A DAY OF JUDGMENT (Blu-ray Review)
FROM SEVERIN FILMS
Review by Josey, the Sudden Catđ
This obscure little oddity hails from the early â80s, just as the slasher movie craze was beginning to ramp up. But despite a tagline obviously created to evoke memories of Halloween, A Day of Judgment is a different animal. Regionally-produced and well made for what appears to be a very limited budget, it mostly plays like an unholy fusion of Southern Gothic, folk horror and the type of anthology films Amicus Productions was cranking out a decade earlier.
Until the laughably heavy-handed denouement, the only real narrative difference between this and, say, 1972âs Tales from the Crypt, is that the stories of retribution happen concurrently, with comeuppance dealt by a hooded, scythe-wielding figure who rides into a rural village in the dead of night. Coincidentally, all hell breaks loose after the townâs only priest has had enough of everyoneâs godless bullshit and leaves. Our favorite bit involves a nasty old lady whoâs literally dragged to hell for poisoning a goat...a wonderfully creepy sequence.
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When gophers go unchecked. |
Had the credits started to roll right then, weâd have a perfect ending. Instead, an unfortunate coda suggests the filmmakers have an moralistic - perhaps evangelical - agenda that belies the fun of watching these assorted assholes get whatâs coming to them. Worse yet, this eye-rolling bout of sermonizing is presented with the subtlety of a mallet.
But that ainât really a dealbreaker. Until then, A Day of Judgment serves-up economical-but-enjoyable slices of cryptic karma. In addition to a nice restoration, this disc also features a couple of interesting interviews with the producer and screenwriter, each discussing the filmâs grassroots production history (as well as the screenwriterâs admitted agenda). After hearing their stories, one canât help but admire what they were able to accomplish with such miniscule resources.
EXTRA KIBBLES
âTHE ARTISTâS SINSâ - Interview with author Stephen Thrower.
âTALES OF JUDGMENT" - Interviews with producer Worth Keeter and screenwriter Thom McIntyre.
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