Released in 1992 Star Time was the debut feature-length production from Alexander Cassini, who directed, wrote & produced the film. It focuses in on Henry Pinklea young unbalanced man who’s obsessed with The Robson Family- A cheesy family soap- this sudden gets cancelled, so Henry decides to throw his self off a high rise building. Just before he can do away with himself Sam Bones appears- a mysterious & suave old man- saying he has a job for Henry, which will fit his special talents. Henry dons a baby-faced killer mask and starts going on a killing spree, following Sam Bones’s instructions. You don't really see any of the murder or gore, until later when we get some fleeting & arty shorts of after Henry’s attacks.

The film moves from rooms of TV’s full of various female body parts, mouths & breasts. Moody pictures of LA cityscapes, and grimy downtown areas. Artily lit & staged victim’s houses, hotel rooms & corridors. All sound-tracked by relatively edgy late 80’s jazz & electro beats score. Blended in we got mock reports about the baby face killer, Henry & Sam discussing the media & killing, and the occasional creepy moments when his masked figure stalks his victims.

I think sadly at the time of release the film was marked more as a straight slasher/gore filled serial killer film, but it’s much more self-aware, thought-provoking, and considered in pace. I’ll admit at times, even though I was expecting more art & less gore bound horror film, I did find it drag in places. It’s often labelled an art-house horror film, but to me I’d say it’s more of an arty thrille. What really sells the whole thing & keeps you watching are the leads- Henry is played by Michael St. Gerard, who gives an effective mix of unbalanced innocence & building psychopathy. Sam Bones is played in a wonderful creepy-yet darkly mocking fashion by veteran actor John P. Ryan.  Added this the feeling of unreality, and blurring between what is actually happening, and what’s going on in Henry's head- all make for a fairly unequal & a times subtle creepy film.

The new scan looks good enough, though the colour palette is fairly muted- which I think is more to  do with the 90’s filming period, & less about VS work on the print. Extras wise we get a commentary from the director - this is conducted/ lead by VS Joe Rubin- over the track Cassini talks about his influences on the film, it’s shooting, it relatively small main cast. His own background, and the period when the film was made in the early 1990’s- as you’d expect from VS it’s another worthy track. Next, we get a thirty-one-minute interview with Cinematographer Fernando Argüelles. A five-minute short film from Cassini entitled The Great Performance- this finds a clown taking off his make-up, then walking onto the stage in his normal clothes & unseen audience laughing at him. Lastly, we get an original trailer. So all told a good selection of extras.

Star Time certainly is a rather distinctive & arty tinged take on the serial killer genre, and hats off to VS for bringing it back into the cult movie spectrum for all to see.  I can certainly see it appealing to those who enjoy less conventional thrillers, with arty & experimental edges.