Review: American Horror Project Vol. 2

Blu-ray: American Horror Project Vol. 2 

Following on from American Horror Project Vol. 1 which was released back in 2016, Arrow Films have unearthed and restored 3 more obscure American horror movies which have more than likely flown under peoples movie radar until now.

The superbly packaged box set contains Dream No Evil (1970), Dark August (1976), and The Child (1977), only 1 of which (The Child) I ever saw on VHS many years ago.

Arrow\’s American Horror Project series is co-curated by author Stephen Thrower (Nightmare USA: The Untold Story of the Exploitation Independents) and Vol. 2 once again brings to our screens 3 rarely seen offerings that have been newly remastered from the best surviving film elements, while also making their debut on Blu-ray. Needless to say with an Arrow Films release, they are also accompanied with a wealth of special features.

All 3 movies benefit from knowing as little as possible about them before viewing, with the one common thread between them all being that they are as mad as a box of frogs!

To whet your viewing appetite, here are a few details to entice you.

Dream No Evil sees Grace MacDonald (Brooke Mills) as a messed up young woman who grew up in an orphanage and desperately wishes to see her Father. However, be careful what you wish for, as Daddy may not be exactly what you want.

Mixing reality and psychotic visions, with the odd bizarre dance thrown in for good measure, Dream No Evil is a fever dream come to life.

Dark August continues the madness when Sal DeVito (J. J. Barry) runs down and kills a young girl. This is just the beginning of the nightmare for him though, as the girls grandfather (who just happens to be an occultist) puts a curse onto him.

So begins a series of mysterious happenings, leading him to seek help from a sorceress to try and lift the curse.

The Child has Alicianne Del Mar (Laurel Barnett) as a housekeeper tasked with looking after Rosalie Nordon (Rosalie Cole), a young girl grieving the death of her mother…and who also has the power to raise the dead.

Needless to say, things get a little out of control.

All 3 movies look the best they have ever done, while the special features (especially the commentary tracks) add a huge new appreciation for these little seen independent horror releases.

With (very) low budgets, acting that ranges greatly in quality, and practical effects that can sometimes be shocking, yet at other times laughable, American Horror Project Vol. 2 may very well not appeal to a lot of viewers.

However, if your cinematic tastes include the more obscure and inventive side of horror filmmaking, then this is most definitely the box set you have been waiting for.

LIMITED EDITION CONTENTS

• Brand new 2K restorations from original film elements
• High Definition Blu-ray presentation
• Original uncompressed PCM mono audio
• English subtitles for the deaf and hard of hearing
• Reversible sleeves for each film featuring original and newly-commissioned artwork by The Twins of Evil
• American Horror Project Journal Vol. II – limited edition 60-page booklet featuring new writing on the films by Stephen R. Bissette, Travis Crawford and Amanda Reyes

DREAM NO EVIL

• Filmed appreciation by Stephen Thrower
• Brand new audio commentary with Kat Ellinger and Samm Deighan
• Hollywood After Dark: The Early Films of John Hayes, 1959-1971 – brand new video essay by Stephen Thrower looking at Hayes\’ filmography leading up to Dream No Evil
• Writer Chris Poggiali on the prodigious career of celebrated character actor Edmond O\’Brien
• Excerpts from an audio interview with actress Rue McClanahan (The Golden Girls) discussing her many cinematic collaborations with director John Hayes

DARK AUGUST

• Filmed appreciation by Stephen Thrower
• Brand new audio commentary with writer-director Martin Goldman
• Brand new on-camera interview with Martin Goldman
• Brand new on-camera interview with producer Marianne Kanter
• The Hills Are Alive: Dark August and Vermont Folk Horror – author and artist Stephen R. Bissette on Dark August and its context within the wider realm of genre filmmaking out of Vermont
• Original Press Book

THE CHILD

• 1.37:1 and 1.85:1 presentations of the feature
• Filmed appreciation by Stephen Thrower
• Brand new audio commentary with director Robert Voskanian and producer Robert Dadashian, moderated by Stephen Thrower
• Brand new on-camera interviews with Robert Voskanian and Robert Dadashian
• Original Theatrical Trailer
• Original Press Book

Review by Dave from discs kindly supplied by Fetch Publicity.

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