A Night To Dismember

 

Picture: C     Sound: C     Extras: C     Film: C

 

 

Many of you know about A Night To Remember, the fine 1958 British classic about the sinking of the Titanic.  A Night To Dismember, on the other hand, is a silly and disappointing 1983 film by director Doris Wishman which wants to be a Horror film, slasher flick, a docudrama and even a bit of Kolchak: The Night Stalker if on the absolute cheap and cheesy about a killer on the loose.  Her male reporter here is a dork who is not confident or believable enough to run a 7/11, and from his bad acting and voice-overs the film stays cheap and stupid throughout.

 

This even trivializes the graphic violence, which gore fans will not be impressed about unless they are just morons who want schlock for schlock’s sake.  Yes, this is graphic, but even by 1983 standards is bad and very low budget.  At least she shot this on film.  Too bad Wishman is a one-woman filmmaker, because she could have used the help, but after listening to her commentary track, I doubt this would have turned out much better.  As a cult item and interesting study of what one of the few women making any kind of film was doing, a few die-hard fans may find it worth a look.  Just whatever you do, don’t waste your time and try to duplicate the cheapness.

 

The anamorphically enhanced 1.78 X 1 is grainy, cheap looking and some of this might have been intended, but some of it is simply from age.  The Dolby Digital 2.0 sound is monophonic from an era when films were going into basic surround stereo, making it sound older than 1983 in some ways.  Extras include promo footage and a commentary by Wishman that is almost exploitive of her.  Is this instant karma?

 

 

-   Nicholas Sheffo