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THE ALIEN DEAD
Fred Olen Ray has made a name for himself as a horror director among genre fans over the years. His films have become home video rental and late-night cable television hits and he now operates his own DVD label, Retromedia. His label has brought some lost classics and his own films into the DVD players of horror and science fiction fans alike. One of his most elusive titles (not to mention his first feature), The Alien Dead, has been remastered from one of the only surviving 16mm prints known to exist and released by Retromedia.
There has been a string of odd and grisly murders in a small southern town. A reporter, with the help of a local woman, is investigating what what has become a zombie plague. With the local authorities baffled and nowhere to run, the reporter ends up fleeing the town in a boat.....however, the lake is where the zombies are coming from.....
The Alien Dead gained much of its popularity in its multiple video runs (being released in the 1980s under the Academy, Genesis and Star Classics labels).
Retromedia presents The Alien Dead in the 1.33:1 aspect ratio. Fred Olen Ray acquired an original, unprojected print of The Alien Dead for the disc's master. With the exception of the opening sequence (which director Ray indicated in his commentary came from a 3/4-inch master), the audio and video quality are fantastic for a low-budget film shot on 16mm in the late 1970s. Even though the budget limitations are evident in the quality, the film has been well-preserved and it couldn't be expected to look better. There is some grain evident, but that is only a limitation of the 16mm format.
The extras include a short still slideshow, a 1992 reunion featurette and director Fred Olen Ray's commentary. The commentary by director Ray is among one of the most informative and compelling commentaries - it may inspire and enlighten prospective film makers and is a good example of what an audio commentary should be. Much like Herschell Gordon Lewis' commentaries on the classic Wizard of Gore and Blood Feast (with producer David Friedman) discs, commentaries like the one found on this disc include the history of the film's conception, anecdotes about the film's production and retrospective thoughts on the film itself. Many commentaries lack this type of information and are merely a 90-minute exercise in recalling the action on the screen (with long gaps of silence in between, no less).
Any fan of independent horror films or director Ray would enjoy this film and its presentation. It is a window to what is the core of independent film making, and the first in a string of popular films by the man who brought films like Scalps, Biohazard and The Tomb. |
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