Search - Exploitation Cinema: Mausoleum/Blood Song on DVD

Sad, Sad Day For Mausoleum :(

R. A. Curto | Stamford, CT USA | 10/16/2008

(2 out of 5 stars)

"After years of waiting for "Mausoleum" to finally be released on DVD today was a very sad and disappointing day. This DVD release is terrible!

This movie is truly a classic with B Horror movie fans and I think we deserve better.

First. This movie should have been released on its own through Code Red and not part of the Grind house Double Feature Line. Don't get me wrong. I am a huge fan of this line. I just wanted a better release and treatment of the film. This release seems like it was slapped together and released in a hurry with no attention given to the quality of the film.

Now for the problems. Number 1: This copy is CUT! Yes I said Cut! A HUGE mistake. Second: The print, even though Widescreen is full of scratches and imperfections. It does get better as the film progresses but never really looks good. The matting also cuts out most of what little gore was left in this release. And last: The audio is horrible. In mono which is fine but there is a constant loud hiss that is very noticeable, more so in the quieter scenes. It is very distracting. I don't know where they got this print but is has been abused and shows.

Sadly to say I will be hanging on to my VHS copy of this film. Hopefully it will be recalled and another version released. I really hope this is not what we can expect from the upcoming Grind house (Navarre Corporation) releases. I believe they are connected with Code Red and I am very disappointed.

I haven't mentioned anything about "Blood Song" because I have not watched it. I understand from reading other reviews it's a Copy from a VHS and is ok. I mainly bought this DVD for Mausoleum. I hope it's good. Then at least this DVD won't be a total waste.

I am giving this release 2 stars. The reason for this is because at least someone has released these films on DVD thus making them accessible to a new generation to discover and enjoy."

Sometimes, you can't have your cake and eat it too

BayAreaSav | Northern California | 05/07/2009

(3 out of 5 stars)

"I'm writing this review to set the record straight about this DVD release of MAUSOLEUM and a little bit of the film itself. First of all, I don't think the transfer is as "bad" as some people make it out to be. If you read the other reviews on here you may be lead to believe that it's an automatic dealbreaker. Let's look at some facts first. This movie is not a Hollywood Blockbuster where multiple good looking uncut or cut prints are preserved and taken care of. The former BCI owner Cliff Mac went on record saying that this was the only 35mm print they can find.

The second most important complaint to take note of is the gore being cut. Well, I'd like to testify that I own a bootleg DVD-R taken from the uncut full frame VHS tape and the gore sequences are not a big deal. Those scenes are so quick and minor that it doesn't impact how you're going to feel about the movie as a whole. As far as picture quality, the DVD transfer is more clear and bright than the VHS transfer I own. Sure the DVD has a lot of the green lines throughout the movie but it adds to the Grindhouse effect. Yes, that hissing noise in the background shouldn't be there but it's muffled so it didn't distract me. I played it loud on my surround sound and it wasn't a problem. Overall, I felt like I was watching a real film print that would be playing at a Grindhouse film festival.

I understand everybody's grief since we're the consumers and I'm usually unforgiving myself but this is a case where I have to put my bias aside. For example, take a look at other crappy DVD releases of 80's horror gems where the company didn't even use a 35mm print but a muddy VHS tape. SLAUGHTER HIGH and CHOPPING MALL are worst visually then MAUSOLEUM even though there's no green lines. Lions Gate didn't even care to conceal the fact where the transfers came from. How about a DVD company superimposing their brand name logo during the opening credits with the year 2008 on it like it's a new movie or have it pop up out of nowhere in the middle of the film like some of those obscure 70's Sexploitation DVD's that have been recently put out rampantly by various sources. I think you guys get the picture.

So what's the bottom line? Is this DVD worth the purchase? The answer is a strong YES! For $9.99 or $11.49 you get two movies, a very cool interactive main menu that is designed like the inside of a Grindhouse theatre lobby and an awesome set of trailers that make sense for the movies and retro intermission ads. You also get an enthusiastic and informative commentary from the star of MAUSOLEUM Bobbie Bresee.

How about the films themselves? MAUSOLEUM is a pretty good sleazy Grindhouse horror gem. I think a lot of mainstream horror fans will not get much out of it because the entertainment value comes more from the exploitation aspects, the nudity, over the top acting, ridiculous dialogue and the overall low-budget sleazy atmosphere that the early 80's can produce. I made my dad rent the VHS for me back in the 80's but I fell asleep watching it because I was tired. My dad returned it before I could see it and now I know why, lol! This movie isn't for kids! It's also good to see John Carl Buechler's (F13TH PART 7 THE NEW BLOOD) talent as a special effects artist before going on to bigger things. BLOOD SONG is okay and worth at least one watch. I'm sorry I just couldn't take Frankie Avalon seriously as a psychopathic killer.

Seeing that BCI was shut down last fall during the recession and finding out about many recent Horror/Cult DVD releases that are going OOP, I'd recommend picking this up before you have to pay a ridiculous price for it. IMO, I don't think MAUSOLEUM will ever see another release in the future. The demand for it is not that high because it's not a popular movie to begin with. Those of us that don't collect VHS tapes, hold on to this disc because it will be considered the only official DVD release in the U.S. Thank you Cliff for putting this out anyway and doing what you can with what was left."

Not bad

T. Walker | Virginia | 04/11/2009

(4 out of 5 stars)

"I don't agree with the others on here and I found the video for Mausoleum pretty good. The sound wasn't exactly great but ok for an old cheap horror movie. It had some background hiss but not that big a deal.
Blood Song on the other hand had good sound but bad video. You could definately tell it was from a vhs.
Overall if you like Mausoleum it's worth the price."