Brand new factory sealed dvd of the superior Code Red restoration. Has both the original uncut theatrical version as well as the European extended cut. The Media Blasters 2-disc special edition, distributed under their Shriek Show banner is not so special. It is a transfer culled from a less-than-pristine source (they couldn't locate the negative) that is missing some gore that was available on the vhs. Not so here, this has been painstakingly restored from the original 35mm internegative and looks much sharper. Now Out Of Print (OOP), this is an instant collector's item.

The gripping opening finds a boozing preacher (Mike Kellin) jokingly addressing the Lord through a gaping hole in the ceiling of his dilapidated church, stunned momentarily into sobriety when he sees not God, but an inbred mountain maniac leering down at him. The killer proceeds to get Old Testament on the preacher's cousin, disemboweling the poor sod with a serrated machete and a hoarse giggle.

Meanwhile, an RV is headed for this remote patch of mountains, carrying two young couples--Warren (Gregg Henry) and Constance (Deborah Benson) are both blonde and serious in nature (Constance is the introvert who senses things), while Jonathan (Chris Lemmon, son of Jack) and Megan (Jamie Rose) are the funnier, less inhibited pair--not to mention fifth wheel Daniel (Ralph Seymour), who we know is just destined to die because of his artistic sensitivity. After the requisite scene where our heroes are warned by a reclusive local not to proceed any further--in this case, a gruff park ranger played by George Kennedy--the travellers proceed up the mountain anyway, looking for family property.

Along the way, they encounter the crazed preacher from the opening, who screams of a "demon" loose in the woods, only they fail to heed this second warning, thinking the old guy is a crackpot, and set out on foot for what turns out to be a paradise of lush, skyscraping trees and natural waterfalls--unaware that the hulking, machete-wielding killer is monitoring their every move. The rest could have been standard slasher fare, only Mark Arywitz's screenplay throws in a terrific second-act surprise involving the killer, the struggle sparks a thought-provoking switch in the leads psyches.

Group leader Warren is reduced to an ineffectual, blubbering mess, leaving Constance to tap her survivalist instincts in a most disturbing way. Additionally, the atmosphere is consistently evocative, thanks to Dean King's lensing of picturesque locales in the Cascade Mountains of Oregon. And Jeff Lieberman shows great restraint where the soundtrack is concerned, allowing natural, enviromental sounds and silences to build tension rather than lazily relying on blasts of music for jump scares.

Music still has an important function, however, and director Lieberman's use of it tends to be a bit more subtle and unorthodox than his horror filmmaking peers. Free shipping fee per each additional title purchased at the same time and combined together for Media Mail delivery.