From the mid-’80s Blood Hook is a regional slasher that focuses on a killer fisherman, whose causes terror in and around the annual  Wisconsin Muskie Madness fish comp with his giant rod. The film was put out by infamous Troma Studios, and while it features slight touches of the wacky humour the studios are known for, it’s largely an entertaining enough example of the slasher genre- with some fairly memorable kills & gore, a selection of quirky characters, and light touches of creepy atmosphere. Here from Troma is a just-released double-disc Blu Ray release of the picture, with the picture on the first disc, and a selection of interviews/ other extras on the other disc.

Released in the year 1986 Blood Hook was directed by Rochester, Minnesota born Jim Mallon- this was his one and only credit in the director's seat, though he had producer/ directing credits for Mystery Science Theatre 3000. Blood Hook was filmed in and around Hayward- a Wisconsin riverside city that is known for its Muskie( large pike) fishing- and is home to a 143-foot (44 m) fibreglass musky, which is said to be the world's largest fibreglass structure.
 
The film kicks off with a middle-aged man fishing on a deck on a picturesque lakeside, his young grandson is descending via a funicular train to see his granddad- and when he gets to him the fisherman switches on his reel to reel easy listening tape, next thing we know he’s swiped away- with only his hat left floating in the water, and a rather puzzled little boy. Fast forward seventeen years and the now grown-up grandson Peter( Mark Jacobs) is heading back to his granddad's riverside cabin with a van full of buddies- to party and take in all that the Muskie Madness competition has to offer. And you guessed it folks start been taken out by off by a killer with a giant hook ‘n’ float rod.
 
Aside from Peter and friends, the other group from out of the town coming to the Muskie Madness are a rather obnoxious RV family- we have the frumpy chewing a wasp mother, an arrogant & shouty father, a barely teen wearing make-up daughter, and a brash son. On-site we have a selection of characters too- there’s the slightly quirky-if-seeming friendly bait shop runner Leroy( Don Winters), crump grey-bearded and hearing aid wearing Wayne(Paul Drake), bubbly and flirting competition helper Bev D(Sandy Meuwissen), and conspiratory spouting ‘n’ beer-drinking nam vet Evelyn(Bill Lowrie). 
 
The film does run about twenty or so minutes too long at the one hour and fifty minutes, and the early murders are a little underwhelming. But as we get into the film the kills/ gore gets better- we have blood chest rip attacks, nasty hand hooks, an ear ripped off, and punched through the bottom of the chin, then rope up dragging. We get a few effective moments of creepy just before kill the atmosphere, a wacky killers motive reveal, and a dulling rod finale. On the whole Blood Hook is an entertaining enough slasher, and I’d say if you enjoy the slightly more light/ humour edged examples of the genre you’ll enjoy what we have here.
 
 
Moving onto this two blu ray set, and on the new extras front we get on the first disc an around five-minute introduction to the film from Troma's Lloyd Kaufman, and this as expected is amusing/ entertaining enough, Moving onto the second disc, and here we find the main extras- and as far as I can gather these are all brought over from the Vinegar syndrome release of the film from a year or so back. So we have a twenty-nine Audio only Interview With Marsha Kahm Cinematographer and Editor on the film. There’s First Blood Hook an eighteen-minute interview with actress Lisa Todd. What's In The Tacklebox an twenty-three minute interview with FX artist Jim Suthers. And a half an hour interview with the film's director Jim Mallon. All of these interviews have their worth, but the most interesting was the final with Mr Mallon- he starts off talking about making a  short super eight film with his buddy in high school called Revenge Of Hill People , and this is where the idea Blood Hook came from. He moves on discussing working in local TV, then years later tieing back up with his high school buddy to make Blood Hook. He discusses the three years of his life the film took up-going from getting investors through to finishing the film. Along the way he talks about original ideas for the script like the unused killer with razor blade tipped oars, bringing others to write the script, building the bait shop without permission and getting in trouble with the police, casting and filming in Hayward, trying to source a Muskie for the film, and more.
Otherwise, on the disc, we get Blood Stab- a seven-minute short from a new up & coming director, this sees an African American punk doing a psycho prank & genre switching music. A few retro trailers, Blood Hook trailer, image gallery & a selection of ten trailers for Troma films.

I recall seeing both ads and the video box for Blood Hook back in the ’80s but never got to see it until now. And I must say now see it was better than I expected after reading largely negative reviews over the years- been an entertaining mid 80’s example of the stalk ‘n’ slash genre. In finishing if you’re a slasher fan, and you’ve not seen Blood Hook- I’d certainly say pick up this double blu ray Troma release.