Those of us old enough to remember can recall a time when
slasher movies were everywhere back in the 80's. It seemed like they made a
quick visit to the local theater and then filled the shelves of video stores
left and right. Some were good, some were bad, but most were similar in content
and were not too terrible to watch. It was a time when horror was beginning to
become a normal staple of film having been subjected to a once every five year
cycle. That has played out to a time now when nearly every week we see several
horror films arriving on the DVD shelf.
Among the films being released now are those classic slasher
films from the 80's, including the release from Synapse of CURTAINS. Following
the formula of a masked killer taking out multiple characters it's actually not
a bad film even though it was surrounded by controversy when it was released.
That controversy had nothing to do with people being offended by the content
but with the film itself, originally directed by Richard Ciupka but taken from
his hands and re-edited and shot by producer Peter Simpson. Simpson had a
reputation for being difficult to please and that story is best told here in
the extras portion of the disc.
The story revolves around a group of actresses gathered at a
country retreat to audition for the part of Audra, a role and film that's the
pet project of director Jonathan Stryker (John Vernon). When the film opens we
witness Stryker help admit actress Samantha Sherwood (Samantha Eggar) into a
mental hospital supposedly disguised as a patient. All of this is a way for her
to get deeper into the motivations of the character of Audra, to gain insight
into what it means to be a mental patient. The problem is that the longer she's
there, the closer she becomes the patient she is to play. But is she really
becoming that insane character or is it acting on her part?
Suffice to say that years go by and eventually Stryker
decides to make the film using a new lead actress. Sherwood hears about this
and escapes from the mental ward determined to retake the role intended for
her. The problem is there are several other actresses all heading to a remote
country estate with that same goal in mind. One is a fading star, another a
sexpot, one an ice skating star, a hopeful stand up comedian and more. Each
actress is willing to do almost anything to get the part.
As the weekend progresses Stryker tests each actress for the
role in various ways. At the same time the girls suddenly begin being killed by
a mysterious murderer wearing an old woman mask. Just which one of them is the
killer so determined to get this part that they're willing to take out the
competition in such a drastic way? Did Sherwood really snap while in the mental
ward? Or is it one of the other ingénues seeking fame and fortune?
While the extras talk about the fact that the film was taken
over by Simpson who had a completely different take on the material and how it
would look, the combining of the two different shoots on the film is relatively
unnoticeable. Had I not know that it was going on I probably wouldn't have
noticed. When you're aware of this fact sure you notice. Otherwise you just
enjoy this as another 80's slasher movie. That's what Simpson wanted where as
Ciupka was going for a more stylish film in the vein of DON'T
LOOK NOW.
This combination of different movies plays well rather than suffer from the
melding of the two different takes on the same story.
The acting on display here, from major stars towards the end
of their careers to new actresses hoping to ride the wave to stardom, is
actually quite good. It's actually a step above what most films of this genre
tended to offer. Vernon also does a great job as the director obsessed with a
movie that means everything to him. How each brings their character to life
here shows they were up to the challenge of making the film believable.
That being said the movie is no high handed drama. It
remains a slasher film. This genre was all about finding ways to kill off
characters in various means while at the same time keeping the viewer unaware
of just who was doing the murders. Consider it a who-dun-it filled with more
gore than those stories contain. At the same time realize that the gore factor
for 1983 when the film came out is far tamer than we see now. TV series like
THE WALKING DEAD have more gross out scenes in one episode than this entire
movie. And still it all works.
Synapse has done a great job with the release of this movie
to blu-ray. The quality of the transfer is wonderful. The extras included are
great as well, giving more background to the making of this film than most
features receive. It's interesting to go back and watch the film again after
watching that background information. If you're a fan of those 80's slasher
films then you'll not only want to watch this film but add it to your
collection as well. It's a quality release of a genre that needs to be
remembered.
Click here to order.
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