Frostbiter – Vinegar Syndrome (Blu-ray)

Theatrical Release Date: USA, 1995
Director: Tom Chaney
Writers: Tom Chaney, Rick Cioffi, Steve Quick
Cast: Ron Asheton, Lori Baker, Patrick Butler, Devlin Burton, Tom Franks, Alan Madlane, John Bussard

Release Date: January 31st, 2023
Approximate Running Time: 83 Minutes 11 Seconds
Aspect Ratio: 1.33:1 Aspect Ratio / 1080 Progressive / MPEG-4 AVC
Rating: R
Sound: DTS-HD Stereo English
Subtitles: English SDH
Region Coding: Region Free
Retail Price: $42.98

"Long ago, the mighty Wendigo was defeated and buried in a secret place known only to a select individual tasked with protecting this unholy ground, lest it be revived from the grave. When two arrogant hunters, Gary and Dave, stumble upon the Wendigo’s final resting place and kill its elderly protector, they unknowingly revive the ancient demon, which gorily dispatches Dave. Taking refuge with another group of hunters in a nearby cabin, the posse are set upon by all sorts of ghoulish creatures, not the least of which is the Wendigo itself. Meanwhile, a young woman named Sandy begins to experience visions telling her that she must now kill the Wendigo…" - synopsis provided by the distributor

Video: 4.5/5

Here’s the information provided about the transfer, "Newly scanned & restored in 2K from its 16mm original camera negative."

Frostbiter comes on a 50 GB dual layer Blu-ray.

Disc Size: 37.7 GB

Feature: 22.7 GB

The source used for this transfer looks excellent. Colors are nicely saturated; image clarity, contrast, black levels, and compression are solid; and the image retains an organic look.

Audio: 4.25/5

This release comes with one audio option, a DTS-HD stereo mix in English with removable English SDH subtitles. The audio sounds clean, clear, balanced, and robust when it should.

Extras:

Extras for this release include a behind the scenes stills gallery, an archival Troma introduction (2 minutes 24 seconds, Dolby Digital stereo English with removable English SDH subtitles), an archival Troma promo video (2 minutes 14 seconds, Dolby Digital stereo English with removable English SDH subtitles), footage from Michigan premier (9 minutes 12 seconds, Dolby Digital stereo English with removable English SDH subtitles), behind the scenes footage (6 minutes 34 seconds, Dolby Digital stereo English with removable English SDH subtitles), original Frostbiter video trailer (1 minute, Dolby Digital stereo English with removable English SDH subtitles), original Wendigo promo video (2 minutes 46 seconds, Dolby Digital stereo English with removable SDH subtitles), an archival featurette with actor Ron Asheton (6 minutes 33 seconds, Dolby Digital stereo English with removable English SDH subtitles), an interview with sound editor/actor Paul Harris titled Sound of the Wendigo (11 minutes 34 seconds, Dolby Digital stereo English with removable English SDH subtitles), an interview with actor John Bussard titled A Friend in Need (7 minutes 40 seconds, Dolby Digital stereo English with removable English SDH subtitles), an interview with stop motion animator Dave Hettmer titled Frankenstein’s Wendigo (13 minutes 11 seconds, Dolby Digital stereo English with removable English SDH subtitles), an interview with actor Alan Madlane titled What Were We Thinking? (18 minutes 59 seconds, Dolby Digital stereo English with removable English SDH subtitles), an interview with producer David Thiry titled The Many Hats of a Wendigo (14 minutes 39 seconds, Dolby Digital stereo English with removable English SDH subtitles), an interview with director Tom Chaney titled Wendigo Make a Movie (25 minutes 38 seconds, Dolby Digital stereo English with removable English SDH subtitles), an audio commentary with Tom Chaney, moderated by Michael Felsher, reversible cover art, and an spot gloss slipcover limited to 5,000 units.

Summary:

Frostbiter is a horror/comedy hybrid that follows in the footsteps of films like The Evil Dead. The narrative revolves around a group of friends who are on a hunting trip on a remote island. Once there, one of them accidentally breaks a sacred circle that has been holding a demonic entity at bay.

Frostbiter was released by Troma Entertainment. It is one of countless films that Troma Entertainment picked up after it was completed. That said, the result is a film that one would normally associate with Troma Entertainment.

Though made in the mid-1990s, Frostbite very effectively employs outdated special effects like miniatures and stop-motion animation. Also, when it comes to practical effects, this is another area where Frostbiter scores highly.

From a production standpoint, Frostbiter is a film that exploits its resources for all their worth. The premise is well-executed, the narrative moves along briskly, and there is a solid ending that nicely wraps up everything that preceded. The cinematography is surprisingly strong, and the enthusiastic performances are another strength. Ultimately, Frostbiter is a great mix of horror and humor that is at times silly, but most importantly, there is never a dull moment.

Frostbiter gets a definitive release from Vinegar Syndrome, highly recommended.

Written by Michael Den Boer