The Burning( DVD/ Blu ray) — The Burning( DVD/ Blu ray)
The US production was directed by English director Tony Maylam, with story & backing coming from the Weinstein brothers- infamous US producers who formed the Miramax Films company. The film is set in upstate New York summer camp, and tells of the shear bound murderous rampage of Cropsy- a former summer camp caretaker, who was horribly burned & disfigured by a gone wrong teen prank. The film is sometimes seen as a Friday the 13th rip-off( though apparently the script was written before the first F13), but it’s really most known/celebrated for is extreme(for the time) killings- which for a long time where often heavily cut in both the UK( where in was on the video nasties list), and the US. These include the infamous raft scene, where the hooded Cropsy hacks off fingers & skewers windpipes with this huge shears, as well as a handful of other brutal yet cleverly staged kills. Here the film is in it’s completely uncut form (for the first time in the UK, I believe), and as you’d expect with Arrow we get a nice transferee & presentation
Added to the kills we get a likeable teen cast, which features early screen appearance from the likes of: Jason Alexander( most known for his role as George in popular US 80’s/ 90’s Sitcom Seinfeld), Holly Hunter, US TV & film actor Larry Joshua( who plays the films camp tough guy/ bully Glazer. Finishing off the positives we get a fairly memorable looking killer- who wears black gloves( a nod to giallo films?), remains mainly in shadow/ masked, and carries a huge pair of shears- as expected later on in the films running time his face becomes revealed, & he has impressive deformed, twisted & melted look with one eye obscured & his teeth showing though scorched lips.
Negative wise the film really doesn’t have too many- sure the setting/ story does feel a little like the first F13, but the camp in The Burning is fully up & running, and there is no twists in who the killer is. Also we get a replay of the classic camp fire-telling- creep-stories scene( which appeared in a few F13’s, 1982 Madman, and a few other camp based slasher). But for the most part the film flows well, the story keeps your attention, we get a kill fairly often, and we also get a effective 80’s synth based soundtrack from Prog rock legend Rick Wakeman….all making this one of the best Slashers of the golden age.
This new DVD/ blu ray reissue comes in limited edition steel book packaging of 4000 copies. It features a twenty page full colour booklet- this takes in a new, exclusive & highly interesting six page write-up about the film from slasher expert Justin Kerswell( who wrote Teenage Wasteland: The Slasher Movie Uncut). In the write-up he discuss the urban legend behind Cropsy, the films production, its releases, and controversy . The booklet also features stills, and notes on the new transfer.
Extras wise the discs are fairly packed- exclusive to this release we get a new interview with Rick Wakeman, discussing the soundtrack. A new full length audio commentary from The Hysteria Continues( which is group of slasher experts that includes Justin Kerswell). Added to this we get the extras that originally appeared on the 2013 US Shout! Factory release of the film, and these take in two more audio commentaries- one from two of the actors in the film, and other from director & respected horror film expert Allan Jones. Plus the following featurettes: Blood n Fire Memories- a look at the creation of the film's make-up effects with special effects artist Tom Savini. Slash & Cut- interview with the films editor Jack Sholder. Cropsy Speaks- interview with actor Lou David. And Summer Camp Nightmare- interview with actress Leah Ayres. You also get behind the scene footage from the films set, trailer, and production stills etc.
I’d always had a soft spot for The Burning, and it’s great to see it in it’s full uncut form- which features a great new transfer too. Really if you have even just a passing interest in the slasher genre- this is a must have release, as it gives you the ultimate & bonus heavy edition of this classic slice of 1980’s slasher film-making.