It's always a cause for rejoicing when Vinegar Syndrome releases one of its semi-annual Homegrown Horrors sets, and following up on the first set from 2021 and the second one from 2023, the third set came along in 2024 with another trio of scruffy indie shockers from the late 20th century -- including one endearing heavy hitter (relatively speaking) of a slasher that makes this one of the most essential entries to date.

That Kentucky-shot hangout college slasher, Hauntedween, is the most recent of the bunch (squeaking in after the subgenre's golden age in 1991 but shot in 1989) and barely made a blip when director W. Doug Robertson self-distributed it on VHS from "Consumer Video Distributors." It wasn't until much later with its 20th anniversary DVD release in 2011 that its reputation really started to catch on among slasher die-hards, with its adorable accents and infectious energy making this ideal Halloween viewing stacked up with titles like Hack-o-Lantern, Jack-o, and so on. In the finest tradition, our story begins with an origin prologue showing how a young boy named Eddie is miffed that he can't participate in his family's successful Halloween "House of Horrors" spook show. He decides to prove his worth by luring in a little girl, only to accidentally impale her and cover up the accident by, uh, cutting off her head. Eddie's mom stashes him away Bad Ronald-style for twenty years, which is when the main part of our story begins. The goofy frat boys from Sigma Phi at a nearby college are seriously strapped for cash, which is causing a big problem for their president Kurt (Blakely, now a North Carolina newscaster) and his girlfriend Mel (Pickett) who's feeling very neglected. Kurt and his Greek brothers arrange a big outdoor music fundraiser, but the location scouting also gives him the great idea of doing a big Halloween haunted house in the same place where Eddie caused carnage years before. Of course, Eddie's still lurking around after his mom died in a fall, and he's eager to strut his stuff again when the frat decides to install a grisly "Kill Room" in their next attraction that will become all too real.

Packed with goofy comedy, campfire antics, bare skin, questionable hairdos, and gory gags, Hauntedween has a great "let's put on a show" attitude and looks far better than its measly $65K budget would lead you to believe. It's exactly the kind of film dogged VHS archaeologists thrill to uncovering, though in the usual regional horror method, you should go in knowing that it spends a lot of time in the first hour capturing the quirks of the students far more than any kind of gory mayhem. The latter really gets unleashed once the haunted house is open for business, a lively stretch of meta violence with paying attendees shouting for more blood and brutality. The DVD release of this was a welcome development at the time and featured a nice batch of extras explaining where this curious title came from, but it's easily eclipsed by the Vinegar Syndrome Blu-ray which ports over the earlier supplements while adding some new goodies as well. The new 4K scan from the 16mm original camera negative easily blows away the DVD, which was presented matted to 1.78:1 but 4x3 and featuring a new (ugly) main title sequence. It also imposed a weird pinkish orange tint over the opening sequence, whereas here everything is far more attractive with rich color timing and excellent detail. The restoration of the 1.33:1 framing makes a big difference as well, no longer looking cramped at all. The DTS-HD MA English 2.0 stereo track also sounds excellent with nice channel separation, and optional English SDH subtitles are provided.

Present here from the prior DVD are the recut 85-minute SD version with its commentary by Robertson and producer/cinematographer/editor Cory Lash, a behind-the-scenes featurette (45m36s) showing the underpaid cast and crew having a lot of fun on the set (complete with elaborate dolly tracks and excellent latex gore gags) and an archival image gallery (6m50s). The main feature comes with a new audio commentary by the slasher connoisseurs from The Hysteria Continues!, the most logical choice to tackle this one. They don't disappoint with a ton of info about the production, its odd video release history, the shooting in Bowling Green (and its ties to Halloween), and as much of the backgrounds of the participants as possible. In "Capturing the Horrors" (30m42s), Lash covers the genesis of this film many years before in Los Angeles, the process of deciding where to shoot, and his working relationship with the director. In "Say Cheese and Die!" (20m22s), first camera assistant Michael Reff cheerfully looks back at his career aspirations, his recruiting onto this film through Lesh, and Robertson's gung-ho methods. Finally in "All Hallow's Eve" (19m27s), production assistant Emory Schroeter looks back at the pride he felt in the work done on this film, the strain caused by financial limitations, and his grief at the director's passing. Also included are a music video for the insanely catch theme song (in gorgeous HD!) shot during the production of the film, an HD trailer, and a new behind-the-scenes photo gallery (1m39s).

Next we come to the most widely distributed film in the set, Revenge, a 1986 horror film from United (which eventually became VCI) usually solicited as part of a three-film "Blood Pack" deal with Blood Cult and The Ripper. This was the only one of the three that was actually shot on film (16mm), and in fact it's really a sequel to Blood Cult picking up the exact second that film ended. A sorority house massacre has brought out the cops late at night, with coroner Dr. White (Hart), one of the leaders of the murder cult worshiping a dog-faced god of death, on the scene where victims have been marked with gold coins. A reporter (Adams) keeps pestering him for details and gets taken for a late-night interview ride that turns fatal, after which we jump forward two months to catch up with the first film's Gracie (McGowan), a middle-aged farm dweller whose husband also falls afoul of the ax-wielding cultists. Enter Michael Hogan (Sinbad and the Eye of the Tiger's Wayne, son of John), who drives back to his hometown to look into his brother's murder and teams up with Gracie to get the titular revenge against the evildoers.

Much more ambitious and visually impressive than its predecessor, this one leans far more into the occult than the straightforward slasher antics we saw before. It even comes with a theme song, which was apparently enough to justify a soundtrack LP(!), and the Oklahoma production shelled out enough to bring in John Carradine for a couple of scenes as a wicked politician (which Fangoria touted as his 500th role). The shooting around the Tulsa, Oklahoma area gives this a lot of Midwestern charm with local actors giving it a unique flavor, while having a rifle-toting, mature woman as the film's hero is a nice touch that diverges from the norm at the time.

Probably due to its bland title, this one doesn't seem to get brought up as much as its SOV companions; however, it doesn't skimp on the grue where it's needed including spontaneous combustions, torso slittings, and other nastiness peppered throughout the admittedly excessive 100-minute running time. The United clamshell VHS release was a familiar sight on mom and pop video store shelves well into the '90s, and even then this looked really good on home video with its 1.33:1 compositions safe from any pan and scan butchery. The subsequent DVD from VCI also looked quite nice and was one of the label's better efforts, with extras including a short making-of, cast and crew bios, a trailer, and a commentary with the married team of director Christopher Lewis and producer Linda Lewis along with composer Rod Slane.

The Vinegar Syndrome Blu-ray is even better with a 4K scan from the 16mm original camera negative looking exceptionally detailed with natural film grain throughout. Colors here are more neutral than the earlier DVD, which was warmer and bordering on orange in some scenes, and the ambitious helicopter shots look especially great here and worth every penny. Incredibly, the filmmakers also sprang for a very active stereo mix on this one as well, which is what you get here with a nice, dynamic English DTS-HD MA 2.0 track with optional English subtitles. The prior commentary is included here, but you also get a terrific and extremely informative new commentary with Linda Lewis and author/film historian John Wooley, who covered the film's production at the time. They have a great time here covering loads of details and pointing out the many cameos here including the director, VCI's Bob Blair, and tons more, some playing multiple roles. Linda Lewis returns in the featurette "Back for More" (8m47s) for a more general account of how the film got launched on the heels of The Ripper and was designed to ride the success of Blood Cult, promoted as the first shot-on-video horror movie (at least with notable direct-to-VHS distribution). In "Working Her Guts Out" (15m7s), actress Andrea DeLesDernier (credited as Adams) recalls being cast in this film after doing a lead in The Ripper and working for only one night while studying as a sophomore in college. Finally in "Revenge is Sweet" (4m17s), Blair looks back at the home video market at the time, this film's place in the history of United, and the sales tactics for video stores including the necessity for bringing in recognizable names. Also included are the trailer, image gallery, and archival featurette (4m46s).

Finally we get to the third and easily the most obscure film in the set, 1987's Deadly Love, helmed by Michael S. O'Rourke before his only other directorial feature, the wild Moonstalker (which was included in the second Homegrown Horrors). Shot in mountains around Reno, Nevada and given a very marginal VHS release, this is another cockeyed take on the slasher formula with some supernatural tragic romance at its core.

Our twisted tale begins with the seemingly idyllic young love between Ann (Brown) and her motorcycle-crazy boyfriend, Buddy (Oglesby), whose relationship is defined by a popular radio hit called "Forever" (which "beat The Beatles," according to the DJ during one of the many, many times you hear it). Since her dad disapproves of their relationship, they decide to "run away together and live on beans"-- a plan quickly sabotaged by her hulking family caretaker, Clint (Alves), who hangs out in the woods nearby and slices her name into his palm with a switchblade. Things escalate quickly as Clint shoots Buddy dead, daddy orders the whole thing covered up, and we jump forward a couple of decades as the lonely, older Ann is passing her time summoning Buddy with an occult text that allows him to appear in a mirror wearing his full biker gear. However, four jerk punks living in the vicinity decide to relieve their boredom by tormenting "crazy Annie" so much she slashes her wrists. Enter Ann's niece, Hillie (Moonstalker's Hart, a.k.a. the director's daughter, Kelly O'Rourke, who also plays one of the punks), who inherits the property and gets the scoop on what's been happening from delivery boy and possible love interest Skip (Reynolds). Then the body count begins...

Bound to be the most divisive entry in the set, this film has a very particular, dreamy atmosphere that works best if you just sit back and roll along with the strange narrative shifts. Helping things along a lot is the effective electronic score which effectively nails the wistful and spooky elements of the story (and helps you ignore the truly horrifying wigs on display here). The slasher stuff in the final third is obviously going to be the selling point here, but the Jess Franco-ish supernatural elements get most of the focus here and lead to a mystifying and very grim E.C. Comics-style resolution.

Financed by a local gambling and saloon business owner, Deadly Love will probably be a first-time viewing for anyone who snags this set and looks very solid here taken from a 4K scan of recently uncovered "35mm vault elements." Whatever that may entail, it's pristine here and even looks excellent in the dark night scenes. The DTS-HD MA English 2.0 mono track is in good shape as well and features English SDH subtitles. A new commentary by editor John Strysik and composer, sound recordist, and title designer Charles Binckley is very goofy and informative (they start off noting two other intended participants didn't show up on time) with a loose string of recollections about the late director, the many duties performed by the participants with various levels of experience, and the dreams and day jobs of just about everyone as well. In "The Great Times We Had" (25m57s), Kelly O'Rourke shares plenty of memories about heading off to Lake Tahoe to help fulfill her dad's dream to take off from L.A. and finally make his own horror movie, including an explanation for that "huh?" ending to basically lengthen the film. Then Strysik and Binckley appears separately in "Deadly Cuts" (15m18s) and "Here's the Equipment, Figure It Out" (18m52s), which covers cinematic influences like Un Chien Andalou, the reason for the That's Incredible! shirt worn by one character, other projects including a Lovecraft short, the reason there's no credited director of photography, and the technical equipment at their disposal at the time. In a very welcome touch, you also get the option to play the entire score (67m14s) and the original full-length recording of the theme song “Forever” (4m20s) performed by Becka Ragel, with a moody intro you don't really hear in the final film.

HAUNTEDWEEN (Blu-ray)

HAUNTEDWEEN (DVD)

REVENGE (Blu-ray)

REVENGE (DVD)

Reviewed on August 2, 2024