The Dorm That Dripped Blood Blu-ray offers decent video and audio in this enjoyable Blu-ray release
On the eve of Christmas vacation a college dormitory stands condemned. Student Joanne Murray and her friends volunteer to help close down the building, unaware a psychopathic lunatic is hiding in the shadows.
There's a certain charm in The Dorm That Dripped Blood that's often lacking in other films of its kind. While it may seem to be just another
one of the
almost innumerable low-level, barely-seen, cult-favorite Slashers from the 1980s -- a decade, one could argue, that has come to be cinematically
defined by its Horror pictures both large and small and the culture surrounding them -- it's incredibly unpretentious, serious but not at the expense
of
fun, and assembled with just the right amount of balance to give it something of a complete and satisfying feel, even if there's really nothing new
and the picture lacks the polished façade and kinetic energy of bigger, but not necessarily better, genre films. Maybe better said, it epitomizes
everything that's so good about the low-budget micro-Slasher. Questionable acting, not much of a plot, long and dull stretches, and only
semi-creative kill
scenes might leave most wondering what the fuss is all about, but it's the way the film so effortlessly goes with the flow and so easily pieces
together
every single stock part -- despite its flaws that are not exclusive but rather problems inherent to the genre at large -- that it's something of a
standard-bearer of these sort of pictures, and that it's been practically invisible since its release only adds to the legend and the picture's claim as
perhaps the perfect example of the invisible Slasher.
What terrors await in the dorm that dripped blood?
Joanne Murray (Laurie Lapinski) is a perky go-getter who has been assigned the arduous task of removing and inventorying all remaining items from
a now-defunct college that's to soon be converted into an apartment complex. With the help of a few friends, the task suddenly doesn't seem so
daunting; in fact, it might even be quite a bit of fun! Unfortunately, things don't go quite as planned. Joanne's friend Debbie (Daphne Zuniga) won't
be able to stay to help, but even in her absence Joanne and crew manage to get a good start on their task. It's going well until they notice a creepy
man wandering around the school; his sudden appearance and apparent lack of reason for being there begins to raise suspicions, and when Joanne's
friends begin to turn up dead, the remaining teens set aside their work schedule and focus on tracking down the killer before he can wipe out
everyone on campus.
The Dorm That Dripped Blood, also known as Pranks and, now once again, Death Dorm, the title depending on the cut, has
earned an undeserved reputation, generally thanks to its inclusion on the infamous "video nasty" list, that's probably given the film too much credit
for
too much blood and violence that's not really there -- as is the case for most of these
movies, at least contextually compared to the massive carnage and stomach-churning prosthetics and special effects of the Saw era -- and that's elevated it into something that it's not. The
Dorm
That Dripped Blood -- no matter the cut -- is by no means a soft and cuddly movie, but viewers should probably lower their expectations a bit;
shots of torsos separated from arms, faces run over by a car, and drills poking into someone's brain may be disturbing and the violence may be
explicit, but it's not
exactly the kind of stomach-churning nastiness modern genre viewers might have come to expect. If it's not considerably more violent than others
of
its kind, then, why bother? With a lacking story, sluggish acting, and a choppy low-budget tone, is there reason to choose Death Dorm over
any other random 1980s Slasher clone?
Certainly. First is the film's fantastic ending that's maybe the one thing in the entire picture that dares convention and makes the film all the better
for it. The juxtaposition between 80-some minutes of standard-fare genre hacking and slashing versus its low key but certainly unique conclusion
make the picture well worth the effort, no matter the positives or negatives of any of the surrounding qualities and intangibles. In a more general
examination, Stephen Carpenter and Jeffrey Obrow handle the film with neither great style nor such a heavy hand so as to ruin the movie.
Death Dorm is composed of the sort of shadowy atmosphere that makes movies like this so effective yet so repetitive and even redundant,
but the directors balance the film so as not to allow it to
become
too generically atmospheric for its own good. The characters are relatively flat, the identity of the killer doesn't come as much of a surprise once the
ball gets rolling, and the dialogue through most of the picture is clumsy at best, but Death Dorm nevertheless hunkers down in its final act
with some genuine scares and performances that, even through some hackneyed dialogue, manage to engender an honest and fearful
sensation both on-screen and within the audience.
The Dorm That Dripped Blood's 1080p transfer will never be mistaken for a shiny new release of a big-budget studio Horror film, but Synapse
has pulled out all the stops and given this cult favorite a makeover that will more than satisfy -- maybe even shock -- viewers who have been stuck
watching bootlegged VHS or DVD copies over the years. The image is remarkably clean, retaining a heavy layer of grain but leaving out all but a trace
amount of speckles, splotches, and scratches. Only minor background blocking and practically no banding are present. Detailing is adequate; the image
is generally
soft and fuzzy, but the 1080p resolution and grain retention certainly help to bring out every nuance inherent within the source. Colors are fairly dull
but stable,
flesh tones are mostly accurate, and blacks never veer towards a gray, overly bright, or washed out appearance, though crush is regularly evident. This
is a
fairly strong presentation all things considered; as with any release of this vintage and style, expectations are key, and Synapse has surpassed every
reasonable one of them.
The Dorm That Dripped Blood arrives on Blu-ray with an adequate DTS-HD MA 2.0 lossless soundtrack.
The front channels, of course, carry the load, but despite the absence of greater spacing and a finer sense of envelopment, the track still delivers a
stable listen that certainly shows some
wear and tear but nevertheless manages to impress more than disappoint. Music can be a bit shrilly and unkempt at the top of the range, but is
otherwise mostly crisp in a throwback sort of way. Sound effects are stable if not a bit crunchy and ungainly from time to time. Ambience is limited,
but dialogue is fairly strong and center-focused. There's not much to this track, but listeners will enjoy the boost in clarity thanks to the lossless
presentation.
The Dorm That Dripped Blood features a few extras, headlined by an audio commentary track.
Audio Commentary: Directors Stephen Carpenter and Jeffrey Obrow deliver an interesting and oftentimes engaging commentary that
covers the film's many titles, the story behind the picture's origins, inspirations that influenced the movie, the work of the cast, filming equipment and
techniques, on-set recreation, the process of writing the script, and even critiquing what works and what doesn't in their own picture. Fans of the film or
those interested in low-budget Slashers from the early 1980s will love this track.
My First Score (1080p, 8:11): Composer Christopher Young talks about the importance of sound and music in Horror movies while
remembering working on his first motion picture.
My First Slasher (1080p, 9:28): Make-Up FX Creator Matthew Mungle recalls his gory effects work for the film.
Original The Dorm That Dripped Blood Theatrical Trailer (1080p, 1:26).
Synapse is well on its way to becoming the next cult sensation Blu-ray studio. The Dorm That Dripped Blood's Blu-ray release has a decidedly
Blue Underground flair to it, both in terms of the film's content -- recalling pictures like The Prowler and Maniac -- and the quality of the release. Expecting much better than
what Synapse has provided would be unrealistic; the studio has endeavored to offer Slasher connoisseurs the finest Death Dorm presentation
possible, going so far as to delay the release to ensure the highest available quality. The picture and sound elements are admittedly rough, but film
enthusiasts and viewers with the proper expectations will likely be ecstatic with what what Synapse has done for this little under-the-radar gem. A few
extras round this release into form as a must-buy for hardcore genre fans. Recommended, and keep an eye on Synapse.
Fangoria is reporting that, on March 8, Synapse Films will release the 1982 slasher movie The Dorm That Dripped Blood, on a Blu-ray/DVD combo, featuring the uncut director's cut. Synapse's Don May, Jr. explained that this version will include "footage that no one ...
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