There's Nothing Out There – Ronin Flix (Blu-ray)

Theatrical Release Date: USA, 1991
Director: Rolfe Kanefsky
Writer: Rolfe Kanefsky
Cast: Craig Peck, Wendy Bednarz, Mark Collver, Bonnie Bowers, John Carhart III, Claudia Flores, Jeff Dachis, Lisa Grant

Release Date: December 12th, 2023
Approximate Running Time: 90 Minutes 40 Seconds
Aspect Ratio: 1.85:1 Widescreen / 1080 Progressive / MPEG-4 AVCC
Rating: NR
Sound: DTS-HD Stereo English
Subtitles: English SDH
Region Coding: Region Free
Retail Price: $29.95

"Mike is always getting in the way of fun. His obsession with horror movies and their rules dictates that no matter where he goes, he can't help but expect to find a monster lurking around every corner. But this time, his paranoia might be justified…" - synopsis provided by the distributor

Video: 5/5

Here’s the information provided about the transfer, "New 2K restoration of the film completed by Ronin Flix in 2023."

There's Nothing Out There comes on a 50 GB dual layer Blu-ray.

Disc Size: 45.1 GB

Feature: 25.4 GB

Though There's Nothing Out There had already been given a solid transfer by Vinegar Syndrome for their 2019 Blu-ray release, This new release from Ronin Flix, which comes with a brand new 2K restoration, is also a solid transfer that is on par with Vinegar Syndrome’s release.

The source used for this transfer is in excellent shape. Flesh tones look healthy, colors are nicely saturated, and though there are some moments that look soft, the bulk of the time image clarity is strong. Also, black levels and compression are solid, and the image retains an organic look. That said, it is hard to imagine this film looking any better than it does here.

Audio: 4.25/5

This release comes with one audio option, a DTS-HD stereo mix in English with removable English SDH. The audio is in great shape; the dialog comes through clearly, and everything sounds balanced. Range-wise, things sound very good.

Extras:

Extras on Blu-ray disc 1 include a theatrical trailer (2 minutes 17 seconds, Dolby Digital stereo English, no subtitles), animation test footage and deleted shots (3 minutes 26 seconds, Dolby Digital stereo English, no subtitles), production stills gallery with music from There's Nothing Out There playing in the background, original cast auditions (11 minutes 57 seconds, Dolby Digital stereo English, no subtitles), behind-the-scenes rehearsal footage (10 minutes 36 seconds, Dolby Digital stereo English, no subtitles), pre-production footage and video storyboards (7 minutes 11 seconds, Dolby Digital stereo English, no subtitles), Copycat a short film about the film’s influence (10 minutes 30 seconds, Dolby Digital stereo English, no subtitles), an archival interview with director Rolfe Kanefsky (35 minutes 58 seconds, Dolby Digital stereo English, no subtitles), an archival interview with actor Craig Peck (18 minutes 24 seconds, Dolby Digital stereo English, no subtitles), an archival interview with editor Victor Kanefsky titled 40 Years of Cutting (30 minutes 59 seconds, Dolby Digital stereo English, no subtitles), an archival interview with Rolfe Kanefsky and Victor Kanefsky titled There’s a Movie Out There (52 minutes 27 seconds, Dolby Digital stereo English, no subtitles), never-before-seen opening sequence storyboards (4 minutes 59 seconds, Dolby Digital stereo English, no subtitles), an audio commentary with Rolfe Kanefsky and actors Jeff Dachis and John Carhart, an audio commentary with film journalists Heidi Honeycutt and Amanda Reyes, an archival audio commentary with Rolfe Kanefsky recorded for the 20th anniversary release, and an archival audio commentary with Rolfe Kanefsky, Victor Kanefsky, Craig Peck and actor Mark Collver, assistant props John Kim, assistant props Gene Masse, and executive producer Alice Glenn.

Extras on Blu-ray disc 2 is a collection of short films and feature films directed by Rolfe Kanefsky.

A short film titled The Hunt (3 minutes 45 seconds, Dolby Digital stereo English, no subtitles), and an introduction by Rolfe Kanefsky (1 minute 2 seconds, Dolby Digital stereo English, no subtitles).

A short film titled Crazed (2 minutes 22 seconds, Dolby Digital stereo English, no subtitles), and an introduction by Rolfe Kanefsky (1 minute 36 seconds, Dolby Digital stereo English, no subtitles).

A short film titled Breaking and Entering (16 minutes 52 seconds, Dolby Digital stereo English, no subtitles), and an introduction by Rolfe Kanefsky (1 minute 13 seconds, Dolby Digital stereo English, no subtitles).

A short film titled Murderously Fun House (17 minutes 49 seconds, Dolby Digital stereo English, no subtitles), and an introduction by Rolfe Kanefsky (2 minutes 8 seconds, Dolby Digital stereo English, no subtitles).

A feature film titled Undead (47 minutes 35 seconds, Dolby Digital stereo English, no subtitles, optional audio commentary with Rolfe Kanefsky), and an introduction by Rolfe Kanefsky (2 minutes 2 seconds, Dolby Digital stereo English, no subtitles).

A feature film titled Strength in Numbers (109 minutes 31 seconds, Dolby Digital stereo English, no subtitles, optional audio commentary with Rolfe Kanefsky), blooper reel (14 minutes 22 seconds, Dolby Digital stereo English, no subtitles), and an introduction by Rolfe Kanefsky (3 minutes 1 second, Dolby Digital stereo English, no subtitles).

A feature film titled Strength in Numbers (110 minutes 327 seconds, Dolby Digital stereo English, no subtitles, optional audio commentary with Rolfe Kanefsky), and an introduction by Rolfe Kanefsky (4 minutes 9 seconds, Dolby Digital stereo English, no subtitles).

A short film titled Peek-A-Boo (6 minutes 9 seconds, Dolby Digital stereo English, no subtitles), and an introduction by Rolfe Kanefsky (3 minutes 3 seconds, Dolby Digital stereo English, no subtitles).

A short film titled Just Listen (14 minutes 38 seconds, Dolby Digital stereo English, no subtitles), and an introduction by Rolfe Kanefsky (3 minutes 2 seconds, Dolby Digital stereo English, no subtitles). 

A short film titled Mood Boobs (19 minutes 39 seconds, Dolby Digital stereo English, no subtitles), an introduction by Rolfe Kanefsky (2 minutes 28 seconds, Dolby Digital stereo English, no subtitles), and a featurette titled Behind-the-Scenes of Mood Boobs (16 minutes 9 seconds, Dolby Digital stereo English, no subtitles).

Other extras include reversible cover art, 16" x 20" mini-poster featuring the original poster art (initial pressing only), and a limited-edition slipcover. 

Summary:

Seven friends are looking to let loose. Spend their spring break at a cabin by the lake. What should have been a relaxing weekend of debauchery It ends up being a grueling cat-and-mouse game of survival.

Though the horror genre has long been a launching pad for many first-time filmmakers, most notably Wes Craven, who directed The Last House on the Left; Tobe Hooper, who directed The Texas Chainsaw Massacre; and Sam Raimi, The Evil Dead, moving on beyond the horror genre has proven to be a difficult task for filmmakers who have directed iconic horror films.

From a popularity perspective, the horror genre has seen many ups and downs. It is a resilient genre that refuses to die, like the psychopaths that are central to this genre's appeal. That said, “timing is everything,” and in the case of There’s Nothing Out There, it was a film that came out during one of horror cinema’s dormant eras.

Content-wise, There’s Nothing Out There has all the elements that have become synonymous with horror cinema: an isolated location, an ample amount of nudity, and well-executed carnage that is sufficiently gory. Sure, by today’s standards, the special effects look crude (a rubber monster), and yet somehow these limitations work in this film’s favor.

The one area in which this film stands out from its contemporaries is the way it uses offbeat humor. The story at hand’s approach is tongue firmly in cheek. And long before films like Scream made it more fashionable to be self-referential, There’s Nothing Out There was one of the first meta-horror films.

Speaking of Scream and its similarities to There’s Nothing Out There, both films feature a character who uses his knowledge of horror cinema to explain what is happening. Coincidence or was Scream inspired by There’s Nothing Out There?

Not to be overlooked when discussing this film are its visuals, which very effectively use a steadicam for their POV shots of the killer as it stalks its victims. Another strength of the film is the inventive and, at times, unusual kill sequences. Ultimately, There’s Nothing Out There is a vastly underrated horror film that deserves to be rediscovered.

There's Nothing Out There gets an exceptional release from Ronin Flix that comes with a solid audio/video presentation and a ridiculous amount of extras, highly recommended.

Written by Michael Den Boer