video: The Wrong Door (1990) makes it's Blu-ray debut from Visual Vengeance on a region-free disc in 1080p HD frame din the original 1.33:1 widescreen, advertised as being brand new director-supervised 2K HD transfer from the original Super 8mm film elements. Let's be real, some of these SOV-era low-budget flicks look like crap, but this is the best looking of any of the Visual Vengeance releases since Heartland of Darkness, sourced from super 8mm elements the colors are quite nice, it still has the low-budget limitations and source related wear and tear exist, but the array of colors and surprising clarity is quite nice. Audio chores are handled by lossy Dolby Digital 2.0 stereo with optional English subtitles. The use of sound and lack thereof is pretty interesting here. The track has some source related hiss but is generally pretty strong for an SOV-era regional cheapie. 

This disc is stacked with extras, we start off with an Audio Commentary with directors Bill Weiss and Shawn Korby; followed by another Audio Commentary with director James Groetsch and producer John Schonebaum. We also get a 43-min New Documentary: Men Make Movie, If Not Million$; 21-min James Groetsch Interview, 21-min Shawn Korby Interview; a 37-min Bill Weiss Interview; 21-min Actor Matt Felmlee Interview; 14-min Distributing The Wrong Door: Chris Gore Interview; and even a 67-min Alternate Director’s Cut of The Wrong Door (2019); a Pair of Super 8 Shorts: 

the 2-min Raiders of the Lost Bark (1983) and 8-min The Pizza Man (1988); a 22-min episode of The Gale Whitman Show; 17-min of Original Unedited Muther Video VHS Intros. The well-stocked disc is buttoned-up with Image Gallery; Original Storyboards Gallery; a Film Threat Review; plus a 1-min Now Hiring Trailer; 45-sec The Wrong Door Trailer; and a selection of Visual Vengeance Trailers.

The single-disc release comes in a clear keepcase with a Reversible Wrap featuring Original VHS Art as well as a new illustration, plus a Limited Edition First-Pressing Slipcover with unique artwork by Jolyon Yates, an eerie image of a jester with audio cassette tape spoked roller reels for eye that I love. he disc inside also features the cassette tape spoked reel motif. Inside we get more of the fantastic Visual Vengeance ephemera, including a 2-Sided Insert with synopsis and acknowledgement, a 'Stick Your Own' VHS Sticker Set. Collectible Folded Poster, plus a "Do Not Disturb ...The Disturbed!" Door Hanger.  

Special Features: 

- Region Free Blu-ray
- Brand new director-supervised 2K HD transfer from the original Super 8mm film elements
- Audio Commentary with directors Bill Weiss and Shawn Korby
- Audio Commentary with director James Groetsch and producer John Schonebaum
- New Documentary: Men Make Movie, If Not Million$ (43:29) 
- James Groetsch Interview (20:41) 
- Shawn Korby Interview (20:48) 
- Bill Weiss Interview (36:41) 
- Actor Matt Felmlee Interview (20:41) 
- Distributing The Wrong Door: Chris Gore Interview (13:33) 
- Second feature: Alternate Director’s Cut of The Wrong Door (2019) (66:34) 
- Super 8 short: Raiders of the Lost Bark (1983) (1:41) 
- Super 8 short: The Pizza Man (1988) (8:19)
- TV Episode: The Gale Whitman Show (21:54) 
- Original unedited Muther Video VHS intros (16:31) 
- Image Gallery
- Original Storyboards Gallery
- Film Threat Review
- Now Hiring Trailer (1:06)
- The Wrong Door Trailer (0:45) 
- Visual Vengeance Trailers
- Limited Edition Slipcase - FIRST PRESSING ONLY
- Limited Edition Door Hanger - FIRST PRESSING ONLY
- 2-sided Insert
- Collectible Folded Poster
- Reversible Sleeve Featuring Original VHS Art
- 'Stick Your Own' VHS Sticker Set
- Optional English subtitles

Sales Points
- Limited Edition Slipcase
- Limited Edition branded Door Hanger
- Ultra-rare regional Super 8 horror-thriller that only had a small VHS run in 1990
- Stars Robin Keller (My Cousin Vinny, Drop Dead Fred), stars Jeannine Bourdaghs (Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3, Black Panther: Wakanda Forever), stars Jeff Tatum (Drop Dead Gorgeous)
- First time ever available on disc
- Brand new 2K transfer from original Super 8 film elements