RUBY (1977) (VCI Blu-ray Review)

RUBY (1977)

Label: VCI Entertainment
Region Code: A
Duration: 85 Minutes 
Rating: R
Audio: English PCM Mono 2.0 with Optional English Subtitles 
Video: 1080P HD Widescreen (1.85:1) 
Director: Curtis Harrington 
Cast: Piper Laurie, Stuart Whitman, Roger Davis, Janit Baldwin

Directed by Curtis Harrington (Who Slew Auntie Roo?)drive-in shocker Ruby (1977) opens with a surreal prologue set in the 1930s featuring gangster Nicky (Sal Vecchio) and his pregnant lady friend Ruby Claire (Piper Laurie, Twin Peaks). As the couple prepare for a romantic midnight row on the swamp they're interrupted when Nicky is gunned-down by his criminal associates, who have for reasons unknown turned on him, the dying gangster swears revenge with his dying breath. The scene ends with a shocked Ruby laying on the ground in anguish about to give birth. 

Sixteen years later Ruby has gone legit and is now the proprietor of Ruby's Drive-In movie theater, where she strangely employs several of the men responsible for her lover's death, which sort of puts into question whether she was involved in the murder or not. The drive-in is quite a success, drawing in the masses with horror shockers, the drive-in is currently screening the anachronistic sci-fi feature Attack of the 50 Foot Woman (1958) to the delight of the local kids. 

Weird stuff begins to happen at the drive-in beginning with the apparent suicide of the projectionist Jess (Eddy Donno, Invaders from Mars) who seemingly hangs himself with reels of 35MM film stock, the idea of a drive-in movie about a drive-in wherein someone is hanged with film - that's all sorts of tasty. Ruby tells her right hand man/theater manager Vince (Stuart Whitman, Eaten Alive) to quietly dispose of the body in the nearby swamp and to not report it to the police, she doesn't want the authorities snooping around her place. It becomes hard to deny that some sort of supernatural revenge is happening at the drive-in as employees start dying off in mysterious and gruesome ways, stalked by an unseen force. One character named Barney (Len Lesser, Blood and Lace) ends up a corpse inside a soda machine that dispenses his blood into an unsuspecting customer's cup, which she sips before realizing that ain't no Cherry Coke, now that's just fun stuff.

Ruby's deaf and mute daughter Leslie (Janit Baldwin, Phantom of the Paradise) becomes the focus of attention, she might possibly be possessed by the spirit of her murdered father, out for revenge against those whom were responsible for his death years earlier. To assist in the strange matter Vince calls in a prison psychiatrist who moonlights as paranormal psychologist named Dr. Keller (Roger Davis, TV's Dark Shadows), the priest-like character in this Exorcist rip-off, and things just get weirder from there.

Ruby is not a perfect film by any means, far far from it, but what I loved about it was the great setting at a 50's era drive-in located right next to a swamp, as if mosquitoes at the drive-in weren't bad enough without it being set right on the swamp! The 1950's nostalgia is in full effect, a great period setting at a location that is all but gone from the modern cinema landscape, I miss the drive-in, was sad when our own De Anza drive-in abruptly closed here in Tucson back in 2009. There's some great Southern Gothic atmosphere, particularly the fog saturated swamp scenes at night which are eerie, it's very well shot, but drenched in a bit too much soft focus cinematography, the film is lousy with gauzey visuals, which can both enhance and detract from certain scenes. Some of the special effects are hokey as Hell (eyeballs in a jar!) but I love 'em, at one when it's clear that Young Leslie is possessed we get some fun Exorcist-esque sequences a version of the spider-walk. As victims are attacked by an unseen force a few of the sequences are very nicely executed, such as when Vince is running through the drive-in to escape whatever it is that's attacking him a speaker-box attacks him like tentacled creature, fun 70's drive-in fare, it must have been a blast to watch this at the drive-in for sure!

The film gets a bit pacey in places but doesn't drag too much, except when we're focused on Ruby, who's a wanna-be torch singer, that stuff just brought the movie to a halt. Piper Laurie plays a great crazy bitch though, that's for sure, but these scenes dragged. The ending is a bit wham-bam thank you mam sort of affair complete with a plastic skeleton and a freeze-frame. it's awful. This is not the director's original ending, it having been tinkered with by the producer against Harrington's wishes. Abrupt and silly ending aside Ruby is quite an entertaining drive-in shocker with some campy drive-in atmosphere and a few not-so-subtle nods to Brian De Palma's Carrie (1976) and The Exorcist(1973). 

Audio/Video: Ruby (1977) arrives on Blu-ray from VCI Entertainment framed in the 1.85:1 OAR with a new 2K restoration - originally touted as being from the original negative in online press announcements, but it appears we have a scan from a print. Ruby was never a film that looked good on home video, murky and soft focused, it  has always had a hazy quality about it that did not translate well on DVD and doesn't much improve on Blu-ray, the same comments can be leveled at the new Blu-ray. Unfortunately, at the 21:30 minute mark the image fades to black for about nine seconds, the audio is intact but the image is missing, worsened by the fact that it happens during a death scene. These issues have been acknowledged by Bob Blair of VCI in forums and they are working on a disc replacement program to fix the issue.  The English DTS-HD MA Mono audio sounds good, clean and free of distortion, not overly dynamic or nuanced, but the frenzied, Psycho-esque score from composer Don Ellis (The French Connection) comes through well. Optional English subtitles are provided. 

While the video presentation suffers I can say that VCI have done a fine job with the extras, they carry over the audio commentary from their 2001 DVD featuring Director Curtis Harrington and actress Piper Laurie, plus the hour-long interview with Harrington by David Del Valle which covers all of Harrington's career. New to this release are two half-hour episodes of Del Valle's public access TV show the Sinister Image from '88 featuring director Curtis Harrignton who passed away in 2007, again covering his whole career, plus we get a brand new 2017 audio commentary from Del Valle and Curtis Harrington expert Nate Bell, which is a good listen and covers a lot of the director's career with some good insights into the film. 

This release comes housed in a clear Blu-ray keepcase, the artwork in not reversible but there are liner notes on the inner sleeve from Nate Bell, reading the black type on a red background was an eye-strain to be sure but they are decent and informative liner notes, though I've always preferred a booklet to sleeve-notes. There are 2 discs, a Blu-ray and a standard-def DVD with the same feature and extras, the disc artwork is identical, too. Of note, VCI have debuted a new logo with this release, with the VCI Retro Elite tag.   
Special Features: 
- 2K Film Transfer and Restoration
- 2001 David Del Valle Video Interview with Director, Curtis Harrington (59 min) HD 
- Audio Commentary  with Director Curtis Harrington and actress Piper Laurie
- Sinister Image Episode – David Del Valle Interviews Curtis Harrington- Vol 1 (circa '88)(28 min) HD 
- Sinister Image Episode – David Del Valle Interviews Curtis Harrington- Vol 2 (March 8th 1988)(29 min) HD 
- 2017 Commentary Track with David Del Valle and Curtis Harrington expert Nate Bell
- Liner Notes by Curtis Harrington expert Nate Bell
- Original Theatrical Trailer – Restored HD (2 min) HD 
- Includes a Bonus DVD copy!

Ruby (1977) is a fun 70's slice of supernatural-revenge schlock from the 70s, and while this Blu-ray/DVD combo is an upgrade from previous DVD editions it is marred by missing video and an overall lackluster visual presentation, and what looks to be poor disc authoring. The David Del Valle-centric extras are a great value-add, this is definitely worth the upgrade, but maybe wait until the disc replacement program is up and running.   

CARRIE (1976) Collector's Edition (Scream Factory Blu-ray Review)

CARRIE (1976) 

2-Disc Collector's Edition 

Label: Scream Factory
Region Code: A
Duration: 98 Minutes 
Rating: R
Audio: English DTS-HD MA 2.0, DTS-HD MA 5.1 with Optional English Subtitles 
Video: 1080p HD Widescreen (1.85:1) 
Director: Brian De Palma
Cast: Sissy Spacek, William Katt, Amy Irving, Betty Buckley, Edie McClurg, John Travolta, Nancy Allen, P.J. Soles, Piper Laurie, Priscilla Pointer

Synopsis: Based on the best-selling Stephen King novel, this "absolutely spellbinding horror movie" (Roger Ebert) has become a pervasive, pop-culture touchstone for anyone who's ever wanted to get even. Sissy Spacek and Piper Laurie deliver Oscar®-nominated* performances and John Travolta and Amy Irving are terrific in this ultimate revenge fantasy that has become one of the all-time great horror classics, and is now, finally, offered as a definitive, two-disc Collector's Edition Blu-ray!

At the center of the terror is Carrie (Spacek), a high school loner with no confidence, no friends... and no idea about the extent of her secret powers of telekinesis. But when her psychotic mother and sadistic classmates finally go too far, the once-shy teen becomes an unrestrained, vengeance-seeking powerhouse who, with the help of her "special gift," causes all hell to break loose in a famed cinematic frenzy of blood, fire and brimstone!

There is not a lot I can add to the choir of voices who have sung the praise of Brian De Palma's wonderful adaptation of Stephen King's Carrie (1976) through the years, a classic slice of horror that combines Brian De Palma's dazzling technical visual style with the harrowing highschool horror tale of Carrie White, a painfully shy and awkward highschool girl who is traumatized when her period happens for the first time in the gym shower room. What might have been just an embarrassing moment turns traumatic as her classmates taunt her mercilessly, it doesn't help that her mother is an unsympathetic religious nut, and her newly emerged womanhood coincides with newfound telekinetic power which culminates in a nightmare prom night scenario that is pure cinematic awesomeness. This is a movie that goes right into the crypt as a movie to be celebrated as not only a horror classic but one of the best of the Stephen King adaptations and one of De Palma's finest works. 

Audio/Video: Wowzers, the new 4K scan from Scream Factory far advances over the MGM Blu-ray from a few years ago. Colors are vibrant, the blacks are nice and deep, shadow detail is strong, and the skin tones are noticeably less ruddy and cooler looking, very rarely has a new HD scan of a movie been such an obvious improvement, but this is simply stunning work. The colors are rich and deep, with very nice saturation throughout. The image has a nice layer of film grain and along with that some improved clarity and fine detail. 

Audio options on the disc comes by way of your choice of English DTS-HD MA 2.0 Stereo or Surround 5.1 and both sounds wonderful. I still prefer the stereo track but the surround options does give a nice fullness to the fantastic Pino Donaggio score, a nice combination of lush arrangements and dramatic Bernard Herrmann Psycho-nods. Optional English subtitles are provided. 

Scream Factory improve over the MGM Blu-ray by carrying over all the extras from the special edition DVD which MGM did not do for the Blu-ray. These   include two 40-minute mini-docs Acting Carrie (43 Mins) and Visualizing Carrie  (41 Mins) with vintage interviews from Actors Sissy Spacek, Amy Irving, Betty Buckley, Nancy Allen, William Katt, Piper Laurie, Priscilla Pointer and P.J. Soles And Art Director Jack Fisk, screenwriter Lawrence D. Cohen, editor Paul Hirsch and Director Brian De Palma, which are great. The original special edition was well-stacked back in the day and the material is still solid. 

Scream go above and beyond and tip the scales with over 2-hours of newly produced extras which are befitting the horror classic on its 40th anniversary. On disc one of the two-disc set we have the new 4K scan of the movie, plus we have the original theatrical trailer and franchise trailers for The Rage: Carrie 2, the 2002 Carrie TV movie plus the inferior 2013 remake. Onto disc two we have the aforementioned carry-overs from the special edition plus the new stuff.  'More Acting Carrie' is a nice update of the original 'Acting Carrie' with new interviews with Nancy Allen, Betty Buckley, William Katt, Piper Laurie, Edie McClurg and P.J. Soles (20 minutes). Plus there are new interviews with screenwriter Lawrence Cohen (29 Mins),  Paul Hirsch (25 Mins), director of photography Mario Tosi (15 Mins),  casting director Harriet B. Helberg (16 Mins), composer Pino Donaggio (24 Mins), a six-minute piece about "Carrie: The Musical", and a new episode of Sean Clark's Horror's Hallowed Grounds (11 Mins).  On top of that we have trailers and TV spots, an image gallery, plus a text essay 'Stephen King and The 'Evolution of Carrie'. As for packaging the 2-disc Blu-ray set arrives in a standard Blu-ray keepcase with a sleeve of reversible artwork, featuring the original poster artwork and a new illustration from artist Nat Marsh, with a slipcover featuring the new artwork. 

Special Features

Disc One:
- NEW 4K Scan Of The Original Negative
- Original Theatrical Trailer (2Mins) 
- Carrie Franchise Trailer Gallery (4 Mins) 
Disc Two:
- NEW More Acting Carrie – featuring interviews with Nancy Allen, Betty Buckley, William Katt, Piper Laurie, Edie McClurg and P.J. Soles (20 minutes)
- NEW Writing Carrie – an interview with screenwriter Lawrence Cohen (29 Mins) HD
- NEW Cutting Carrie – an interview with editor Paul Hirsch (25 Mins) HD 
- NEW Shooting Carrie – an interview with director of photography Mario Tosi (15 Mins) HD 
- NEW Casting Carrie –an interview with casting director Harriet B. Helberg (16 Mins) HD 
- NEW Bucket of Blood – a new interview with composer Pino Donaggio (24 Mins) HD 
- NEW Horror's Hallowed Grounds – Revisiting The Film's Original Locations (11 Mins) HD 
- Acting Carrie – Interviews With Actors Sissy Spacek, Amy Irving, Betty Buckley, Nancy Allen, William Katt, Piper Laurie, Priscilla Pointer and P.J. Soles And Art Director Jack Fisk And Director Brian De Palma (43 Mins) 
- Visualizing Carrie – Interviews With Brian De Palma, Jack Fisk, Lawrence D. Cohen, Paul Hirsch (41 Mins) HD 
- A Look At "Carrie: The Musical" (6 MIns) 
- TV Spots (3 Mins) 
- Radio Spots (2 Mins) 
- Still Gallery – Rare Behind-The-Scenes Photos, Posters And Lobby Cards
- Stephen King And The Evolution Of Carrie Text Gallery (17 Mins) HD 

Wow, the Scream Factory 2-disc Blu-ray Collector's Edition is jam-packed with not just a definitive 4K transfer but hours of cool extras. I remember listening to an interview with Jeff and Cliff from Scream Factory on an episode of the now defunct Killer POV podcast, they were posed the question what title had slipped through their fingers or what movie they would love to have a crack at, Carrie was at the top of the list. You could tell at the time it was a movie they wanted so badly to get their hands on, and now they have, and they've done right by it. When you watch this version of the movie you can feel and see their passion for the movie right there on the screen. This is hands-down the definitive version of the movie, case closed, sell-off your old versions and update immediately.  

Blu-ray Review: THE FACULTY (1999)

THE FACULTY (1999) 

Label: Echo Bridge Home Entertainment
Region Code: A
Duration: 105 Minutes
Rating: R
Audio: English DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1, Dolby Digital 2.0, 5.1
Video: 1080p Widescreen (1.78:1)
Director: Robert Rodriguez
Cast: Jordana Brewster, Clea DuVall, Laura Harris, Josh Hartnett, Shawn Hatosy, Famke Janssen, Piper Laurie, Bebe Neuwirth, Robert Patrick, Usher Raymond, Jon Stewart, Elijah Wood

If you're a mind controlling race of parasitic aliens how would you go about invading the planet? Obviously you'd start at a Mid-West high school, right? Maybe not, but director Robert Rodriguez's trashy invasion film cleverly riffs on the sci-fi classic Invasion of the Body Snatchers (1956) and is way more fun than it has any right to be, in retrospect it's a highlight of 90's horror that's ripe for re discovery. 

The fun script was doctored by Scream (1996) writer Kevin Williamson and the cast is pretty talented, we have a lot of young talent onscreen, beginning with our main protagonist Casey, a nerdy school paper photographer played by Elijah Wood (the Maniac remake) who starts to suspect the staff at Herrington High just might be aliens after he discoverers an alien parasite on the football field. His theory is confirmed when the faculty and staff start turning the student body into aliens! On the run from the aliens Casey must align himself with an unlikely array of high school archetypes with a twist. You have the super-smart drug dealer (Josh Hartnet, The Virgin suicides), the wanna-be intellect jock (Shawn Hatosy, Alpha Dog), the shy Southern girl (Laura Harris, Dead Like Me), the head cheerleader who moonlights as the school newspaper editor (Jordanna Brewster, Fast Five), and the outcast lesbian (Clea DuVall, HBO's Carnivale). It's an entertaining bunch to be sure, and expectantly they turn on one another as personalities clash and paranoia builds. 

Onto the teaching staff we have the smoking hot principal played by Bebe Neuwirth who played Frasier Crane's wife on the TV sitcom Cheers, I had such a hard-on for this woman as a young boy and she's still total turn-on here, am I alone in thinking this? Speaking of total foxes we have Famke Janssen (Goldeneye) as a mousy language arts teacher who transforms into a total vamp when infected with the alien parasite. Plus Salma Hayek (Frida) plays the school nurse, when isn't she gorgeous? Never, that's when. Okay, now that we have the cuties outta the way we can talk about Piper Laurie (Carrie) who is perfectly creepy here as one of the first teachers to come under the spell of the alien parasites  alongside Robert Patrick (The Black Waters of Echo Pond) as the intense small town football coach. There are even appearances from The Daily Show's Jon Stewart who appears as Prof. Furlong and comedian Lewis Black is in there alongside uber-geek Harry Knowles. Just the cast alone is pretty great even if we don't get a lot of depth to anyone, it's pretty shallow and that's alright. This is a trashy slice of high school paranoia  with some dumb action and decent special effects with a rocking 90's soundtrack - what's not to enjoy? 

Blu-ray: Echo Bridge Home Entertainment bring The Faculty (1999) to Blu-ray with a AVC encode and it looks pretty sharp in 1080p widescreen (1.78:1). Nicely saturated colors, decent black levels and a pleasing amount of depth and clarity, the film's natural grain structure is intact. There are three English audio options including Dolby Digital 2.0 and 5.1 plus a robust DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 mix that makes good use of the surrounds, dialogue is crisp and the score and the fun 90's alternative rock soundtrack sounds quite nice. No subtitles and no special features sadly, a commentary, featurettes or deleted scenes would have been appreciated. 

Verdict: A pretty trashy 90's sci-fi entry with just the right amount of cheese, aliens are invading a mid-western high school, it's just as silly as it sounds but it's an entertaining romp with a great cast, a perfectly trashy popcorn watch. The Faculty (1999) gets a definite recommend and it's pretty cheap on Blu-ray, I say add this one to your collection. 3 Outta 5