Psycho Girls – Vinegar Syndrome (Blu-ray)

Theatrical Release Date: Canada, 1986
Director: Jerry Ciccoritti
Writers: Michael Bockner, Jerry Ciccoritti
Cast: John Haslett Cuff, Darlene Mignacco, Rose Graham, Agi Gallus, Michael A. Miranda, Pier Giorgio DiCicco, Michael Hoole, Dan Rose, Kim Cayer, Dorin Ferber, Frank Procopio

Release Date: July 25th, 2023
Approximate Running Time: 97 Minutes 12 Seconds
Aspect Ratio: 1.33:1 Aspect Ratio / 1080 Progressive / MPEG-4 AVC
Rating: R
Sound: DTS-HD Mono English
Subtitles: English SDH
Region Coding: Region A
Retail Price: $42.98

"In 1966, little Sarah Tusk poisoned her parents to death. Now some twenty years later, Sarah is an inmate at the Lakeview Asylum. Her sister, Victoria, who is now a personal chef, has never forgiven Sarah for her terrible crime and is determined to see her rot in the asylum, and is happy to make Sarah readily aware of her intentions. Little does Victoria realize, Sarah’s bloodlust and insanity have grown and upon learning that her sister won’t help get her out, she hatches a plan to escape on her own. After literally turning Victoria into steak tartare, she ingratiates herself into her sister’s work; fixing a dinner party for Victoria's employers wherein she's the main course. Unfortunately for them, some unwitting cannibalism is the least of their troubles as the meal has been spiked with sleeping pills and the revelers soon awaken in an abandoned wing of Lakeview as guinea pigs in Sarah's demented lab..." - synopsis provided by the distributor

Video: 4.5/5

Here’s the information provided about this release's transfer, "Newly scanned & restored in 2k from its 35mm interpositive."

Psycho Girls comes on a 50 GB dual layer Blu-ray.

Disc Size: 38.9 GB

Feature: 26.6 GB

The source used for this transfer looks excellent. Colors are nicely saturated, the image looks crisp, contrast, black levels, and compression are solid, and grain remains intact, albeit it looks thicker in darker scenes.

Audio: 4/5

This release comes with one audio option, a DTS-HD mono mix in English.The audio is in great shape; it sounds clean, clear, and balanced. Range-wise, things sound very good. That said, there were a few moments where the range was not as strong as it is for the bulk of this audio track. Included are removable English SDH.

Extras:

Extras for this release include an audio interview with author and film historian Paul Corupe (15 minutes 53 seconds, Dolby Digital stereo English with removable English subtitles), an interview with art director Craig Richards titled (21 minutes 56 seconds, Dolby Digital stereo English with removable English SDH), an interview with cinematographer/editor Robert Bergman titled Psycho Team Effort (15 minutes 26 seconds, Dolby Digital stereo English with removable English SDH), an interview with director Jerry Ciccoritti titled Filming Canadian Style (23 minutes 25 seconds, Dolby Digital stereo English with removable English SDH), an audio commentary with Jerry Ciccoritti and Robert Bergman, reversible cover art, and a spot gloss slipcover (limited to 6,000 units).

Summary:

The 1980s were a good time for horror film fans, especially those who liked slasher films. And though American cinema dominated the slasher films that were coming out in the 1980s, There were a few non-American-made slasher films that had a lasting impact, notably My Bloody Valentine, Prom Night, and Curtains. Then there are Canadian slasher films like Psycho Girls that are not as well known.

The narrative revolves around a novelist and his friends, who are having a dinner party. Unknown to them, the woman who is serving them food has escaped from an ayslum. From there, the woman and two other lunatics kidnap and torture the novelist and his guests.

A solid opening can go a long way when trying to get an audience to come along for the ride. Fortunately for Psycho Girls, it does have a solid opening that perfectly lays the foundation for what follows. In this opening sequence, a young girl poisons the food she's made for her parents on their anniversary. The way in which this sequence evolves is wonderfully executed.

The performances are best described as enthusiastic; many of the actors deliver performances that are over the top and then some. Also, the characters are burdened with cheesy dialog that often falls flat. The most memorable performance is Darlene Mignacco’s portrayal of Sarah Tusk, the young girl who murdered her parents. Now that she's grown up, she's more deranged than ever.

Though working with limited resources, Psycho Girls is a film that often exceeds expectations. The premise is well executed, and the narrative does a decent job holding your attention in between moments of carnage. That said, the murder set pieces are the highlight of Psycho Girls. Ultimately, Psycho Girls can be a lot of fun if viewed as a campy horror film.

Psycho Girls gets a solid release from Vinegar Syndrome that comes with a strong audio/video presentation and informative extras.

Written by Michael Den Boer