Jack-O (Retromedia) Blu-ray Review + Screenshots + Packaging Shots

We finally have 1995's Jack-O on blu-ray, after what has felt like forever. Was it worth the wait?

Studio: Retromedia
Release Date: October 10th, 1995 (video premiere) / June 13th, 2022 (blu-ray)
Run Time: 1 hour 28 minutes 56 seconds
Region Code: FREE
Picture: 1080p (1.66:1 aspect ratio)
Sound: English DTS-HD Master Audio 2.0
Subtitles: No
Slipcover: Yes (limited to the first 1,000 copies)
Digital Copy: No
Starring: Linnea Quigley, Maddisen K. Krown, Gary Doles, Ryan Latshaw, Catherine Walsh, and Rachel Carter
Written by Patrick Moran
Directed by Steve Latshaw
Rating: Not Rated (horror violence and gore, nudity, and language)

____________________________________________

Poster

____________________________________________

What's It About?

Summoned by warlock Walter Machen, the resurrected monster soon sets its sites on killing young Sean Kelly (Ryan Latshaw), the descendant of Machen's enemies. Sean's babysitter Carolyn tries to save the day, but is there really a chance in Hell?

____________________________________________

Film Review

What does one say about JACK-O that hasn't been said? The film is terrible. The acting is beyond bad, the cinematography is flat and uninventive, and the editing is some of the worst you will ever see. There is no doubt to any of these claims. These are all true statements. This, however, does not mean the film is worthless. This is actually a very fun flick. Everything bad about the film is actually a positive. The film never takes itself too seriously but it never calls attention to itself. The film is exactly what it needs to be. I love the look of the monster and Linnea Quigley being in the film is always a plus.

____________________________________________

Video/Audio

Even though the packaging says that this comes from a 4K restoration, Fred Olen Ray, on the Restoration Commentary track, that the footage was scanned at 2K. Despite this confusion, JACK-O looks amazing. I have seen this film many times since its release in October of 1995 and it has never looked this good. Clarity is the first thing that I noticed. The uptick in resolution really makes the film stand out even more than it ever has. Textures and fibers on clothing are clear and precise. Colors and skin tones look accurate and film grain is thin but present.

The included DTS-HD Master Audio track sounds nice, but it is taken from an analog source, so don't expect anything amazing. The film actually sounds like it has always sounded.

____________________________________________

Extras/Packaging

Original DVD Commentary This commentary track is very infamous. I will not tell you why because it is better when it happens without the knowledge. The track covers all the different facets of the production and release. It is an excellent commentary track with a killer conclusion.

2022 Restoration Commentary (7m, HD, 1.66:1) This commentary plays over the first seven minutes of Jack-O with Fred Olen Ray talking about what went into the restoration of the film. The film was shot on film but was edited on video. Ray talks about the process of restoring all of the film while having to match every frame to the edited video version.

Jack-O Memories (13m 17s, HD, 1.78:1) Pat Moran, Blair Carmichael, Jeff Walton all talk about their experiences working on the film, working with Linnea Quigley, and the time crunch trying get this thing done.

Behind the Scenes (4m 47s, SD, 1.33:1) Fly on the wall footage that I wish there was more of.

Gator Babes (7m 21s, SD, 1.33:1) This is just a bunch of random scenes from Gator Babes. I have no idea what Gator Babes is because I had never heard of it before watching this blu-ray AND I can not find any info on it including there not being an iMDB.com page. It does, however, look exactly like something that Retromedia would release.

The Coven Test Footage (5m 52s, HD, 1.33:1) This footage was transferred to blu-ray when Ray did footage for Jack-O was transferred. This is test footage shot around the same time as Jack-O. Footage contains commentary from Fred Olen Ray and can not be turned off.

Trailers:

Jack-O (1m 27s, SD, 1.66:1)

Gator Babes (1m 57s, SD, 1.66:1)

____________________________________________

Overall

Forget anything that might deter you from watching JACK-O and just watch it. It is a fun micro budget horror film with a cool looking villain and some decent deaths. I will tell you that you need to buy this blu-ray right away. Picture quality is outstanding and the special features are pretty impressive, if on the short side. This is one of my favorite blu-ray releases of 2022.

____________________________________________

Extras/Menus