SHREDDER (2001)
Label: Scorpion Releasing
Region Code: A
Rating: R
Duration: 86 Minutes
Audio: Uncompressed English DTS-HD MA 2.0 Stereo with Optional English Subtitles
Video: 1080p HD Widescreen (1.85:1)
Director: Greg Hudson
Cast: Lindsey McKeon, Scott Weinger, Lindsey McKeon, Juleah Weikel
Shredder (2001) is a film I first discovered in the $3 bin at Big Lots when I first discovered the discount store in the mid 2000s, they had a ton of DVDs for $3 a pop, including plenty of MGM titles, of which this was one. It wasn't something I'd heard of before but it looked just cheesy enough to warrant a blind buy. It was a pleasant surprise, a millennial slasher set on the slopes of an abandoned ski resort where a homicidal maniac with a deep grudge against snowboarders turns the snow-covered slopes into a blood-drenched nightmare for a particular group of weekenders.
Our main cast of semi-douchey but not completely unlikable snowboarders are Cole (Scott Weinger), his girlfriend Kimberly (Lindsey McKeon, Saved by the Bell: The New Class), her cousin Pike (Juleah Weikel), her bestie Robyn (Holly Towne), and snowboarding Olympic hopeful Kirk (Peter Riggs), along with his ever-present videographer Skyler (Billy O'Sullivan),who has his camcorder at the ready seemingly at all times. On their way uo to the abandoned ski resort, which is owned by Kimberly's pops, they stop off for supplies and pick-up a mysterious French snowboarder Christophe (Brad Hawkins) who tags along for the weekend.
The group are warned by both the local sheriff (Seth Reston) and bar owner Bud (Ron Varela) to stay off the mountain but of course the thrill-seeking kids pay no mind. The bar owners cute ski-bunny daughter Shelly (Candace Moon) ends up on the slopes with the snowboarders and takes a liking to Cole, which works out well because his girlfriend Kimberly definitely has eyes for the French guy.
It doesn't take long for their weekend of snowboarding and partying to turn deadly when black ensconced skier starts killing them off the kids one by one.
Deaths comes by way of decapitation via ski slope garrote wire, icicle stabbing, ice pick, axe, snow shovel, plus the finale features a snow blower truck death that was pretty cool, if sadly enhanced by CGI, but it was still cool.
The extreme sports lingo was quite annoying and the none of the humor really hits it's mark, but we do get a decent body count, some inventive kills, modest practical gore, brief nudity, and fantastic snowbound scenery which makes a fairly entertaining watch. I wasn't expecting a lot from this the first time I watched it and was surprised how much fun it ended up beng, a solid throwback in spirit and style to the 80's slashers. The film has a bit of a cult following and I hope this new HD release from Scorpion brings a few more eyes on it, if you're a slasher fan I think you're gonna dig this slasher-on-the-slopes entry.
Audio/Video: Shredder (2001) arrives on Blu-ray from Scorpion Releasing in 1080p HD widescreen (1.85:1) looking pleasing throughout. Grain integrity is solid, the interiors and exteriors have strong color saturation with the vibrant ski attire having a nice pop to them, and the black levels are look great, especially the exterior nighttime shots. There's also plenty of fine detail and textures in the close-ups. Audio comes by way of English DTS-HD MA 2.0 stereo with optional English subtitles. Dialogue and gore FX sound terrific, as does the somewhat dated millennial pop-punk soundtrack.
Extras kick off with an pretty candid Audio Commentary with director Greg Huson moderated by Nathaniel Thompson in which the director talks about shooting in Idaho at an abandoned ski resort, what he feels are the shortcomings of the flick, resorts, and cast performances. We also get a 9-min Interview with star Lindsey McKeon who gets into the atmosphere on set, visiting dive bars during down time, her screaming style and penchant for her characters dying. We also get 10-min of Outtakes, Deleted Scenes, and Bloopers, plus a selection of Scorpion Releasing Trailers for Shredder (2 min), Panga (2 min), Land of Doom (2 min), Gas Pump Girls (3 min), Happy Hooker Goes to Hollywood (2 min). The single-disc release arrives in a standard keepcase with a single-sided sleeve of artwork by Devon Whitehead, the Blu-ray disc inside features the same key artwork. A limited edition release with a reversible sleeve featuring the new Whitehead artwork in addition tot he original DVD art, slipcover and mini-folded poster is still available at the time of this review from Ronin Flix.
Special Features:
- Audio commentary with director Greg Huson moderated by Nathaniel Thompson
- New interview with star Lindsey McKeon ( 9 min)
- Outtakes, Deleted Scenes, and Blooper (10 min)
- Theatrical Trailer (2 min')
- Scorpion Trailers: Panga (2 min), Land of Doom (2 min), Gas Pump Girls (3 min), Happy Hooker Goes to Hollywood (2 min)
Screenshots from the Scorpion Releasing Blu-ray:
Extras:
