On a totally punked-out New Year’s Eve, vivacious TV hostess Diane “Blaze” Sullivan counts down the hours to midnight. But as her show progresses, every hour, on the hour, a savage maniac slashes up a new female victim. As the trail of mutilated bodies spreads throughout the city, it becomes apparent that the psychopath’s ultimate target is Blaze herself. Desperate to stop the bloody rampage, the police frantically seal off the ongoing televised festivities. But the killer is quicker than they suspected—and he’s also the last one anyone suspects. So join the holiday season’s deadliest celebration with a New Year’s resolution to stay alive! Starring Roz Kelly (TV’s Happy Days), Kip Niven (Magnum Force), Grant Cramer (Hardbodies), Louisa Moritz (Death Race 2000), Taaffe O’Connell (Galaxy of Terror) and Teri Copley (TV’s We Got It Made), New Year’s Evil is a killer party you’ll never forget from director Emmett Alston (9 Deaths of the Ninja, Demonwarp) and producers Golan-Globus (Enter the Ninja, Runaway Train).
For thoughts on New Year’s Evil, please check out our discussion on The Video Attic here.
Video Quality
Kino Classics presents New Year’s Evil with a major upgrade in the form of a new 1080p master transfer in 1.85:1 sourced from a 2K master that looks really great. While I have never seen the previous Scream Factory release, this new presentation likely blows that one out of the water. The transfer provides nice, natural film grain absent of any compression artifacts or other such damage. The film features some splendid colors within the costumes and production design that pop off the screen with immense vibrancy. The film is practically pristine with no noticeable instances of damage or dirt detected here. Skin tones look natural, and the presentation offers up deep black levels. There is also a noticeable uptick in fine detail that should please fans of the film. Subtle details in the production design for Blaze’s show standout more than ever before. This presentation is another instance of Kino Classics rescuing a film from a dated master.
Audio Quality
The Blu-Ray comes with a stellar DTS-HD 2.0 Master Audio track that serves this film really well. This track shows no discernible age related wear and tear such as hissing or popping. All of the sound effects and music appear to be faithful to the intent of the creative team. A key thing you will notice is the vibrancy and clarity of the soundtrack. The recurring theme song especially permeates the room perfectly with its riffs. Despite the strength of this element, nothing ever overpowers the dialogue or other important information. Dialogue and background noises are represented in perfect harmony with all competing elements. This disc maintains an impeccable sense of fidelity that is appreciated when music is so central to the narrative. There are also optional English (SDH) subtitles included for the feature film. Kino Classic has knocked it out of the park!
Special Features
- Audio Commentary: Director Emmett Alston provides a pretty decent commentary track moderated by Code Red’s Bill Olsen in which they discuss the origins of this film, working with Cannon Films, various details about the production including filming on Hollywood Blvd, securing the cast, filming the concert performance scenes, Alston’s cameo in the feature, and much more. Alston is not the most lively subject, but he has a great memory and dishes out a lot of information throughout.
- The Making Of New Year’s Evil: A 37-minute featurette which delves deep into the making of the film is provided here featuring interviews with director of photography Edward Thomas and actors Kip Niven, Taaffe O’Connell and Grant Cramer. In this piece, the subjects discuss the origins of the project, the collaboration with Cannon Films, their memories from the production, how they got around malfunctioning props, the mood of the set, their favorite scenes, the film’s legacy and more. This is a really great piece that fans should definitely check out.
- Trailers: The two-minute trailer for New Year’s Evil is provided here. There are also trailers provided for Phobia, Without Warning, The Pit, Parasite, Link, Rawhead Rex, Nightmare Beach, Baby Blood and Highway To Hell.
Final Thoughts
New Year’s Evil is not always discussed among the top slasher films, but it is a really well-done effort that never ceases to be loads of fun. The film has some creepy moments, but it never loses its sense of humor as it goes along. The performances rise to the right level of over-the-top that you need for a cult classic. While admittedly formulaic, this film is an entertaining time, especially when coupled with the rocking soundtrack. Kino Classics has provided a new Blu-Ray featuring an amazing A/V presentation and a couple of great supplemental features. If you are a fan of the film, do not miss your chance to see it in the best quality yet. Recommended
New Year’s Evil (Special Edition) is currently available to purchase on Blu-Ray and DVD.
Note: Images presented in this review are not reflective of the image quality of the Blu-Ray.
Disclaimer: Kino Classics has supplied a copy of this disc free of charge for review purposes. All opinions in this review are the honest reactions of the author.
Dillon is most comfortable sitting around in a theatre all day watching both big budget and independent movies.
