Mother’s Day (1980) (4K Ultra HD/Blu-ray REVIEW)
Director: Charles Kaufman
Starring: Frederick Coffin, Michael McCleery, Nancy Hendrickson
RATED: UR/REGION 0/1:85/2160p/NUMBER OF DISCS 2
AVAILABLE FROM Vinegar Syndrome
Every year, former college roommates Jackie, Abbey and Trina take turns organizing a mystery getaway for the three of them. This year it’s Jackie’s turn, and she’s chosen a weekend of camping in New Jersey’s Deep Barons. Despite ominous warnings from a local shopkeeper, the young women set off into the wilderness with high spirits, and it’s not long before they’re skinny dipping in the nearby lake and generally making the most of the great outdoors – blissfully unaware that they’re being watched. As the friends settle in for the night, they’re suddenly attacked by a pair of sadistic brothers, Ike and Addley, who drag them in their sleeping bags back to their dilapidated house in the middle of the woods to meet Mother… who turns out to be even more sick and twisted than they are. Subjected to violence, torture and assault beyond their worst nightmares, the women are forced to channel their inner savages in a desperate bid to fight back against these backwoods degenerates.
What a time to be alive huh? We’ve now got Troma movies on 4K releases? Well, we also have a Troma movie on 4K by way of Vinegar Syndrome who I also heard had a hand in the Toxie box set. Regardless, the quality is here, but before we say more about that lets take a look at the movie. If you have ever seen a movie released by Troma around this time period in your life, then you should well know what you are getting yourself into. It’s somewhat cheesy; it’s pretty darn gory at parts. It’s badly edited at times. But above all else, it’s at least still rather funny. Some the characters look laughable. Some of the dialogue is kind awful. But still, in some odd mind numbing way, you still can’t seem to find it in your heart to turn the damn thing off. All that has become a trademark of the Troma brand, and it’s on display well here. The plot gets side-tracked, and it’s a little silly, but still you’ll probably want to hang right with it.
Now the year here was 1980. Truth be told, probably 1979 while it was being made, so it’s a little dated in some areas. But I think now days in the year of our lord 2023, that old rugged look kinda helps it become enduring. The two sons, Ike and Addley, along with good ol’ Mother herself, are all almost comic book or cartoon-like. But not in the goofy way (even with them being goofy), it’s in some twisted and dark horror comic or cartoon from yesteryear kinda way. Our leads aren’t anything to write home about at all, but they don’t seem to really matter here either way. Once we get to the point of them being held against their will, it seems like the story focuses more on our villains. This is probably for the best, seeing as how the part of the film where we are following the ladies is the weakest part of the film. The movie is over the top, but that’s why we like it. Anything that your average viewer might be turned away by is why people like us (you and I) watch stuff like this. So yeah, it’s “bad” but that’s what makes it good. Vinegar Syndrome packed this one to the point you’ll probably never touch your old Anchor Bay Blu-ray again. But the 4K disc here look as good as I’m sure you’ll ever see this one look.
Extras
TWO-DISC SET (4K BLU-RAY/BLU-RAY)
- NEW 4K RESTORATION FROM THE ORIGINAL CAMERA NEGATIVE
- HDR PRESENTATION OF THE FILM
- Commentary track with director Charles Kaufman and assistant art director Rex A. Piano
- “You’re a Sick Woman!” – an interview with actress Nancy Hendrickson
- “My Brother and Me” – an interview with actor Michael McCleery
- “Writing to Mother” – an interview with co-writer Warren Leight
- “The Book of Mother’s Day” – an interview with producer Michael Kravitz
- “The Last House in the Woods” – an interview with production designer Susan Kaufman and costume designer Ellen Lutter
- “Cutting Mother” – an interview with editor Daniel Loewenthal and assistant editor Richard W. Haines
- “Celebrating Mother’s Day” – an interview with assistant art director Rex A. Piano
- Director Charles Kaufman interviewed by Lloyd Kaufman
- Interview with actress Tiana Pierce
- “Messin’ Up In Deep Barons: The Locations of Mother’s Day” – a tour of the shooting locations with assistant art director Rex A. Piano and MOTHER’S DAY superfan Brandon Hall
- Archival interview with director Charles Kaufman
- Charles Kaufman and Darren Bousman talk MOTHER’S DAY at Comic Con 2010
- Eli Roth on MOTHER’S DAY
- 8mm behind-the-scenes with commentary by Charles Kaufman
- Archival interview with assistant art director Rex A. Piano
- Theatrical trailer
- TV spot
- Multiple radio spots
- Reversible cover artwork
- English SDH subtitles
- BOTH DISCS: REGION-FREE
