Recently, Scream Factory put out a filled to the gills Blu-Ray of “The Hills Run Red” which felt like a “finally” on this film as it’s one that seems under-seen and under-appreciated. This slasher is one that came and seemingly went with the general public, but that slasher fans and many horror fans have been loving its release. It’s a brutal, meta slasher film that is a fun watch for fans of the genre and is a bit much for casual horror fans, which is exactly why it’s so great. The film itself is greatly entertaining and the kills are violent and bloody. It’s what a slasher fan wants and it’s what a horror fan in general wants. The story itself is strong enough to support the film without the blood, but there is more than that to this film. There is a lot here to unpack and it’s definitely a must see.
Now, this review is not mainly about the film itself, but it’s about the release it’s just gotten from Scream Factory which is full of goodness. It took many hours to get through all of it and it never felt like a chore, so that’s a great sign of a great Blu release. The film itself looks fantastic with depth visually and great sound mixing. The film doesn’t have any extra bits added to it as the missing footage would not have worked well at this point (more on that in the extras that you can watch on the Blu-Ray), but it doesn’t really feel like it needs anything added at this point. At least not from the point of view of someone who’s watched it regularly since its release.
The extras on the Blu-Ray as so numerous that reviewing all of them would be impossible. The interviews with the cast are fun, the William Sadler one possibly being the best one. The best parts of these extras are the commentaries, there are three of them, with the most fun one being the one director Dave Parker with Joe Lynch and Adam Green. It’s one with lots of information and it shows that the three of them know each other and have a great love for horror filmmaking. As a horror fan, it’s great to listen to the three of them talk about the filmmaking process and this film in particular. The second on that was great to listen to was the one with writer David Schow along with Parker. Schow is a beast in the horror genre with credits in the TCM world and having written the script for The Crow, a film that has marked so many. The third commentary is with Parker and Patrick Bromley and it’s the one that didn’t really keep the attention as well as the other here. It’s still good, but it’s not as entertaining it seems.
This new release of The Hills Run Red on Blu-Ray is pretty much exactly what fans of the film have been looking for, minus the cut scenes that some have been clamoring for, and it’s a great purchase for any fan of the film. The alternative cover is great, the content is plentiful and all well done, amazingly well done actually, and watching it is a fun time for fans of the film. Knowing more about Babyface and where he came from is a great way to spend a few hours (or even a few evenings there is so much here). It’s more than worth its price tag and it’s a great film with a great re-release.
As someone who doesn’t usually double dips, it’s one that had to be obtained, so it’s the good investment in a re-release for a great slasher this summer.
