Blood Sisters (Media Blasters) Blu-ray Review

Roberta Findlay's Blood Sisters makes it long awaited blu-ray debut with a brand new 4K scan and some really worthwhile special features.

Studio: Media Blasters

Release Date: 1987 (theatrical)

January 12th, 2020 (blu-ray)
Run Time: 1 hour 26 minutes 19 seconds
Region Code: A
Picture: 1080p (1.78:1 aspect ratio)
Sound: English LPCM 2.0
Subtitles: None
Slipcover: No
Digital Copy: No
Starring: Amy Brentano, Shannon McMahon, Dan Erickson, Marla Machart, Elizabeth Rose, Cjerste Thor, Patricia Finneran, and Gretchen Kingsley

Written by Roberta Findlay
Directed by Roberta Findlay
Rating: R (sexual content including nudity and bloody horror violence)

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"Eat my shorts, tampon breath!"

"Where ya going, sperm whale?"

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From pioneering ferocious femme fatale filmmaker Roberta Findlay creator of "Tenement", "The Oracle", and "Snuff"

8 sexy sorority sisters attempt to brave the night in an abandoned haunted brothel as part of their extreme pledge ceremony. Unbeknownst to them, their boyfriends have rigged the house to scare the ladies out of their wits! However, the old house seems to have an evil mind of its own as our heroines face a triple-threat non-stop barrage of practical jokes, a real-life psycho killer on the loose, and the vengeful spirit of the haunted house.

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This was my first time with BLOOD SISTERS after seeing the striking box art in the video store all the time when I was a kid. The film starts out really well, as most slasher movies do, before settling in on a hodgepodge of ideas that become all mangled. The film wants to be a haunted house film while also being a slasher film and I just don't think that the two things blend too well. The film does feature some bloody kills but they are all the same kill, basically, which leads to the film's blandness. The characters are also very bland with none of them sticking out from the others. It's a shame that this is just another slasher film that doesn't do all that much to stand out from the crowd of slasher films that were released around the same time. I was really looking forward to this one, but it let me down.

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This is advertised on the Media Blasters website as being from "a fresh 4K scan" and I think that it was. The picture looks really great here with a thin layer of film grain which does get quite heavy during darker scenes. Colors are accurate and sometimes very bold. Blacks are deep and inky. Detail is impressive with clothing looking particularly detailed. There is a bit of damage (hairs, scratches, etc) that show up from time to time. There has been no digital manipulation here and that is always a good thing.

The 2.0 track gets the job done. Dialogue is clear and precise and the film's cheesy score shines.

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We start out with an introduction to the film from Joe Bob Briggs. Joe Bob gives us a history of Roberta Findlay. He talks about her husband's death in a helicopter. Her work on SNUFF, SHRIEK OF THE MUTILATED and THE FLESH TRILOGY. She only made two films after BLOOD SISTERS. We then get the Drive-In Totals that Joe Bob is so famous for. We then get an interview with Roberta Findlay that is actually a reuion of sorts between Findlay and actress Elizabeth Rose. Findlay made the film because she was going to be taxed for the money she made on her other films. She said that there was no inspiration for the film because of the reasons for making the film. She wanted the film to have all the hallmarks of her films as well as a good score. She cared more about the photography than anything else in the film. Elizabeth Rose is also on hand to give us a breakdown of her character and give us a few behind the scenes stories. A comedy commentary from Joe Bob Briggs and the film's theatrical trailer close out the special features.

Introduction (5m 37s, SD, 1.33:1)
Comedy Commentary with Joe Bob Briggs
Interview with director Roberta Findlay (10m 13s, SD, 1.33:1)
Original "Blood Sisters" Trailer (3m 17s, HD, 1.78:1)

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BLOOD SISTERS is a good looking film that doesn't have much going for it. The kills are kind of weak and the characters all seem like they are the same person. It's not a terrible film, just an underwhelming one. The blu-ray is really nice, though, with great picture and sound. The special features are worth sitting through the film with Joe Bob giving us some laughs and information along the way. I can't really recommend the film, but the blu-ray is worth picking up.

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Packaging