Blue Sunshine

Blue Sunshine

In-between the opening credits (set alongside an approaching full moon) we see random characters - a babysitter, a policeman, a doctor - going about their everyday business, but suffering from unexplained severe headaches.

The action then shifts to a house party, where old friends Jerry (Zalman King) and Frannie (Richard Crystal - brother of Billy!) prepare to wow their fellow ravers with an acapella rendition of "Just In Time". However Frannie - who has been suffering mysterious headaches himself - goes insane and murders three women.

After grappling with Frannie on an open road and eventually throwing him in front of an oncoming truck, Jerry is forced to go on the run. The police hot on his trail as the suspected murderer!

With the aid of his girlfriend Alicia (Deborah Winters), Jerry determines to clear his name while discovering just why people in New York are going bald and turning into psychopaths.

It transpires that a form of LSD called Blue Sunshine is responsible for the crazed attacks being reported upon throughout the city. It was sold to University students a decade earlier and, 10 years on, the deadly side-effects have started to surface.

More so, Jerry learns from his doctor friend David (Robert Waldron) that local politician Ed Flemming sold the drug to his friends while at Stanford University. Amongst the people Flemming sold his acid too are his estranged wife (Ann Cooper - her episode of toddler-terrifying psychosis is a stand-out moment) and his bodyguard Wayne (Ray Young).

In scenes that echo the same year's TAXI DRIVER (1976), Jerry focuses his aggression on Flemming (Mark Goddard) - turning up to pester the budding statesman as he peddles his political promises in the city's latest election. Furthermore, there's a conversation between a gun salesman and Jerry that recalls Travis Bickle's tryst with a back-street arms peddler (although "Don't jerk or it won't work" is no match for the classic "You talkin' to me?"!).

The story is simple and full of holes. But that hardly matters when director Jeff Lieberman (JUST BEFORE DAWN; SQUIRM) keeps the pace brisk and the atmosphere of paranoia in the forefront of our minds at all times.

Genuinely creepy on many occasions, much of the film's power is due to what is suggested rather than explicitly shown. A prime example is Jerry's venture into the house of a man who massacred his family a day previously. Very haunting.

The use of hair-loss is an absurdly effective twist, creating realistically scary monsters out of normal people. It also serves as a neat dig at image-obsessed middle America.

The performances are ropy at times (King sweats, gasps and frowns with intensity through the entire movie) but suit the B-movie mechanics of the enjoyable script. The only downside to an otherwise great film is the abrupt ending …

For this release, Synapse has tracked down a theatrical print of the movie from the UK (the original negative has long since been lost). As a result, this doesn't look as pristine as many films of it's age do now thanks to DVD remastering. There is noticeable grain in some night scenes and the picture is generally soft with occasional specks. Having said that, it's the best you're likely to have ever seen the film looking and doesn't hinder the entertainment value at all.

Audio-wise, we are given the option of the original mono soundtrack (okay, but quiet) or a brand new thumping 5.1 remix. The latter is utilised excellently. Suddenly every burst of music is even more jolting as Lieberman throws parrots and knife-wielding bald women unexpectedly at the camera.

Beyond a rather drab, static menu page, the extras herein are great.

Lieberman provides an entertaining and informative commentary track, conversing with FX artist/director Howard Berger. The light-hearted banter covers topics such as King's limited acting ability, Jeff Goldblum's audition for the role of the doctor, and how Lieberman's brush with scarlet fever helped inspire the film.

'Lieberman On Lieberman' is a 30-minute interview with the director, where he addresses the camera in a refreshingly candid manner.

THE RINGER is a short film that predates BLUE SUNSHINE. Intended as an anti-drug piece, in Lieberman's hands the whole thing plays like broad parody and is all the more satisfying for it. It also features a cringe-worthy opening scene of a novice drug-user drawing blood during their first injection. The picture quality here is very aged and scratchy, although it's nice to see the option of a director's commentary available here.

The theatrical trailer for BLUE SUNSHINE is brief but nice, the same of which can be said for the 'behind the scenes' stills gallery. There's even a short featurette on the restoration and remastering of the film - confirming that Synapse have indeed worked wonders with the limited source material made available to them.

Check out Synapse's 'Special Thanks' list too - include a wry nod to Timothy Leary for 'popularising LSD' …!

That's disc 1. If you're lucky enough to pick up one of the initial pressing of 50,000 copies of this release, you'll be the proud owner of a second disc - the movie's complete original (and very freaky) soundtrack!

Finally, there's a four page booklet which offers not only a reproduction of the excellent French theatrical poster artwork, but liner notes from Michael Felsher and Edwin Samuelson.

The film itself has 17 chapters. The packaging for this 2-disc edition is very appealing on the eye - a double-width-spine Amaray case and striking metallic silver cover art.

Long overdue for it's release onto DVD, it's great to see the cult classic finally arrive on the scene. And with those extras to boast of, this is a very worthwhile purchase indeed.

Review by Stuart Willis


 
Released by Synapse
Region - All (NTSC)
Not Rated - uncut
Extras :
Audio commentary, Interview, Short film, Trailer, Stills Gallery, Restoration featurette, Soundtrack CD
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