MVD Rewind Collection: Witchtrap / Kill Zone / L.A. Wars

We didn’t have particularly high standard back in the VHS era.  Two-for-one rental night meant you could afford to pick up that title with a cheesy cover knowing full well that it could never live up to it.  But as long as there was a valiant attempt at delivering Hollywood knock-off quality – and the requisite amount sex and violence – everyone was satisfied.  MVD’s Rewind Collection, featuring slick retro artwork and collectible insert posters, reaches high on the shelf for their three latest titles celebrating ‘80s bad taste.

Witchtrap (1989) comes from director Kevin S. Tenney, who had a ground-rule horror double with Witchboard and Night of the Demons just a few years prior.  Here he’s working with about half the budget and a quarter of the talent to tell the story of a warlock attempting reincarnation while dodging paranormal investigators out to vacuum up his soul.  Linnea Quigley has a small – and predictably unclothed – role as a video tech while the rest of the cast are amateurs “rewarded” for working on Tenney’s student films.  Overdubbing gives Witchtrapa bargain-basement feel, even though the camera work and death scenes are exciting enough; there’s even an exploring head!  But there’s no atmosphere to speak of, despite the fact that the film is ostensibly set inside a haunted house.  At least no one will be misled into thinking it’s a sequel thanks to the large warning label: Notice: This Motion Picture is not a sequel to Witchboard!   Damn right.

 

The transfer comes for a restored 2K interpositive with a group commentary track from Tenney and crew, plus several lengthy interviews (including Linnea Quigley), photos, trailers and a VHS Version that crops things down to 1.33:1, embracing the scan lines and coming attractions!

 

1994’s L.A. Wars adds another kickboxing cop to the discard pile, sending North American Cruiserweight Champion Vince Murdocco undercover to stop an underworld gang war.  Winning the trust – and affection – of the boss man’s daughter doesn’t endear him much to the second-in-command (Johnny Venokur doing an unhinged Al Pacino impression!) who plans on betraying his way to the top.  Extravagantly stupid but with the best of intentions, L.A. Wars will bring a smile to any action fan’s face; or at least a satisfied smirk.  Murdocco clobbers his opponents and murders his dialogue with equal skill.  But the film’s best moment might be a beachside lover’s montage that ranks up there with the corniest in cinema history.  Well done!

 

This one looks rough during the opening credits but shapes up into a respectable presentation, restored in 2K from 16mm elements, so be prepared to sift through some grain.  But there’s also an all-new commentary and interviews with co-director Tony Kandah and cinematographer Mark Morris.

 

The late Dave A. Prior was pumping out direct-to-video movies at a prodigious rate right up until his death in 2015.  Kill Zone (1985) was quick to capitalize on First Blood (right down to the stolen music cues), staged around a survival camp dressed as a Vietnamese POW compound in which one of the participants is pushed too far.  There’s plenty of stabbing, shootings and roundhouse kicks, but we never see any of them actually connect.  Prior is working at a level below the usual DTV fare, closer to a student production – although he does manage a monotonous helicopter pursuit for the finale.  It’s squeeze-and-eat cheese, appetites will vary.

The new 4K transfer looks the best of the bunch, however.  And extras include a new audio / video commentary, new half-hour Making Of and another VHS Version complete with spiffy Vestron Video logo.

This is not a triple-feature pack, just so you know.  Each film is sold separately.