VAMPIRES AND OTHER STEREOTYPES (1994) (Visual Vengeance Collector's Edition Blu-ray Review)

VAMPIRES AND OTHER STEREOTYPES (1994) 

Visual Vengeance Collector's Edition

Label: Visual Vengeance 

Region Code: Region-Free

Rating: Unrated 

Duration: 87 Minutes 29 Seconds 

Audio: English Dolby Digital 2.0 with Optional English Subtitles 

Video: 1080p HD Fullscreen (1.37:1) 

Director: Kevin J. Lindenmuth

Cast: Mick McCleery, Bill White, Ed Hubbard, Wendy Bednarz, Laura McLauchlin, Anna Dipace, Suzanne Scott

Synopsis: A pair of paranormal investigators are making their nightly rounds on the seedy streets of New York City when they encounter a group of party-hopping girls looking for a warehouse rave - who have also just accidentally opened a portal to hell. What follows is a night of practical effects monster mayhem as the group try to save themselves, and the entire planet, from a demonic invasion. The first feature from prolific 1990s Shot-On-Video writer, producer, director Kevin J. Lindenmuth, Vampires and Other Stereotypes delivers both the creatures and characters that perfectly illustrate the kind of homemade, offbeat genre movies that the video store era brought forth.

The premise of Vampires and Other Stereotypes (1994) is that a trio of NYC party girl accidentally open a Gate to Hell ...sold! It's a simple premise and it's solid, and chock full of awesome low-budget special effects monster make-ups that are actually quite effective. It starts of with a noir vibe, which stays with the film to a degree, with a black and white sequence as demon-hunter Ivan (Bill White) wakes up in bed next to his fortune-telling lady friend. She tries to tell him that he's about to meet the girl of his dreams, but he's pretty irate that she's reading him, he has no interest in knowing the future. He and his demon-hunting partner Harry (Ed Hubbard) head into the city to interrupt a demonic ritual, saving a shady businessman from being beheaded by a demon and opening a portal to the Netherworld. However, three party-seeking ladies; Linda (Anna Dipace), Jennifer (Suzanne Scott, Child of the Sabbat), and Kirsten (Wendy Bednarz, There's Nothing Out There), and Kirsten's new douchey boyfriend Eric (Mick McCleery) arrive looking for a rave party, when one of the women sounds herself on a nail, the dripping blood has the unintended consequence of transporting the whole warehouse and all seven of the occupants to Hell. One of the women turns out to be the girl of his dreams his lady friend foretold, that being Kirsten , and sure enough they are drawn towards each other. It's established that they need to stay alive till sunrise if they wish to survive the ordeal, but in the process they must navigate the different realms Hell, encountering a wall of shit-talking severed heads, including "Snot-head", a giant demon-rat, a bug-demon, and a wall of arms straight out of the nightmare scene from Day of the Dead, plus a trouble-making severed hand with a mouth, and demonic versions of rockers Elvis and Jim Morrison. For a shot-on-video no-budget flick I  thought it not only had an interesting premise but it delivered the good in regards to somewhat ropey but totally cool monster make-up effects. 

The cast is not terribly great but they've fine, I found them quite entertaining and fun which trumps any qualms I had with line deliveries and what not for me. I also like that we spend a good amount (but, not too much) time with our three party girls, in a very 80's getting into "party mode" sequence, and the demon-hunters prior to getting under way proper, establishing the characters well enough. We also get some cool establishing shots in and around NYC before the characters enter the warehouse, and the flick pretty much never leaves that space till the end. 

Lindenmuth made a cheap flick but he throws everything he and his cast and crew have at it, he has a plan, this doesn't feel like a free-form SOV where they've just throwing whatever they can in some random fashion and hoping it sticks, it's well executed and thought out with a clever script that defies expectations. The title itself sounds like a indie comedy, and while there's humor here for sure it's not really a silly film, we get some modest tension and dread throughout. The passion behind it definitely shines through the sometimes shoddy production values and amateurish acting chops. This was underground filmmaker Kevin J. Lindenmuth’s first feature film, it definitely has me intrigued to check out more of his work, he having made more than two dozen films, and still going at it, and none of which I have seen, and this release seemingly being the frst one to have any sort of wide commercial release, so I hope we see more of his stuff from Visual Vengeance in the near future. 

Audio/Video: Vampires and Other Stereotypes arrives on region-free 1080p HD Blu-ray framed in 1.33:1 fullscreen, sourced from a new director-supervised SD master from 1-inch tape. It looks surprisingly strong considering its VHS source. Colors have some vibrancy to them and black are adequate, the image has some nice clarity as well It still has the dupey hallmarks of an SOV but this is a cut above in regard to the SOV image quality. Audio chores are handled by a lossy Dolby Digital 2.0 with optional English subtitles. It sound clean and it well-balanced, while it's very modest in it's fidelity but it does the job, the synth score from The Krypt sounds solid as well. 

Even by the usual standards of Visual Vengeance Collector's Editions this release is extras-stuffed! We start of with three commentaries, the first is an Audio Commentary with Director Kevin Lindenmuth; a second Audio Commentary with Actor Mick McCleery and Director Kevin Lindenmuth, and a third Audio Commentary with Tony Strauss of Weng’s Chop Magazine. Then onto over 106-minutes of New Interviews. We get 25-min with Director Kevin Lindenmuth, 3-min with Actress Laura McLauchlin, a 10-min sit down withActor Mick McCleery, 3-min with Actress Suzanne Turner, 7-min with Actress Sally Narkis, nearly 18-min Makeup Effects Artist Ralis Kahn, 7-min of Special Effects Artist Scott Sliger's time, 9-min with Photographer Sung Pak, plus a 24-min Interview with Publicist Joe Mauceri.

On top of that we get a Behind the Scenes Image Gallery, 26-min of Kevin Lindenmuth Early Super 8 Films that don't have audio, the 2-min Original Trailer and the.   

1-min Visual Vengeance Trailer, as well as a selection of other Visual Vengeance Trailers.

The single-disc release arrives arrives in a clear keepcase with a Reversible Sleeve of Artwork that features both the original VHS artwork plus a new moody illustration by Stemo, and we get a first-pressing only Slipcover with artwork by The Dude Designs. Inside we get a Six-Page Illustrated Booklet liner notes by Tony Strauss of Weng’s Chop Magazine, the usual ‘Stick your own’ VHS Sticker Set, and a Collectible Folded Mini-Poster with the Stemo artwork. 

Special Features: 
- New director-supervised SD master from 1-inch tape
- Limited Edition Slipcase with The Dude Designs Artwork (First Pressing Only) 
- Audio Commentary with Director Kevin Lindenmuth
- Audio Commentary with Actor Mick McCleery and Director Kevin Lindenmuth  
- Audio Commentary with Tony Strauss of Weng’s Chop Magazine
- Interview with Director Kevin Lindenmuth  (25:22)
- Interview with Actress Laura McLauchlin (3:20) 
- Interview with Actor Mick McCleery (9:56) 
- Interview Actress Suzanne Turner (3:01)
- Interview Actress Sally Narkis (7:18)
- Interview Makeup Effects Artist Ralis Kahn (17:31)
- Interview with Special Effects Artist Scott Sliger (7:23)
- Interview with Photographer Sung Pak Interview (9:09)
- Interview with Publicist Joe Mauceri (23:46)
- Behind the Scenes Image Gallery
- Kevin Lindenmuth Early Super 8 Films (26:26)
- Original Trailer (2:18)
- Visual Vengeance Trailer (1:09)
- Six-page liner notes by Tony Strauss of Weng’s Chop Magazine
- ‘Stick your own’ VHS Sticker Set
- Collectible Folded Mini-Poster
- Reversible Sleeve of Artwork featuring original VHS art

Screenshots from the Visual Vengeance Blu-ray: 

Extras: