555 (1988) (Unedited Version) (Massacre Video Hardbox Review)
Directed By: Wally Koz
Starring: Ricardo Alverez, Mara Lynn Bastian, Christine Cabana
Rated: UR/Region: 1/1:33/Number of disc: 1
Available from Massacre Video
The killing of some teenagers by a maniac dressed like a hippie, causes a detective to check for similar killings. He discovers that every five years, in the fifth month of the year, for five consecutive days, the same type of killings have occurred. As the detective searches for the killer, he begins to have suspicions about his superior, an older man who is haunted by memories of his military service in Vietnam.
555 isn’t anything to write home about, but it is OK for a film that is one of the very first shot on video horror films to come from the 80s. The movie looks kind of bad, but this is a good and bad thing. It is good because it makes the gore look even better than it does. It could be taken bad because, well, it looks bad. The story is a simple but effective one. The cops are on the trail of someone who is killing a different couple every night. They have their suspect, but as the info comes flowing in you never really know who is doing it. That question about how it will end is what causes you to stick with 555 until the end.
As noted, the gore is probably the best thing about this movie. We get cool beheading and other nifty 1980s effects tricks. Even when things in the film aren’t matching up or they look cheap, the blood flows and looks very nice. I don’t think we have what we’d call a likeable character in the bunch, but it oddly also fits the mood. The movie does drag from time to time, but since the running time isn’t that long to start with I can see why they did drag stuff out. 555 isn’t going to be a film that tops many of your favorite lists, but it does serve a purpose. I’m not sure what the purpose fully is, but I did like the gore.
– Interviews
– Trailers
– Die-cut Sticker
– Poster
– Replica Pressbook
– Music by Slasher Dave/Screamerclauz on cassette
– Hand numbered to 100 copies
