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Jim Milton
Movies for All Hallows Eve
Last year I reviewed Paramount Scares Collection: Vol 1, so it is time to see what delights and frights await us this year with Paramount Scares Collection: Vol 2!
When I got this set, I was immediately impressed with the slick packaging and collector items entombed within the box. Paramount resurrects four spine-chilling horror films that will surely delight fans of this genre: Jason returns in Friday the 13th Part II (1981), the backroad thriller Breakdown (1997), the zombie pandemic of World War Z (2013), and cute little Esther returns to her roots in Orphan: First Kill (2022).
All films are presented in 4K UHD with Dolby ATMOS or DTS HD soundtracks. Each movie comes in a separate Amaray case with exclusive slipcovers. But wait…there’s more! Also available in the box are four unique iron-on patches, a glow-in-the-dark enamel pin, a domed sticker and a poster designed by Orlando Arocena.
Want to dive deeper into the making of each film? A curated FANGORIA magazine is also included with articles from old issues and some brand-new content as well. Digital copies of all four films are included, should you like to view your horror on the run, and BD versions are also included.
Friday the 13th: Part 2
Proving that you just can’t keep a good faceless antagonist down, the movie picture takes a big leap up in color and sound. Yes, some scenes still appear to crush the black levels, but the HDR makes the picture pop better than the old Blu-Ray version. That said, film grain can be a little busy from scene to scene.
The sound is good, but this film never really cashed in on the audio which is presented here in Dolby ATMOS. I remember seeing the first installment of this franchise in an old (1930s) local theater. At the end of the movie, a hooded man dressed in overalls came onto the stage and slammed a fire axe on the ground. People literally leaped over seats to get out of there. I sat far enough in the back to not be too intimidated by him, so I jumped up and ecstatically hollered “YES!” Ah, what fond memories.
Breakdown
Staring J.T. Walsh, Kathleen Quinlan… and Kurt Russell as a man searching for his wife after their car breaks down in the desert and a trucker offers him a lift to the nearest gas station to call for help. When he returns to his car, his wife has vanished without a trace. As the movie progresses, you really feel the tension and desperation mount. Considering its age, it seems quite relevant today.
If you are on the road often, this movie will make you think twice about pulling over on a lonesome stretch of highway. Picture quality is excellent with lots of details and sharp facial features that look natural in the burning sun. Sound is enhanced by Dolby ATMOS as well.
World War Z
Starring and directed by Brad Pitt, I missed this film when it first came out because, well…another zombie flick? There are 2 types of zombies in the world: fast and slow. This one has the fast ones. Working in the healthcare field, I have issues with the logic of zombies. They are dead, right? How can they moan if they don’t intake air into their lungs? In hot climates, would the most rambunctious zombie not have his flesh decay off his frame by the 3rd week? Just hole up somewhere and let nature take its course and the pandemic will be soon over.
Alright, time to let logic go and enjoy the flick. The pacing of the movie barely gives you time to catch your breath. Can Brad find a cure for the outbreak before humanity suffers catastrophic loss? Most likely, as there is no point in all of us dying. Again, the picture is the best out of this box set and the sound is frighteningly real and immersive. You’ll be holding your breath before this one is done! Oh, and don’t make a sound!
Orphan: First Kill
I never saw the other (two?) films and was not holding out hope that this would be any good at all. A prequel of sorts, but you do not have to see the other films to catch on to the plot. An orphan girl named Esther escapes from an institution in Estonia and finds a family in the States. By impersonating their missing daughter, she weasels her way into a wealthy American family and has ideas on cashing in on their gullibility. Soon we find out that she has nefarious plans, for she is a 30-year-old woman who suffers from a genetic disorder that makes her look like she is 10 years old. When she starts hitting on her new stepdad, you get a creepy pedo/incest vibe. Right when you think you know where the plot is going, it does a 360 on you. The adopted family are Wack jobs, too! I was bemused by the cleverness of the story and ended up enjoying it more than I anticipated. And I thought the Addams family was strange.
To sum things up, Paramount has done it again with a collectible box set of scary movies that is bound to put an evil grimace on your face. The box is stuffed with extra treats and a few tricks. Happy Halloween to all!