‘Colony Mutation’ & ‘The Paranormal’ Blu-ray Reviews (Visual Vengeance)
One thing streaming still can’t compete with when it comes to physical media is the wealth of bonus features. Few labels do this better than Visual Vengeance. Over the past several years, they’ve delivered a string of deluxe Blu-ray releases – Furious, Scream Queen, The Wrong Door, Repligator, Dinosaur Valley Girls, Heartland of Darkness and Highway to Hell, to name just a few.
Now, Visual Vengeance has dipped back into the 1990s to rescue a pair of low-budget horror obscurities, giving them the same super-deluxe Blu-ray treatment. The films in question? Colony Mutation and The Paranormal.
Colony Mutation (1995)
When genetic scientist Meredith Weaver finds out about her husband’s affair, she doses him with an experimental and very unstable serum, which causes his body parts to separate from his torso and take on monstrous lives of their own, all of them now craving human flesh. Soon, he’s stalking the streets in search of young women to quench the now insatiable hunger of his evil appendages.
The Paranormal (1998)
Something is haunting the Englewood movie theater – an unseen force that comes alive after dark. Paranormal investigator Kyle Jennings is called in, but the moment he steps inside, the nightmare begins. The theater seals itself shut, the screen tears open like a doorway, and the low budget zombie movie playing suddenly becomes real. With the undead spilling into the aisles, Kyle must uncover the source of the disturbance before the entire theater becomes a feeding ground, and the only clues may be trapped inside the film itself.
Let’s be honest – these are extremely low-budget horror films. The acting can be rough, and the special effects are undeniably cheesy. But for many film fans, that’s part of the charm. There’s a real sense of fun in watching filmmakers push limited resources as far as they can. As an aspiring filmmaker myself, that’s something I genuinely respect. These projects might not be polished, but they’re driven by passion, and you can see the effort to make the most out of every penny on screen.
Visual Vengeance has transferred these two films to Blu-ray in 1080p they are presented in a 1.33:1 aspect ratio. Colony Mutation‘s transfer comes from a new, director-supervised 2K transfer and restoration from original Super 8 film elements. The Paranormal comes from a new director-supervised transfer from original tape elements. Visual Vengeance made it clear with their technical disclaimer that: “We have created the following Blu-ray using the best source materials available. Please be advised that the audio and video quality presented is the result of the original source material.”
For me, the stronger of the two – both in terms of the film itself and the transfer – is The Paranormal. The audio on Colony Mutation is noticeably weaker, though that’s clearly down to the limitations of the original source material, and there’s only so much that can be done to improve that.
That said, one thing you can always count on with a Visual Vengeance Blu-ray is the effort they put in. As ever, they’ve gone all out here, packing the discs with a wealth of bonus features, including:
Colony Mutation Bonus Materials:
- Commentary from producer/ director Tom Berna
- Commentary with Tony Strauss of Weng’s Chop Magazine
- Interview with director Tom Berna
- Interview with star David Rommel
- Interview with music composer Patrick Nettesheim
- In the Director’s Chair: archival public access interview with Tom Berna
- Alternate original 1998 VHS version of Colony Mutation
- Alternate original 2013 DVD version of Colony Mutation
- Complete original script
- Image Gallery
- Producer teaser trailer
- Visual Vengeance trailers
- Optional English subtitles
- ‘Stick Your Own’ VHS stickers
- Reversible sleeve featuring original VHS art
- Folded poster with original illustrated art
- Booklet with liner notes by Tony Strauss – FIRST PRESSING ONLY
- Limited edition O-Card with art by Justin Coons – FIRST PRESSING ONLY
The Paranormal Bonus Materials:
- Commentary with director Todd Norris
- Commentary with director Todd Norris and Composer Paul Roberts
- New Cast and Crew Interviews
- The Two Todds: Todd Norris and Todd Sheets interview
- The Paranormal Channel 5 TV Airing Bumpers
- Blooper Reel
- Deleted Scenes
- Original Script Excerpts
- Storyboard Gallery
- Short Film: The Closet
- Short Film: L…
- Short Film: Night of the Growling
- Short Film: Parallax
- Visual Vengeance Trailer
- Trailers
- Optional English subtitles
- Folded mini-poster with art by Giorgio Credaro
- Reversible Sleeve Featuring Original VHS Art
- ‘Stick Your Own’ VHS Sticker Set
- Limited Edition O-CARD featuring art by Uncle Frank – FIRST PRESSING ONLY
- Limited Edition ‘Ghost Finder’ viewer – FIRST PRESSING ONLY
- Limited Edition Promo flyer for ‘Z is For Zombie’ movie
- Featuring original sleeve art by The Dude
So, as you can see, Visual Vengeance really goes above and beyond with their Blu-ray releases. The films themselves might not be Academy Award contenders, but they’re given the full super-deluxe treatment regardless. And for fans of low-budget horror, that’s exactly the point. There’s a dedicated audience for these kinds of films, and these releases make for a fantastic addition to any home video collection.
***½ 3.5/5
If you love cheesy 1990s horror films, these Blu-rays of The Paranormal and Colony Mutation will be right up your alley. And no doubt the best way to own these releases is these new Visual Vengeance Blu-rays!
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