By Geno McGahee
The 1980s was a great time for horror with the slasher films reigning supreme. The time passed and the slasher films went away, but one has re-emerged thanks to Arrow Video and the Blu-Ray version is something special. I have never seen the film look this good. The remastered version is a must-own for those of us that have owned the VHS copy (which I did). THE MUTILATOR is a great slasher film and to see it in this condition made it that much more enjoyable. Arrow Video did a good thing here.
Written and directed by Buddy Cooper, THE MUTILATOR, surrounds a young boy that accidentally kills his mother with a shotgun. His father comes home and finds his dead wife and snaps, turning him into the Mutilator, a maniacal killer that may just be the fiercest slasher of all time. This film has some of the best death scenes that I have ever seen in any film and some of the best reactions from the actors that are murdered. They pushed the limits with the special effects and lengthened death scenes that are typically very quick in these sorts of films.
The film follows the slasher formula. A group of teens are away on a break with the hopes of having a great time. When they get there, they encounter the hidden evil force that resides and he does not enjoy having visitors stop by. Not only is this killer a master of his craft, but he is versatile, using many different weapons effectively. At one point, he violates a victim with a large hook. That scene was about as intense and uncomfortable as it gets.
As the victims get killed in unique fashion, a couple of survivors make a last stand and (spoiler) lead to one of the best death scenes of all time. The killing machine gets some payback and ends up torn in two. I cannot believe that any horror fan would not love this movie and the effort they put into making it entertaining. They decided that they were going to make this film as crazy as possible and it worked well. There is never a dull moment.
I highly recommend buying the Blu-Ray of THE MUTILATOR from Arrow Video. This film may have flown under the radar among other slashers at the time, but today is a new day and this is a must have for any fan of the slasher film.
Rating: 8/10
Along with the great remastered version of THE MUTILATOR, Arrow Video has put together some bonus features that should be appreciated:
Bonus Materials
– Brand new 2K restoration from original vault materials of the R-rated and Unrated versions of the film
– High Definition Blu-ray (1080p) and Standard Definition DVD presentations
– Original mono audio (uncompressed PCM on the Blu-ray)
– Optional English subtitles for the deaf and hard of hearing
– Brand new interviews with cast and crew
– Reversible sleeve featuring original artwork to be revealed
– Fully-illustrated collector’s booklet featuring new writing on the film alongside archive articles from Fangoria magazine
Product Details
Format: BLU-RAY
SKU: AV023
UPC: 760137775997
Label: Arrow Video »
Genre: Horror
Run Time: 86 mins
Number of Discs: 2
Audio: MONO
Year of Production: 1985
Director: Buddy Cooper
Actors: Matt Mitler, Ruth Martinez, Bill Hitchcock
Box Lot: 30
Territory: US
Language: English
SRP: $39.95
