Curtains

In the extras for Synapse Films’ new blu-ray special edition of Curtains, actress Lesleh Donaldson describes the Canadian slasher - filmed in 1980 but reshot, recut and finally released three years later - as an “endearing mess.” The same could be said for a lot of horror movies of that era, but Curtains is a true melting pot of old-school melodrama, art house aesthetics and typical teenagers in peril. The fact that there’s no possible way to make sense of it all only sweetens the deal.

Samantha Eggar (The Brood) plays an accomplished actress who has herself committed to an insane asylum as research for an upcoming role. But the film’s director (John Vernon) leaves her on the inside, staging an invite-only casting call at his snowy northern estate for six other actresses instead. Only five arrive, the other falling victim to a masked psycho accompanied by a creepy doll who seem intent on crashing the party…and killing off the competition.

Shot with a surprising amount of panache by former director of photography Richard Ciupka (Atlantic City), Curtains is nothing like other slashers released at the time. Which is exactly why producer Peter Simpson stepped in and reshot almost half the film, adding the asylum prologue (which works) and a predictable stalk-n-slash ending (which doesn’t) to make up for the short running time and plot holes.

However, it’s hard to imagine plot holes any bigger than what’s left in the final film. Curtains is like a jigsaw puzzle missing several pieces. Or, maybe more accurately, one with cute kittens where a fall landscape should be. Nothing fits properly, but the process of putting together it is still an enjoyable one. Mostly because the setting and characters are so far removed from the typical summer camp scenario.

What’s up with the old lady mask? How killed that guy in the hot tub? And where’d that damn doll come from? Ciupka’s classy direction is distracting enough forgive a whole slew of post-production adjustments and make Curtains an endearing mess that only gets better with age.

And Synapse Films hi-def special edition will likely garner more than its share of new fans as well. The transfer is impressive, the new 5.1 mix even more so and the extras border on overkill. A well-produced 30-minute documentary tells the production story through cast and crew interviews while two audio commentaries (one with producer Simpson and Eggar) fill in any blanks in the troubled production history. Plus, as a blu-ray exclusive, a vintage short film on Ciupka’s burgeoning career.