THE BABY (1973) (Arrow Blu-ray Review/Comparison)

THE BABY (1973)

Label: Arrow Video
Release Date: September 25th 2018 
Region: A
Rating: PG
Duration: 84 Minutes
Video: 1080p Widescreen (1.85:1), Full Screen (1.33:1) 
Audio: English Uncompressed LPCM Mono 2.0 with Optional English Subtitles 
Director: Ted Post
Cast: Anjanette Comer, Ruth Roman, Marianne Hill, Suzanne Zenor, Rod Andrews, Michael Pataki, Beatrice Blau, David Manzy

TOP: Arrow Video Blu-ray 2018 

BOTTOM: Severin Films Blu-ray 2014 

Synopsis: Still traumatized by the loss of her husband, well-meaning social worker Ann Gentry (Anjanette Comer, The Loved One) throws herself into her latest assignment: the case of "Baby", a 21-year-old man with the mind of an infant - who crawls, cries and has yet to make it out of nappies. But Baby's family - the tyrannical "Mama" Wadsworth (Ruth Roman, Strangers on a Train) and her two demented daughters - aren't the only ones with a warped conception of familial relations, and the full horror only begins when Ann sets her sights on liberating the drooling man-child... and in so doing unleashes the wrath of the Wadsworth women.

TOP: Arrow Video Blu-ray Widescreen 2018 

MIDDLE: Arrow Video Full Frame Version

BOTTOM: Severin Films Blu-ray 2014 

The 1970's unleashed very some strange cinema upon the world and The Baby (1973) is definitely one of the WEIRDEST -  it's one of those strange brews you won't soon forget after taking it in. Coming to us from Ted Post, the director of Beneath the Planet of the Apes (1970) and Magnum Force (1973), the plot concerns a social worker named Ann (Anjanette Comer, Night of a Thousand Cats) who's been assigned to the  bizarre case of the Wadsworth family. The head of the clan is the intensely creepy Mrs. Wadsworth (Ruth Roman, Strangers on a Train), who along with her two knockout but nutty daughters Germaine (Marianna Hill, Messiah of Evil) and Alba (Susanne Zenor), care for a strange child named only "Baby".

TOP: Arrow Video Blu-ray 2018 

BOTTOM: Severin Films Blu-ray 2014 

This "Baby" is no ordinary infant, in fact he's a 21 year old young man with what seems to be severe mental retardation. He wears adult sized diapers, has a crib and a playpen, bottle feeds, and of course soils himself. Social worker Anne is concerned by the man-child's lack of development and suspects that years of cruelty and negative reinforcement at the hands of the family have stunted his natural development. Anne tries to teach Baby rudimentary words and to stand and walk on his own, but the family wants nothing to do with furthering his development which leads to a bitter war of words. Eventually Anne becomes more and more obsessed with the child for her own demented reasons and takes Baby from the home which sparks a vicious battle for the infant-minded man.

TOP: Arrow Video Blu-ray 2018 

BOTTOM: Severin Films Blu-ray 2014 

Not surprisingly there are indeed some odd things happening at the household and it's not just relegated to the women of the house either. One of the oddest moments in a film drenched in oddity is when a teen babysitter gets in on the freaky action in a weird scenario that ends with Baby suckling her breast! Quite a sexually confusing scenario, that babysitter is gonna be fucked-up for life just like everyone else in the film. Ruth Roman's mother character is a mix of Mommy Dearest (1981) intensity and John Waters' Serial Mom (1994) insanity, but not campy, this is played straight, which only makes it weirder. The sisters are an odd pair, Germaine is a creepy beauty -  with quite the hair-do - whom lends some implied incestuous overtones to the proceedings by shedding her nightgown and crawling into Baby's crib while Alba is a cruel blond vixen who enjoys punishing Baby with an electric cattle prod while screaming "Baby doesn't talk! Baby doesn't walk!". The film is offbeat from the get-go but only gets weirder, from a bizarre psychedelic birthday party for baby right up to a bizarre crescendo that defies expectations with a series of unexpected ax murders that had me screaming what-the-fuck with demented glee, this is a film that's sure delight seekers of the strange and demented exploitation.

TOP: Arrow Video Blu-ray 2018 

BOTTOM: Severin Films Blu-ray 2014 

Audio/Video: The Baby (1973) was previously released on Blu-ray from Severin Films in 2014, and now four years later the fucked-up film gets a special edition Blu-ray from Arrow Video, presenting the film in 1080p HD, with the option to view in in 1.85:1 widescreen or 1.33:1, the fullscreen version offering more image on the top and bottom of the frame. The Severin release suffered from weak blacks that were more grey than deep black and colors that seemed muted and soft with poor contrast. Not sure what the lineage of the new Arrow transfer is but it's a marked improvement in all areas. Colors are more vibrant, the blacks are deeper and more natural looking, and contrast is much improved with more detail evident throughout. The lone audio option is English uncompressed LPCM Mono that sounds fine with both the dialogue and the Gerald Fried (Paths of Glory) score coming through with clarity, optional English subtitles are provided. 

TOP: Arrow Video Blu-ray 2018 

BOTTOM: Severin Films Blu-ray 2014 

Along with the improved PQ we get some tasty new goodies from Arrow Video, beginning with a brand new audio commentary from film journalist Travis Crawford who gives a nicely detailed and thorough commentary on the film. 

There's also a new interview with actor Marianna Hill who speaks about wanting to work with director Ted Post after her friend Clint Eastwood talked so highly about him, and her willingness to do just about anything on film, aside from sex stuff, and playing her character like she's trapped in a fairytale per the director's suggestion. She also speaks what it was like working with Anjanette Coomer who she felt protective of, and Ruth Roman who she says was a real an Joan Crawford type, and how sweet David Mooney was.
  

TOP: Arrow Video Blu-ray 2018 

BOTTOM: Severin Films Blu-ray 2014 

Hippy-artist/set decorator Stanley Dyrector who created the creepy paintings seen in the nursery shows up for a six-minute interview, he talks about his process and how he ended with a screen credit for the film, in addition to saying he felt a lot of tension between Ruth Roman and Anjanette Comer on the set which fueled their character dynamics. He even showcases some of the paintings he kept from the film, he's a real character. 

Professor Rebekah McKendry from Blumhouse.Com's awesome Shock Waves Podcast shows up for a fun remembrance of her discovering this bat-shit insane film, walking us through the plot mechanics and bizarreness of the film. 

TOP: Arrow Video Blu-ray 2018 

BOTTOM: Severin Films Blu-ray 2014 

Carried-over from the Severin release are two archival interviews, the first a 20-min audio interview with the director who was 93 years old at the time of the interview and was still quite lucid in respect to the development of and the odd nature of the subject matter. We also get a 15-min archival audio interview with star David Mooney who portrayed the titular baby character, at the time of the interview he was a high school teacher in San Antonio, Texas and fondly recalls his career beginning a a few Disney movies, plus the audition experience for The Baby, and working with the women on the film. 

The special edition from Arrow Video is buttoned up with a trailer for the film, for this review we were only sent a "check disc" without artwork or the packaging extras, but retail copies include a sleeve of reversible artwork and a limited edition first-pressing booklet with notes on the film from Kat Ellinger. This is a pretty sweet upgrade from Arrow Video, this is far and away the definitive edition of the movie.

TOP: Arrow Video Blu-ray 2018 

BOTTOM: Severin Films Blu-ray 2014 

Special Features:
- Family Affair - An interview with actor Marianna Hill, Filmed July 2018 (6 Min) 
- Nursery Crimes - An interview with nursery painting creator Stanley Dyrector, filmed in July 2018 (6 min) 
- Down Will Come Baby - a new retrospective with film professor Rebekah McKendry (12 min) 
- Tales from the Crib - archival audio Interview with director Ted Post
- Baby Talk - Archival audio Interview with Star David Mooney from January 2011 (15 min) 
- Theatrical Trailer (3 min) 
- Brand new audio commentary by Travis Crawford
- Reversible sleeve featuring artwork by The Twins of Evil

- FIRST PRESSING ONLY: Collector’s booklet featuring new writing by Kat Ellinger

TOP: Arrow Video Blu-ray 2018 

BOTTOM: Severin Films Blu-ray 2014 

This is one seriously strange slice of 70's exploitation cinema, it will leave you dumbfounded as you wonder just how the Hell did this demented film get a PG rating with all that twisted sexual tension and odd predatory tendencies?  You may think you seen it all but you haven't seen it ALL unless you've seen The Baby! The new special edition from Arrow is the best looking version of the film with the most comprehensive set of extras, this is the one to own, highest recommendation to seekers of strange 70's cinema. 

GRADUATION DAY (1981)

GRADUATION DAY (1981) 

Label: Vinegar Syndrome

Region Code: Region-FREE

Rating: Unrated

Duration: 96 Minutes

Audio: English DTS-HD Master Audio Mono 

Video: 1080p Widescreen (1.85:1) 

Director: Herb Freed

Cast: Christopher George, Ruth Ann Llorens, Michael Pataki, Vanna White, Patch McKenzie, Linnea Quigley 

Ann Ramstead (Patch McKenzie) is a young woman in the armed forced who returns to the small California town where she was raised to bury her younger sister Laura (Ruth Ann Llorens), who promptly dropped dead after winning a high school track meet. George Michaels (Christopher George) is the over-driven track and field coach an he draws some criticism for pushing Laura, and the other student athletes, a bit too hard to win. With senior graduation fast approaching the student and staff try to carry on but when someone donning a fencing sword and mask arrives on the scene and starts bumping off the track team the week leading up to graduation is marked with the bodies of dead teens.  

The film doesn't stray far from the tried and true slasher formula of the era, we have a group of teens and a demented masked killer murdering them for reasons unknown, with no shortage of suspects to choose from. Could it be the hard-driving coach, Principal Guglioni (Michael Pataki), the creepy truancy officer or maybe even the older sibling of the fallen track star... or maybe someone far more obvious!

The high school setting is pretty great and feels plenty authentic with rowdy track meets, a rollicking roller skate party, plus horny teens and a rocking soundtrack with plenty of hard driving eighties cheesiness from the band Felony, you just gotta love that twin-neck guitar! 

Sure, the story is a bit hackneyed but we do have a great cast, which includes the venerable Christopher George (CITY OF THE LIVING DEAD) as the track coach and he chews up the scenery quite nicely. Patch McKenzie as the older sibling is quite capable too but disappears for a large stretch before returning for the final moments for a damn decent final stretch. Her scenes at home with her grieving mom and asshole stepfather are fun to watch, the dad is a complete and total jackass - the whole thing reminded me of the Strode family dynamic from HALLOWEEN: THE CURSE OF MICHAEL MYERS. 

Being a slasher film the kills are pretty important, and they are fun but the execution is not the greatest, though I do give the crew high marks for creativity, a few of the deaths involve a fencing sword and my favorite would be the football tipped with the fencing sword and thrown for a touch down in the death zone, that was awesome, but just know going in that the deaths are a bit tame. 

B-movie queen Linnea Quigley (THE RETURN OF THE LIVING DEAD) shows up in a small role as a teen who lusts for a goofy lounge-lizard music teacher, her inclusion provides some fun nudity during a pretty great stalk and slash scenario. She's not the only one, there's also some fun nudity in the locker room. The film definitely musters up a a few tense moments and some decent atmosphere which make this cheesy slasher quite a bit of fun. 

The identity of the killer is not the best kept secret despite the plethora of red herrings thrown upon us, it's pretty much given away during the opening scene, but that didn't stop me from enjoying it. Generic though it may be it won me over with the creative kills and general eighties goofiness. One thing that went a long way towards saving it for me was the unique style of editor Martin Sadoff who punched up a few of the sequences with some disorienting editing tricks. 

  

BLU-RAY

GRADUATION DAY (1981) has been afforded a new 4K restoration from 35mm elements from the cult-cinema archivist at Vinegar Syndrome and the end result is quite satisfying. Presented in the correct aspect ratio - for the first time - we can now enjoy this 80s slasher the way it was meant to be seen. The grain structure is nicely managed with accurate skin tones and vibrant color reproduction with a pleasing amount of depth clarity. There's some white speckling throughout but overall the 35mm answer print used for the restoration is in fantastic shape. 

The DTS-HD MA Mono does a decent job exporting the dialogue, score and effects of the film with some minimal hiss and pop, you will no doubt be rocking out to the sweet eighties sounds of rockers Felony all night long. No subtitles are provided.

Onto the extras we have the option of two commentaries, one with Producer David Baughn and a second with The Hysteria Continues Podcast crew who know a thing or two about slasher films. At this point I have only listened to the Hysteria Continues track and can conform that is both fun and informative and I highly recommend fans of slashers subscribe to their podcast. 

There are also thirty-minutes of interviews with director Herb Freed, actress Patch McKenzie, producer David Baughn and editor Martin Sardoff, plus the original theatrical trailer. 

SPECIAL FEATURES:
- BD/DVD Combo Pack
- 4K Restoration from the Editor’s 35mm Answer Print 

- Video interview with Director Herb Freed (12 Minutes) HD
- Video interview with Star Patch Mackenzie (9 Minutes) HD
- Video interview with Producer David Baughn (12 Minutes) HD
- Video interview with Editor Martin Sadoff (7 Minutes) HD
- Commentary track with Producer David Baughn moderated by Elijah Drenner (12 Minutes) HD
- Commentary track with The Hysteria Continues
- Original Theatrical Trailer (2 Minutes) 

VERDICT:

While there are quite a few better crafted slashers with gorier kills but this one is just so eighties and goofy I cannot help but love it, plus we have Christopher George classing it up. A fun high school slasher and recommend for fans of slasher whodunits. Vinegar Syndrome have done a great job cleaning this up and presenting it with some entertaining extras with superior audio and video - this is the definitive edition of this one. Great to see Vinegar Syndrome branching out from the vintage porn and restoring a few cult horror films. The Christmas cult-classic CHRISTMAS EVIL is available now and the b-movie masterpiece DON'T GO N THE WOOD in 2015. 

THE BABY (1973)

THE BABY  (1973)

Label: Severin Films
Release Date: July 8th 2014
Region: A
Rating: PG
Duration: 84 Minutes
Video: 1080p Widescreen (1.66:1)
Audio: English LPCM Mono 2.0
Director: Ted Post
Cast: Anjanette Comer, Ruth Rothman, Marianne Hill, Suzanne Zenor, Rod Andrews, Michael Pataki, Beatrice Blau, David Manzy

The 1970's unleashed very some strange cinema and THE BABY (1973) is definitely one of the WEIRDEST -  it's one of those strange brews you won't soon forget. Coming to us from Ted Post, the director of BENEATH THE PLANET OF THE APES (1970) and MAGNUM FORCE (1973). The plot concerns a social worker named Ann (Anjanette Comer) who's been assigned to the  bizarre case of the Wadsworth family. The head of the clan is the intensely creepy Mrs.Wadsworth (Ruth Roman, STRANGERS ON A TRAIN), who along with her two knockout but equally nutty daughters Germaine (Marianna Hill, MESSIAH OF EVIL) and Alba (Susanne Zenor), care for a strange child named only Baby. 

No ordinary infant Baby is in fact a 21 year old man with severe mental retardation. He wears adult sized diapers, has a crib and a playpen, bottle feeds, and soils himself. Social worker Anne is concerned by the man-child's lack of development and suspects that years of cruelty and negative reinforcement at the hands of the family have stunted his natural development. Anne tries to teach Baby rudimentary words and to stand and walk on his own but the family wants nothing to do with furthering his development which leads to a bitter war of words. Eventually Anne becomes more and more obsessed with the child for her own demented reasons and takes Baby from the home which sparks a vicious battle for the infant-minded man.

Not surprisingly there are indeed some odd things happening at the household and it's not just relegated to the women of the house either. The teen babysitter even gets in on the freaky action in a weird encounter that ends with Baby suckling her breast! Quite a sexually confusing scenario, that babysitter is gonna be fucked-up for life just like everyone else in the film. Ruth Roman's mother character is a mix of MOMMY DEAREST intensity and John Waters' SERIAL MOM insanity. The sisters are an odd pair, Germaine is a creepy beauty with quite the hair-do whom lends some implied incestuous overtones to the proceedings by shedding her nightgown and crawling into Baby's crib while Alba is a cruel blond vixen who enjoys punishing Baby with an electric cattle prod while screaming "Baby doesn't talk! Baby doesn't walk!". The film is offbeat from the get-go but only gets weirder as it goes along including a psychedelic birthday party for baby right up to a bizarre crescendo that defies expectations with a series of unexpected ax murders that had me screaming what-the-fuck with demented glee.

Blu-ray: Severin give THE BABY a decent 1080p upgrade with improved clarity and some very minor depth with a pleasing layer of fine film grain and along with it a bit of digital noise. The same critique of the previous standard-def presentation apply with black levels that appear more grey than deep black and the colors that seem a bit muted and soft. The English language LPCM Mono audio sounds fine with both the dialogue and the Gerald Fried (PATHS OF GLORY) score coming through with clarity if not a lot of dynamic power.

Extras carried over from the DVD include two audio interviews director Ted Post and star David Mooney performed over the telephone by the sound of it. Ted Post was 93 years old at the time of the interview and was still quite lucid in respect to the development of and the odd nature of the subject matter. 

Star David Mooney who portrayed the titular character is currently a high school teacher in San Antonio, Texas and fondly recalls his audition experience and working with the women on the film. Lastly we get the original theatrical trailer for this odd little film. 

Not the most spectacular Blu-ray upgrade I've seen but I do love the movie quite a bit and if you don't already own the DVD from Severin this is an easy recommend, the upgrade is a bit harder to justify.

Special Features:
- Tales from the Crib: Audio interview with Director Ted Post (20:00)
- Baby Talk: Audio Interview with star David Mooney (11:47)
- Theatrical Trailer (2:46)


Verdict: This is one  strange slice of 70's exploitation that will leave you dumbfounded as you wonder just how the Hell did this demented film get a PG rating with all that twisted sexual tension and odd predatory tendencies?  You may think you seen it all but you haven't seen it ALL unless you've seen THE BABY. 3.5 outta 5

Blu-ray Review: HALLOWEEN 4 - The Return of Michael Myers (1988)

HALLOWEEN 4 - THE RETURN OF MICHAEL MYERS (1988) 

Label: Anchor Bay Entertainment

Region: A

Rating: R

Duration: 88 Mins

Video: Anamorphic Widescreen (1.85:1)

Audio: Dolby TrueHD 5.1 with English, Spanish Subtitles 

Director: Dwight H. Little 

Cast: Ellie Cornell, Danielle Harris, Michael Pataki, Donald Pleasance
Tagline: He Changed the Face of Halloween. Tonight, He's Back

Following the commercial failure of HALLOWEEN III: SEASON OF THE WITCH (1982)  producer Moutaspha Akkad set out to side-step the third installment of the seminal slasher franchise and set in motion a direct sequel to HALLOWEEN II (1981) with John Carpenter in the directing chair once again, however, things fizzled when producer and director couldn't see eye to eye and the film landed in the lap of upcoming director Dwight D. Little whom had previously directed the action adventure feature BLOODSTONE (1988).

Set ten years after the fiery ending of HALLOWEEN II the film starts of strong with an evocative intro that sets a strong Halloween atmosphere right from the first frame. Michael Myers has lain comatose at the Smith's Grove Sanitarium since the events a decade earlier and is being transferred to another sanitarium without the consult of Dr. Loomis (Donald Pleasance). It's a stormy night and en route the attendees in the back of the ambulance strike up a conversation about the events a decade prior and reveal that the only surviving member of the family is a young nice Jamie Strode, daughter Michael's sister Laurie who it is revealed died in a car accident. This revelation of course spurs Myers to awaken from his coma and escape after inexplicably pushing his thumb through the forehead of one of the orderlies. We can thank special effects artist Carl Buechler (BRIDE OF RE-ANIMATOR) who was brought in post production to gore-up the film a bit, which he does quite nicely. The blood-soaked ambulance is discovered the next day turned upside down in a shallow creek, which the authorities believe to be an unfortunate accident spurred by the poor road conditions the night before. 

Enter Donald Pleasance (RAW MEAT) as Dr. Loomis whom is furious when he finds out about the transfer and subsequent escape of Myers, everyone else seems to believe Michael has died in the accident but when no body is recovered Loomis knows he's returning to Haddonfield to finish his work and that young Jamie is in danger. Loomis here is a but unhinged but it's a great performance, Loomis is the heart and soul of the film, this is a bit before Pleasance took it maybe a bit too far in latter sequels but here it's just right. 

Jamie Strode is played by a young  Danielle Harris (HATCHET) who is pretty great considering just how awful the reality of a child character in a slasher film should be, a very sympathetic kid with a good range of emotions. Jamie begins to have frightening visions of Myers, there's some kind of psychic connection between the two, an element that is exploited during the film's final moments. Jamie lives with her adopted family the Caruthers and their daughter Rachel who is left alone with her on Halloween night which does not bode well in this series.

There's a lot to like here, while not on par with Carpenter's original or even the first sequel there's some nice touches, for starters it's got a great Halloween vibe, you totally believe the Fall setting, the atmosphere is spot on and really ads to the proceedings. One of my favorite scenes has Loomis stopping off at a gas station en route to Haddonfield where he encounters Michael's handiwork, a dead mechanic tangled in chain hanging from the ceiling. Loomis nearly shoots Meyers  but he escapes in a tow truck sending the station up in a fiery explosion destroying Loomis's car and leaving him to travel on foot before he's picked-up by a travelling preacher, the doomsayer of sorts, in the film.

After Michael starts his rampage in town a group of locals at the bar form a posse and get a bit trigger happy blasting the wrong guy, a bit later the same posse while transporting Jamie and Rachel to the safety of the next town are taken out one by one by Myeres who's hitched a ride underneath their pick-up CAPE FEAR style, there's a nice gore scene as Meyers rips out the driver's throat. 

Something that just wasn't working for me this time out was the Meyer's mask which changes a bit throughout the film, none of them as effective as the original but nonetheless this is a strong late-80's slasher that at least attempts to maintain the atmosphere and feel of the original film, the introduction of Jamie Strode is a good story arc and we get some cool moments of gore with a shocker ending that is a sweet nod to the original as well. 

Blu-ray: Anchor Bay presents  Halloween 4 in it's original widescreen aspect ratio (1.85:1) with a transfer sourced from a nice print. Colors are nicely saturated and black levels and shadow detail are quite nice. Instances of print damage are minor but you do occasionally get some white specks. Overall we get a robust image that's lacking a bit in areas of sharpness but very nice and the film grain is left intact. 

The Blu-ray comes equipped with an English language Dolby TrueHD 5.1 audio track with optional English and Spanish subtitles, dialogue, effects and Allan Howarth's score are well-balanced, clean and free of any distortion, not the most robust audio you'll ever hear but adequate. 

Some of the disc's special features have been carried over from the previous Anchor Bay Special Divimax Edition  including the audio commentary with actress Ellen Cornell and Danielle Harris, the two actresses have some chemistry and it makes for an interesting listen filled with anecdotes, recollections and trivia about working on the set and what went on behind-the-scenes. Also ported over from the DVD is the Halloween 4/5 Discussion Panel (18:28) with Jeffrey Landon, Sasha Jenson, Kathleen Kinmont and Danielle Harris whom field questions from convention goers, it's fun stuff even if Harris seems annoyed from time to time as she speaks to her dislike of how HALLOWEEN 7-8 ignores her character altogether, her preference for 4 over 5. Sasha Jenson who's probably best know for his character from Richard Linklatter's 70s stoner comedy DAZED AND CONFUSED (1993) even sportingly fields the question if he actually got high on the set of that film. 

In addition to a Trailer (1:36) we get a brand new audio commentary from director Dwight H. Little and author Justin Beahm from the www.halloweenmovies.com website. It's an entertaining commentary as the director talks about all facets of the production and personal anecdotes, from his own Midwestern roots informing the agrarian introduction of the film which established an aesthetic and mood, the sets and locations, meeting with producer Moustapha Akkad, bringing Donald Pleasance back to the series and working with then child actor Danielle Harris  It's  all around informative track and a great new feature.

Something missing from the disc that was advertised in the early press release are 30 minutes of Deleted and Alternate Scenes which was a whopper of a disappointment - not sure what the story there but it's a major fuck-up - I know a lot of fans including myself were miffed that this was absent. It's also disappointing that the audio commentary with writer Alan B. McElroy from the Divimax edition has been excised, too. While the Blu-ray is definitely worth a purchase for the 1080p upgrade in my opinion including all of the previous features with the new commentary and deleted scenes would have made this a no-brainer. It's a good set, but it could have been great, and with these items lacking there's a certain number of folks who just won't bite the apple a second time until they get what they feel is the definitive edition.

Special Features: 

-  Audio Commentary with Director Dwight H. Little and Author Justin Beahm

-  Audio Commentary with Actors Ellie Cornell and Danielle Harris

-  Halloween 4/5 Discussion Panel (18:28) 

-  Theatrical Trailer (1:36)

Verdict: HALLOWEEN 4 is a strong late-80's slasher entry that attempts to maintain some of the atmosphere and feel of the original film with some degree of success. The 1080p upgrade is a strong argument for an upgrade as is the director commentary but I am bummed we do not get the half hour of deleted/alternate scenes - that's a damn shame but this is still a decent slasher with some nice gore, suspense and it's a recommend, 3.5 Outta 5

DVD Review: The Baby (1972)

The Baby (1972)

Label: Severin Films
Release Date: June 28th 2011
Region: Region 0 NTSC
Rating: PG
Duration: 84 mins
Video: 1.66:1 Widescreen 16x9
Audio: Dolby Digital Mono
Director: Ted Post
Cast: Anjanette Comer, Ruth Rothman, Marianne Hill, Suzanne Zenor, Rod Andrews, Michael Pataki, Beatrice Blau, David Manzy
Tagline: Pray you don't learn the secret of... The Baby!

The crazy 1970's unleashed some strange cinematic experiences upon theatre goers and this is one of the strangest of all. Sure, there's the usual assortment of odd films, the offbeat and weird and then there's the really WEIRD - and this is one of those latter strange brews you'll not soon forget. Coming to us from Ted Post, the director of Beneath the Planet of the Apes (1970) and Magnum Force (1973), the plot of The Baby deals with a social worker named Ann (Anjanette Comer) who's been assigned to the rather bizarre case of the Wadsworth family. The head of the clan is the intensely creepy Mrs.Wadsworth (Ruth Roman, Strangers on a Train), who along with her two knockout but equally nutty daughters Germaine (Mairianna Hill, Messiah of Evil) and Alba (Susanne Zenor), care for a child named only Baby.

No ordinary infant by any means "Baby" is in fact a 21 year old man with severe mental retardation. He wears adult sized diapers, has a crib and a playpen, bottle feeds, and soils himself. Social worker Anne is concerned by the man-child's lack of development and suspects that years of cruelty and negative reinforcement at the hands of the family have stunted his natural development. Anne tries to teach Baby rudimentary words and to stand and walk on his own but the family wants nothing to do with furthering his development which leads to a bitter war of words. Eventually Anne becomes more and more obsessed with the child for her own demented reasons and takes Baby from the home which sparks a vicious battle for the infant-minded man.

Well, Anne was right. There are indeed some sleazy goings-on at the household, and it's not just relegated to the women of the house either. The teen babysitter even gets in on the freaky action in a weird encounter that ends with Baby suckling her breast, what a sexually confusing scenario for all concerned, you just know she's gonna be fucked-up for life, just like everyone else in the film. Ruth Roman's mother character is a mix of Mommy Dearest intensity and John Waters' Serial Mom insanity. The sisters are an odd pair, too. Germaine is a creepy beauty with quite the hair-do whom lends some implied incestuous overtones to the proceedings by shedding her nightgown and crawling into Baby's crib while Alba is a cruel blonde vixen who enjoys punishing Baby with an electric cattle prod while screaming "Baby doesn't talk! Baby doesn't walk!". The film is offbeat from the get-go but only gets weirder as it goes along including a psychedelic birthday party for baby right up to a bizarre crescendo that defies expectations with a series of unexpected axe murders that had me muttering what-the-fuck.

DVD: Severin have restored from the film from original negative elements and present The Baby in an anamorphic 1.66:1 aspect ratio. A criticism of the transfer would be that the black levels are quite weak and appear more grey than black throughout. The colors also seem desaturated and muted, it's a very dull presentation in my opinion. The Dolby Digital Mono audio sounds fine and both the dialogue and the Gerald Fried (Paths of Glory) score sound quite good if not overly dynamic. There are no subtitle options.

Special features include two audio interviews performed over the telephone by the sound of it. Both interviews are intercut with footage from the film. Tales from the Crib: Audio interview with Director Ted Post is an interview with the now 93 year old director Ted Post who's still lucid and speaks about the development of the film, the actors and the odd nature of the subject matter. Baby Talk: Audio Interview with star David Mooney is with the man who played "Baby" and is now an high school teacher in San Antonio, Texas whom fondly recalls his audition experience and working with the women on the film including some possible hostlity between Anjanette Comer and Ruth Rothman. The third and final feature is the original theatrical trailer.

Special Features:
- Tales from the Crib: Audio interview with Director Ted Post (20:00)
- Baby Talk: Audio Interview with star David Mooney (11:47)
- Theatrical Trailer (2:46) 16x9
- Severin Trailers: Psychomania (2:51), In The Folds of the Flesh (3:21), Horror Express (2:54) 16x9

Verdict: This is a bizarre slice of oddball 70's exploitation cinema that will leave you in that most wonderful of states, dubfounded, while you wonder to yourself how the Hell did this twisted film get a PG rating? You may think you seen it all, been there and done that, but you haven't seen it ALL unless you've seen The Baby. 3.5 outta 5