Review by David Paul Hellings
@HellingsOnFilm
“Although the slasher film was in decline by the mid-1980s, there were still some grisly delights to be had… and they don’t come much grislier than writer-director Buddy Cooper’s sickening stalk-and-slash classic The Mutilator, available on Blu-ray and DVD from Arrow Video on 8th February 2016.
When Ed receives a message from his father asking him to go and lock up the family’s beach condo for the winter, it seems like the perfect excuse for an alcohol-fuelled few days away with his friends. After all, his dad has forgiven him for accidentally blowing mom away with a shotgun several years ago… hasn’t he? But no sooner are the teens on the island than they find themselves stalked by a figure with an axe (and a hook, and an onboard motor) to grind…
Originally entitled Fall Break (watch out for the incongruous theme song of the same name!), The Mutilator has earned a reputation amongst horror fans as one of the ‘holy grails’ of 80s splatter mayhem due to its highly inventive (and not to say, decidedly gruesome) kill sequences, courtesy of FX wizard Mark Shostrom (Videodrome, Evil Dead II). Finally making its long-awaited bow in High-Definition, The Mutilator has returned to terrorise a whole new generation of horror fans!”
-via Arrow Video
Review:
Enthusiastic. That’s the most fitting compliment you can pay Buddy Cooper’s “The Mutilator”. It is enthusiastically made with love and stars a young cast that work hard with limited talent to create a cult horror that takes you back to the days of the video store and a film that you’d rent for a fun night in with a few friends and plenty of beer. No surprise that label VIPCO was the distributor back in the days of the VHS box era and what an era it was. Sadly missed.
Director Cooper, working with a small budget and minimum locations, made the wise choice of working with FX Expert Mark Shostrum , who supplied the real meat of the piece by creating some excellent and gory effects that will entertain and engage horror fans. The popularity of the film stems from the imaginative and grisly deaths of the characters, cleverly done with items that we are initially shown as harmless and matter of fact.
“The Mutilator” is from the period after the greats had been released and others were still seeing the profitability of the shock gore market. Quickly made; cast cheaply; quickly written scripts and short production cycles, they would follow all of the hallmarks of the brief golden age of slasher.
Changing tastes in the mid 80s meant that films such as “The Mutilator” never really had their true moment in the sun, and subsequently Buddy Cooper’s film never gained a full version of glory in the same way other classic horrors have, until now. A 35mm master print of the original uncut version was tracked down at the Library of Congress, and a 2K restoration is presented here. This is an excellent version of the film, the distributors noting that there are still some noticeable elements of damage. These are minor, to be fair. This is the best that “The Mutilator” has looked and fans of the film should be very happy to see it finally get a decent release. Special Features are extensive and informative, and reflect the affection felt by cast and crew to this day.
“The Mutilator” remains a cult favourite and director Buddy Cooper’s love and enthusiasm for his work still shines through. Here’s a man who wanted to make a horror film, not only succeeded, but created a piece that retains a strong following of fans to this day.
Highly recommended for fans of slasher horror.
Special Features
- Brand new 2K restoration of the unrated version from original vault materials
- High Definition Blu-ray (1080p) and Standard Definition DVD presentations
- Original mono 1.0 audio (uncompressed PCM on the Blu-ray
- Optional English subtitles for the deaf and hard of hearing
- Introduction to the film with writer-director Buddy Cooper and assistant special make-up effects artist/assistant editor Edmund Ferrell
- Audio Commentary with Cooper, Ferrell, co-director John Douglass and star Matt Mitler
- Audio Commentary with Buddy Cooper and star Ruth Martinez Tutterow
- Fall Breakers: The Story of The Mutilator – brand new feature-length documentary on the making of the splatter classic featuring interviews with Cooper, Douglass, Ferrell, Mitler, actors Bill Hitchcock, Jack Chatham and more
- Mutilator Memories – special make-up effects artist Mark Shostrom looks back at one of his earliest projects
- Tunes for the Dunes – composer Michael Minard reveals how The Mutilator’s unique score was created
- Behind-the-Scenes Reel
- Screen Tests
- Alternate Opening Titles
- Trailers and TV Spots
- ‘Fall Break’ Theme Song (Original and Instrumental Versions)
- Opening Sequence Storyboards
- Motion Stills Gallery
- Original Fall Break Screenplay (BD/DVD-ROM content)
- Reversible sleeve featuring two original artworks
