MEMORIAL VALLEY MASSACRE (1989) Blu-ray
Director: Richard C. Hughes
Vinegar Syndrome

Vinegar Syndrome proves that the MGM library barrel has a deeper bottom to scrape than PANDEMONIUM with their Blu-ray of the late eighties slasher MEMORIAL VALLEY MASSACRE.

It's Memorial Day and the Memorial Valley Campground – built upon virgin land that was "God's personal playground" until construction began – is not ready for opening day. The running water is tainted by a dead watchdog, someone has raided the storage huts, and a construction worker was killed in a freak accident the day before. When the rest of the workers pull up stakes and leave, ranger George Webster (John Kerry, RUNNING HOT) thinks he can convince the tourists to stay by "roughing it" for the sake of adventure, and hotshot investor Allen Sangster (Cameron Mitchell, BLOOD AND BLACK LACE) decides leaving his rebellious forestry major son David (Mark Mears) behind to assist Webster might not be such a bad idea. While Mark is busy trying to enforce park regulations to preserve the ecological balance with littering, tree-chopping, branch-carving, ATV-riding spoiled tourists – among them General Mintz (William Smith, MOON IN SCORPIO) and his high-tech camper, pretty and perky Cheryl (Lesa Lee, THE BOYS NEXT DOOR), teasing Wendy (Erin O'Leary) and her horny tentmates Rick (Michael Inglese) and Tom (Zig Roberts), and a weekend biker gang lead by Eddie (punk rocker Eddie D.) – Webster busies himself downplaying strange events and tracking something mysterious. When the ATV-riding bratty son of a rich couple turns up the apparent victim of a bear attack, Webster rounds up the rest of the campers as a hunting party but David and Cheryl start to suspect that what they are hunting is no animal even though it kills like one.

An early production of Motion Picture Corporation of America, a producer/distributor that started in the late eighties and had a mini production boom in the early nineties with productions like the cable favorite SKETCH ARTIST, DTV sequels to THE GATE and PUMPKINHEAD, and the Miramax co-produced indie ALBINO ALLIGATOR (leading to higher profile theatrical releases and more recently a series of Hallmark collaborations like the series WHEN CALLS THE HEART), MEMORIAL VALLEY MASSACRE is competently-acted and directed for the most part but it is not particularly good. The supporting cast of potential victims are rendered in broad shades of a slasher parody while the film seems to want the viewer to feel something for the killer. Although there is some attempt to make the dwindling cast of characters more sympathetic and relatable later in the film, it is really only character Kerry who is emotionally engaging (especially with what he has to act up against during the climax). Sex and nudity are practically non-existent, and the violence and gore seem downplayed as much due to the budget as concern over a possible theatrical release and the MPAA's heavy hand in the late eighties and early nineties. Most grating is the overemphatic synth score by Jed Feuer that is most effective when muffling the frustrated shouts and growls of the killer. Although it really is not much better, slasher fans would be better off renting THE PREY for a somewhat similar story.

Released direct-to-video by Nelson Entertainment, MEMORIAL VALLEY MASSACRE had a few poor quality "public domain" DVD releases but this is one of the Motion Picture Corporation of America titles that wound up with MGM through the Embassy catalogue (a couple that were distributed by Vestron were still with Lionsgate until their video deal ran finally expired) which is why it is Region A-locked. The 1080p24 MPEG-4 AVC 1.85:1 widescreen Blu-ray is derived from a new 4K scan of the original camera negative bearing the original title MEMORIAL DAY and the high definition image reveals new layers of texture and detail in the competent photography of James Mathers – who spent the eighties and nineties going between erotic thrillers like NIGHT EYES and low-budget horror like SYNGENOR – while the DTS-HD Master Audio 2.0 stereo track reveals just how much the score was utilized to make up for the limitations of the sound design. Optional English SDH subtitles are provided.

Extras are not plentiful but they are fairly comprehensive for a minor film. In "Welcome to Memorial Valley" (13:43), director Robert C. Hughes reveals that Motion Picture Corporation of America was the brainchild of Roger Corman executive Brad Krevoy who he believes picked him to direct because his film HUNTER'S BLOOD had done well for Concorde. He discusses the changes he made to the screenplay, casting names Mitchell and Smith, shooting on location in the Angeles National Forest with heavy rains, and background about performer John Caso. In "Ranger Danger" (10:07), Kerry discusses the low budget production – comparing it with his early low budget experience on DOLEMITE – his memories of Mitchell and Smith, and finding motivation for his character (recalling the film affectionately without overselling it). The disc also includes a still gallery (0:40). The cover is reversible – although it is hard to determine which cover is "better" – and the first 3,000 copies ordered directly from Vinegar Syndrome come with a special limited edition embossed slipcover designed by Earl Kessler Jr. (Eric Cotenas)

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