A Day of Judgment – Severin Films (Blu-ray)

Theatrical Release Date: USA, 1981
Director: Charles Reynolds
Writer: Tom McIntyre
Cast: William T. Hicks, Harris Bloodworth, Deborah Bloodworth, Susan Bloodworth, Carlton Bortell, Charles Reynolds

Release Date: September 28th, 2021
Approximate Running Time: 96 Minutes 48 Seconds
Aspect Ratio: 1.78:1 Widescreen / 1080 Progressive / MPEG-4 AVCC
Rating: R
Sound: DTS-HD Mono English
Subtitles: English SDH
Region Coding: Region Free
Retail Price: $34.95

"In a 1930s small town rife with lust, corruption and sin, a mysterious figure wielding a scythe arrives to cut an unholy swath of murder, madness and moralizing that may lead straight to Hell." - synopsis provided by the distributor

Video: 3.5/5

Here’s the information provided about this release's transfer, "scanned in 2K from the IP for the first time ever."

A Day of Judgment comes on a 25 GB single layer Blu-ray.

Disc Size: 22.6 GB

Feature: 21 GB

Any source related debris is minimal, colors look correct, details look crisp and though grain is present, it looks off during some darker moments.

Audio: 3.75/5

This release comes with one audio option, a DTS-HD mono mix in English and included with this release are removable English SDH subtitles. Though limited range wise, dialog comes through clearly and everything sounds balanced.

Extras:

Extras for this release include an interview with author Of NIGHTMARE USA Stephen Thrower titled The Atheist's Sins (17 minutes 47 seconds, Dolby Digital stereo English, no subtitles) and an interview with filmmaker Worth Keeter And writer Thom McIntyre titled Tales of Judgment (3 minutes 57 seconds, Dolby Digital stereo English, no subtitles).

Summary:

Death paints the town red. A Day of Judgment is a morality tale where the grim reaper pays sinners a visit. And though this premise is full of possibilities. Unfortunately, the premise is poorly executed.

Though the premise would lead one to believe that A Day of Judgement is a horror film. The result is something that’s actually better described as a melodrama. Also, anyone expecting gory deaths are sure too be disappointed. In fact, most of the deaths are underwhelming.

From a production standpoint, A Day of Judgement often exceeds its miniscule budget. And nowhere is the clearer, then when it comes to how effectively A Day of Judgement recreates 1930’s era in which the film takes place. Unfortunately, in just about every other area A Day of Judgement comes up short. Ultimately, A Day of Judgement is a slow-moving melodrama that most viewers will find it a chore to get through.

Severin Films gives A Day of Judgement a strong audio/video presentation and an insightful interview with Stephen Thrower.

Written by Michael Den Boer