Dead Pit
(1989/Code Red/BCI DVD)
Picture:
C Sound: C Extras: C Film: C-
As the
Movie Maniac cycle was declining, the lure of fast money remained irresistible
and for Bret Leonard, it put him on the map for a short period of time. Before directing the overhyped Lawnmower Man and pricey dud Virtuosity, he made Dead Pit, in which a doctor gone real,
real bad (switching from being good at life to death, as he says) haunts a
mental ward and is on the kill years after being supposedly shot to death.
Unfortunately,
the hospital’s portrayal of mental illness is so over-the-top, stereotypical
and goofy that besides being politically correct ands even offensive, it is a
run-on dud that undermines the very humor and suspense the Gimet Everett script
tries to pull off. At least it is not
torture porn and a few moments are interesting, but the film is a mess and you
can see Leonard was never that good a director in any case. It is a film genre fans will want to see
once, but that’s about it.
The
anamorphically enhanced 1.85 X 1 image is softer than I expected considering
the claim that this came from the film’s original Inter Positive (IP) and needs
some work before a Blu-ray release. The
Dolby Digital 2.0 Mono has dated-sounding dialogue and a score that sometimes
sounds warped. Extras include on camera
interviews, original theatrical trailer and audio commentary by Leonard,
Everett and actor Jeremy Slate that is more interesting than the film.
- Nicholas Sheffo
