Blue Sunshine

Some horror movies are made out of straw, so precariously constructed that the slightest narrative breeze will unravel the whole film.  But Jeff Leiberman’s Blue Sunshine (1977) is made out of bricks, baby!  Even with all its flaws, there’s just something about the ominous inevitability of each scene that glues it together, leading to a generational apocalypse there’s no chance of preventing.  Turn on, tune in, and drop dead!

After one of his friends goes on a murderous rampage, Jerry Zipkin (Zalman King) accidently sets himself up as the fall guy. Now on the run from the cops, Zippy’s only chance to clear his name is to solve the mystery behind “Blue Sunshine,” a strain of LSD sold at Stanford ten years prior which seems to be having deadly effects on its users including headaches, alopecia and psychotic episodes.  

With some minor tweaking, Blue Sunshine could pass as a major studio thriller.  But it would lose a lot of its charm and likely the 42nd street vibe that makes it so appealing.  Even though it’s set in Los Angeles, Lieberman gives his film the same dangerous edge as work from NYC directors like Abel Ferrara and Bill Lustig.  You never feel safe watching it. And some of the iconography – bald heads, bulging eyes, rabid lips – seem to be a direct inspiration for Cronenberg’s early horror oeuvre.

As a protagonist, Jerry Zipkin is about an unreliable as they come.  And the performance by Zalman King, who looks like a sloppy police sketch of Sean Penn and David Duchovny, is entertainingly unhinged. But he’s surrounded by a solid cast, including former Lost in Space first officer Mark Goddard as an aspiring congressman, and a can’t-miss concept that will have you second-guessing every bald person you see!

A title that’s been long-deserving of some special attention, Synapse Films steps up to the plate with a 3-disc set, including the original soundtrack, packaged in a chipboard slipcase that’s a solid as a hardcover book. The feature itself is presented in both 4K UHD and Blu-ray and it looks extraordinary; no matter what you were expecting, expect to be impressed.  Extras include two audio commentaries (both featuring Lieberman, who’s a great listen), interviews, film fest Q&As, anti-drug “scare” film, the uncut and release versions of Lieberman’s first film, The Ringer, trailers, stills, fold-out poster and liner notes.  

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