‘Frightmare: Tromatic Special Edition’ Blu-ray Review
Stars: Jeffrey Combs, Nina Talbot, Scott Thomson, Donna McDaniel, Ferdy Mayne, Luca Bercovici, Leon Askin, Jennifer Starrett | Written and Directed by Norman Thaddeus Vane
During the 1980s, Troma Entertainment gave the world a string of cult favourites, including The Toxic Avenger, Christmas Evil, Class of Nuke ’Em High and the lesser-discussed Frightmare. First released in 1983, Frightmare now makes its way to Blu-ray courtesy of Troma Home Entertainment, complete with a selection of very cool bonus features.
Following the death of legendary horror actor Conrad Radzoff (Ferdy Mayne, The Howling II, Conan the Destroyer), a group of overzealous drama students steal his corpse from his crypt and take it to the decrepit haunted house where his finest fright films were made. As the night goes on, the students lean the true meaning of terror, as Conrad’s vengeful spirit takes them out one by one.
Frightmare delivers the kind of gory fun Troma fans have come to know and love. The film boasts some impressively grisly special effects produced by Chuck E. Stewart (Critters, The X-Files, Bruce Almighty), while the cast includes familiar genre faces such as Jeffrey Combs (Re-Animator), Nina Talbot (Night Shift, Puppet Master II), Scott Thomson (Police Academy I–IV) and Donna McDaniel (Hollywood Hot Tub).
It’s also a relentlessly fast-paced slice of horror. Clocking in at under 90 minutes, Frightmare never outstays its welcome, leaving little room for boredom to creep in. This is very much a splatter-fest that gorehounds will delight in – but be warned, the film is packed with bloody violence. As such, it won’t be for weak-stomached horror fans.
Frightmare has been transferred to Blu-ray in 1080p and is presented in HD, framed in 1.78:1 widescreen. The audio track is an English Dolby Digital 2.0 audio track with optional English subtitles.
Frightmare looks impressively crisp and clean in HD. The colours are vibrant without being oversaturated, flesh tones appear natural, and the audio is clear and well-balanced. All told, this is a genuinely strong Blu-ray transfer. But Troma hasn’t simply dropped the film onto a disc and called it a day – far from it. They’ve also packed the release with a range of excellent bonus features. Here’s what’s included…
Special Features:
- Original DVD Intro Featuring Lloyd Kaufman and Debbie Rechon
- Archival audio interview with Director Norman Thaddeus Vane
- Historical Commentary with David Del Valle and David DeCoteau
- The Hysteria Continues (audio commentary from ‘The Hysteria Continues’ Podcast)
- Original Theatrical Trailer
- Artwork Gallery
- Man With A Camera: Video Interview With DP Joel King
- A Gory Lesson From The Set Of Meat For Satan’s Ice Box
- INNARDS! Music Video
- Radiation March
- Troma in Times Square
- TA in 4k!
- Coming Distractions
Troma Home Entertainment’s Blu-ray releases consistently go above and beyond, packing in as much value as possible – and, as you can see above, Frightmare is no exception. This Blu-ray really does offer a lot of bang for your buck.
***** 5/5
If you are a fan of 80s slasher films, Troma’s Frightmare: Tromatic Special Edition Blu-ray needs to be in your home video library. Head over to Amazon and order your copy today.
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