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While planting a tree as part of an Arbor Day celebration, Elmer Jacobs witnesses the horrifying slaughter of his parents by a grizzly bear. Catatonic for 20 years, he is taunted by apathetic doctors and a cruel hospital staff when he finally snaps like the branch of a tree, and begins a vengeful slaughter, reaping a crop of victims using gardening tools. Unaware of Elmer's rampage, a group of teens party in his abandoned house only to be chopped down one by one.

ARBOR DAY premiered back in 1990, but it quickly became non-existent in the movie world. Classified as a lost film, Terror Vision has resurrected this long-lost slasher for home video for the very first time with a brand-new 4K transfer! Presented in UHD w/ a new HDR color grade. Terror Vision is proud to present this long-lost slasher and forgotten slasher to you!

This 3-Disc set is LIMITED to 1000 copies. The 3rd disc will include the filmmaker’s restoration and the raw scan of the lost material.
The UHD and the other Blu-ray will contain Terror Vision’s restoration and bonus features that are exclusive to this release.
Once this version is sold out, the 3rd disc and the booklet will NEVER be available again.

Special Features:
  • Limited Edition Booklet
  • Commentary w/ Joseph Sikorski, Scott Bradshaw, and John Dorcic from Arbor Day
  • Out On A Limb: A Feature Length Film for The Making of Arbor DayP
  • Promo Trailer for Out On A Limb
  • Ramblo IV 
  • Hand Job: Sir Nigel’s Work On Arbor Day
  • Extra Interview Clips
  • Cannes Abridged 1990
  • Isolated Score
​
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in memoriam

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Lar Park-Lincoln -- with only just over two dozen screen credits to her name -- really had an impressive career in the realms of the Fantastic. 

Genre fans might know her skills as displayed in such projects as House II: The Second Story (1987), Friday The 13th: The New Blood (1988), Freddy's Nightmares, From The Dark (2009), Gravestoned (2009), Sky Sharks (2020), 13 Fanboy (2021), Rose Blood: A Friday The 13th Fan Film (2021), and Ghost Party (2022).

On another note, the talented actress also appeared in the fondly-remembered Space: Above And Beyond as a one-off guest star.  80's fans might recall that she also paid a visit to the world of TV's Highway To Heaven.

Though she's no longer with us, Park-Lincoln was born on this day in 1961.

[Source: IMDB.com]

Our warmest prayers are extended to the family, friends, and fans of Lar Park-Lincoln.

May she rest in peace ...

-- EZ
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DC’s “Summer of Superman” publishing initiative is poised to leave a lasting impact on the Man of Tomorrow and his allies, and timed to Superman Day (Friday, April 18), DC shared details on new comic book titles and upcoming can’t-miss comic storylines for July, including Superman Treasury 2025: Hero for All, on sale July 2.

Legends collide as the Man of Steel goes supersized for DC’s Summer of Superman! In this all-new treasury edition, reminiscent in size and scale of DC’s classic “tabloid” comic books, quintessential Superman writer Dan Jurgens pairs with dynamic artist Bruno Redondo and colorist Adriano Lucas to craft a larger-than-life story of power, tragedy, action, and, above all—hope.

“Since Superman is the cornerstone on which our entire industry is built, the term ‘Treasury Sized Edition’ seems to be the perfect vehicle for him,” said Jurgens. “As a kid, the term ‘Treasury Edition’ meant that it was sure to be a special project and one that I just had to have. From the very start, most of those projects focused on Superman. It started with the first SUPERMAN vs. THE AMAZING SPIDER-MAN team-up and continued with SUPERMAN vs.SHAZAM, SUPERMAN vs. WONDER WOMAN and one of the best comic projects ever, SUPERMAN vs. MUHAMMAD ALI. It was an honor, years later, to be able to add to that lineup of Treasury Editions with SUPERMAN vs. THE FANTASTIC FOUR.”

“There’s been more than 25 years since DC published their last original Treasury Edition—double size of a regular comic book!” added Redondo. “So, having the chance to participate on this is something really special, and I’m really giving my best for it to be special.”
​
“This current project, SUPERMAN TREASURY 2025: HERO FOR ALL, is our attempt at trying to recapture the spirit of what made those earlier, epic projects something that we remember with such fondness,” continued Jurgens. “We have a grand story that is wide in scope, action and visual drama that also takes a deeper look at Superman's character and verifies his status as the preeminent hero in the DCU. The larger page size gives the artist every opportunity to push the scope of the story into something that explodes off the page and that is just what Bruno Redondo is working overtime to do. He has a wide range of characters and plenty of big story moments to play with and he’s going all-out to give readers a visual treat that they’re sure to love. In short, the idea of a ‘Treasury Sized Edition’ feels like the perfect way to acknowledge and celebrate this Summer of Superman.”

When a vicious armada of extraterrestrial extremists launches an all-out invasion of Earth, only Superman can stand in the way of total annihilation. But there’s something different about this attack—it’s deadly from both without and within. This is a tale so titanic it must be told at treasury size (10 1/8" x 13 5/16") to celebrate the Summer of Superman in style! This must-have one-shot features a main cover by Redondo and will feature images and info from the highly anticipated Superman movie from DC Studios and Warner Bros. Pictures, a movie-themed photo variant cover, a variant cover by Dan Jurgens, and a stunning “friends and foes” variant cover by Scott Koblish (New History of the DC Universe).

For the latest information on DC’s “Summer of Superman” publishing initiative, DC All In, and the Man of Tomorrow, follow @DCOfficial on social media, and visit the DC website at https://www.dc.com. A collection of DC’s greatest Superman and Action Comics stories are available to read digitally with a subscription to the DC UNIVERSE INFINTE digital subscription platform (DCUI). For more information and a free trial, visit the DCUI website at https://www.dcuniverseinfinite.com. DCUI is not available in all countries and is not intended for children.

[SOURCE: DC Comics]
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Folks, you know me: I don't engage in a great deal of what I'd call 'current promotion.'

So much of the World Wide Web has -- over the years - kinda/sorta de-evolved into little more than point-and-click journalism all for the sake of the mighty dollar.  Of course, this isn't to suggest in any way that I'm personally opposed to anyone making a profit: my point is that so few outlets any more provided content just for content's sake, giving you something that's chiefly worth reading -- worth giving you information -- and nothing more.  That kind of substance seems to have been lost; and -- in its place -- there's a great deal of commerce along with a sometimes excessive amount of editorial opinion.  I do try to stay away from the biggest percentage of that stuff, trying more to just archive information and/or promote genre awareness for those watching.

Something that's been lost in the process is good old-fashioned movie promotion.  Have you seen or read about how much it costs studios to simply advertise their wares these days?  Good grief!  Producers have to shuck out an incredible $20M, $30M, and $40M just to get coming attractions up on television and/or elsewhere, and I think that's a real shame.  It shouldn't mean taking out a loan to avoid bankruptcy if you wanna let folks know that you have something which might be worth a ticket price: I've always felt that way, even for the smallest flicks.  Sure, I have to charge interested parties to post their trailers on SciFiHistory.Net, but rest assured that my prices are ridiculously unconscionably lowball.  I mean ... my prices are so damn low it oughta be a crime.  But I, too, need to make a few bucks just to keep this space running.  I'm not rolling in dough, and yet it can get pricey from year-to-year.

Sigh.

Still, the sole purpose is that I wanted to drop a bit of information regarding the present theatrical run of David Cronenberg's The Shrouds, which is current making its way through the cineplexes.  No, I haven't seen it, but I honestly didn't even know that it was out there.  That's what I'm talking about when I say how is it even remotely possible that a name so celebrated as Cronenberg's has so little promotion in the modern age?  What have we become, folks?  What have we become?

Here endeth the rant.

Press materials are posted below, which I received on behalf of the good people at Criterion.

-- EZ
​

press release
​

david cronenberg's 'The Shrouds'
now playing in new work and los angeles
opening nationwide this weekend

obsession and paranoia in the digital age
​

Now playing in theaters, The Shrouds stars Vincent Cassel as Karsh, the inventor of an unsettling new technology that allows the bereaved to watch the bodies of their loved ones decompose after death. When a spate of vandalized graves puts his enterprise at risk, Karsh uncovers a potentially vast conspiracy. Written following the death of the director’s own wife, the latest from body-horror visionary David Cronenberg is a profoundly personal film that critics are calling “mordantly funny” and “a brilliantly cerebral thriller.”

Plus: Don’t miss our retrospective of Cronenberg’s previous films, now playing on the Criterion Channel!

​“The Shrouds serves as a reminder that, at 81 years old, Cronenberg is still one of the world’s great filmmakers: bold, uncompromising, clever, and fearless.”
   —Adam Nayman, The Ringer

“Enormously rewarding.”
   —David Ehrlich, IndieWire

“Cronenberg’s most complete, self-assured, and dramatically accomplished work in years.”
   —Siddhant Adlakha, IGN

“Elegantly somber yet mordantly funny.”
   —Justin Chang, The New Yorker

“Intellectually provocative . . . [A] characteristically perverse take on life, death, and desire.”
   —Manohla Dargis, The New York Times

“David Cronenberg’s most personal movie since The Fly. To us, The Shrouds feels like a late-career blessing. To him, it’s a necessity.”
   —David Fear, Rolling Stone

“★★★★ A Cronenbergian body horror of integrity and force.”
   —Matt Zoller Seitz, RogerEbert.com

“Somehow unsettling and affecting, a horror yet a gift, and decidedly weird but also sad and even funny . . . another cool, cunning, disquieting work about our ceaseless fascination with what the body betrays.”
   —Robert Abele, Los Angeles Times

“As darkly funny and personal as any film in Cronenberg’s filmography . . . the sort of requiem that only he could create.”
   —Keith Phipps, The Reveal

OFFICIAL SELECTION – CANNES – TORONTO – NEW YORK FILM FESTIVAL ROTTERDAM – AFI FEST
​
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So many movies ... so little time ...

On this day in 1970 (in West Germany), Dorian Gray delivered a bit of art and Fantasy to moviegoers.  Massimo Dallamano both adapted and directed the work based on a story from Oscar Wilde, and the film starred Helmut Berger, Richard Todd, Herbert Lom, Margaret Lee, Marie Liljedahl, Isa Miranda, Beryl Cunningham, Renato Romano, Stewart Black, and others.  According to our friends at IMDB.com, here's the plot summary:

"A corrupt young man seemingly sells his soul to eternally retain his youthful beauty, all while a special painting gradually reveals his inner ugliness to all."

-- EZ
​
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The relevant predicate with which anyone should approach the topic of UFOs is this: simply put, they exist.
 
Now, this doesn’t consider in any way what they are.  Some argue that they’re intergalactic spacecraft flown here by some distant civilization to monitor our primitive progress in our own journey through the ages.  Others insist that there’s no way they could possibly be from outside of galaxy and instead theorize that there’s this advanced civilization residing somewhere at the bottom of our seas.  Furthermore, scientists explain that the math is there to support the likelihood of alternate dimensions; and this prospect fuels even more speculation about how such reality-hopping vehicles might slip through whatever veil separates ‘ours’ from ‘theirs.’  Of course, none of this discounts the fact that a great many of these unidentified objects do become ‘identified’ after a modicum of research … but there remain a percentage of sightings that perplex the wisest minds.  It’s these that deserve our greatest attention.
 
Over the years, the greatest controversy toward exploring these stories is the fact that experts disagree over what weight should be given to eyewitness accounts.  You see, we’re human, after all, and we can’t unconditionally be trusted because we’re flawed.  We make mistakes.  We misidentify X for Y; and because we might not possess the acumen to distinguish our temperature inversions from our swamp gases then these specialists argue we can’t be trusted.  In spite of the fact that eyewitnesses accounts often figure front-and-center into any court proceeding of record – meaning that the law considers them trustworthy enough – skeptics point out that our imperfections outweigh our validations.  This grim reality vanquishes perhaps all we really have when it comes to understanding these sightings, and that’s very, very, very sad.
 
Thankfully, the folks behind The UFOs Of Soesterberg feel differently.  They – like a great many within the wider UFO and ‘High Strangeness’ community – learned long ago that what these witnesses not only see but can effectively elucidate needs to be considered.  Their stories need to be heard.  They’ve amassed a good handful of spectator accounts involving some curious aerial activity in and around the Soesterberg Air Base in the Netherlands, and they’ve presented here without commentary, leaving it up to the audience to be the judge of what these folks saw and say.  What emerges is a vivid picture that just might make a believer out of a skeptic or – at least – give the doubter a reason to pause.
 
(NOTE: The following review will contain minor spoilers necessary solely for the discussion of plot and/or characters.  If you’re the type of reader who prefers a review entirely spoiler-free, then I’d encourage you to skip down to the last few paragraphs for the final assessment.  If, however, you’re accepting of a few modest hints at ‘things to come,’ then read on …)
 
From the film’s IMDB.com page citation:
“In the early morning of February 3, 1979, a giant black triangular object flew over Soesterberg Air Base. At least twelve soldiers witnessed this bizarre spectacle.”
 
Documentaries are particularly vexing to review because there truly is no performance herein to gauge.  While there generally is a what could be loosely described as a narrative, it isn’t usually the kind of story which has the emotional highs and lows we’re drawn to as spectators of drama.  Often time, the people involved are merely regular folks – not all that different from you or I – and they spend what screen time they’re given to speak from the heart without the advent of a director who might give them advice of how to make their speeches more captivating.  They speak frankly, sometimes a bit unevenly, and stick to their recollections.  They’re not interested in winning audiences over: they’re only interested in presenting their 'truth,’ which is all they have.
​
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So The UFOs Of Soesterberg is an accounting of various witnesses to what is more than a single event.  Yes, it’s safe to conclude that they’re strung together geographically, but that doesn’t excuse the fact that not every person here saw the same thing.  (Their descriptions vary, though a few are unarguably similar.)  Also, there’s a time element – one eyewitness is speaking about the U.S. sharing territory with the Netherlands military base in the 1990’s (i.e. the Gulf War is specifically cited) – that could’ve been handled a bit more clearly as they way it unfolded here was a bit confusing.  As the associated advertising materials kinda/sorta imply the bulk of these remembrances involve an event from February 3, 1979, that would make the Gulf War well down the road.
 
As is often the case when dealing with firsthand testimony, the audience is left with determining how much of what’s being detailed could be authentic; and I’ll be the first to say that I don’t believe anyone here was concocting a story for attention.  Real people have no reason to do that, and the bulk of these interviewees speak with unmistakable clarity about something they saw decades ago.  The fact that their recall is so vibrant compels me to accept that they watched something take place that’ll stick with them until their dying days.  While none of it was presented as particularly frightening, I think all of them said that seeing what they did was enough to put the fear of God (or aliens) into their hearts.  That should speak volumes.
 
The only significant drawback so far as this UFO junkie is concerned is that Soesterberg – like so many others like-minded features – never quite goes far enough in crafting a relatable conclusion.  (I realized going in that answers were not likely to be forthcoming.  Such is the nature of this growing mystery.)  In fact, many of the same theories involving the who, what, and where of flying saucers – i.e. military involvement, clandestine aircraft, men in black, etc. – wind up weaving their way into the story, some mention of which just feels a bit too convenient.  Simply exposing these events for the sake of history is enough to warrant significant attention: tying all of it up in a bow with so much of what’s been suggested or extrapolated elsewhere seems like the producers were piggybacking for time as if the original material they captured just wasn’t good enough. 
 
Lastly, I’d be remiss in my duties of archiving these features for posterity’s sake if I failed to mention that Soesterberg has turned out to be a bit of a darling – deservedly – on the film festival circuit.  Multiple screenings have resulted in the flick garnering a fair share of notoriety and trophies, and I always find such triumphs deserving of mention for those who care about those kinds of accolades.  Such praise doesn’t happen all that often – especially for UFO-based exposés – so hats off to all involved.
 
The UFOs Of Soesterberg (2023) was produced by the Mad Scientists Movement.  DVD distribution (for this particular release) has been coordinated by the fine folks at Black Mandala (via Allied Vaughn).  As for the technical specifications?  While I’m no trained video expert, I found the documentary’s sights-and-sounds to be quite exceptional across the board: there’s a bit of visual trickery employed here and there – along with some animated dramatizations – and while not all of it is all that compelling it’s entirely serviceable for what’s required.  I will say that there’s a bit of curious encoding to the disc’s entire time index: what indicates a three-hour plus running time is actually the entirety of the doc itself – presented in two different ways – and the single special feature, which amounts to 20-minute conference presentation.  Lastly, if you’re looking for special features?  Honestly, the just aforementioned conference presentation is all there is; and that’s a bit underwhelming so far as I’m concerned.  It is what it is.
 
Recommended.
 
Though the central narrative jumps around from sighting to sighting a bit, The UFOs Of Soesterberg still effectively highlights why eyewitness testimony remains a critical component in exploring the mysteries of what might be truly ‘out there’ (in The X-Files parlance).  What these people have to say might sound occasionally incredulous, and yet their stories are delivered with the conviction not so much as a true believer as it is a personal affirmations assuring anyone listening that “I know what I saw.”  While facts and statistics could be used and misused ad infinitum, it’s accounts like these that remind audiences that – no matter what galaxy-spanning explanation could be involved – there’s still a very human component needing to be measured in any equation.  Hats off to those who believe these experiences minimally need preservation for the ages.
 
In the interests of fairness, I’m pleased to disclose that the fine folks at Black Mandala (via Allied Vaughn) provided me with a complimentary Blu-ray of The UFOs Of Soesterberg (2023) by request for the expressed purpose of completing this review.  Their contribution to me in no way, shape, or form influenced my opinion of it.

-- EZ
​
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So many movies ... so little time ...

On this day in 2001 (in the Great White North that is/was Canada ... do we still call it that?), A Crack In The Floor appeared with its release on home video.  Written and directed by the team of Sean Stanek and Corbin Timbrook, the Horror/Thriller starred Mario Lopez, Gary Busey, Bo Hopkins, Rance Howard, Tracy Scoggins, Justine Priestley, Daisy McCrackin, Bentley Mitchum, David Naughton, Bill Erwin, and others.  According to our friends at IMDB.com, here's the plot summary:

"When his self-imposed exile from society is interrupted by a group of friends on a hiking trip, a murderous hermit terrorizes the visitors."

Alas, I'm not seeing a post on the normally reliable YouTube.com for a theatrical trailer (at least, not one that I think is related to this film), but I do see that the flick is up in its entirety with one of those ads-included options.  As this is all I have to share in the space below, I'm posting it in that space.

-- EZ

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So many movies ... so little time ...

On this day in 1981 (in Italy), Cannibal Ferox tried to take a bite out of the box office ... in more ways than one!  Written and directed by Umberto Lenzi, the Horror/Fantasy starred Giovanni Lombardo Radice, Lorraine De Selle, Danilo Mattei, Zora Kerova, Walter Lucchini, Fiamma Maglione, Robert Kerman, John Bartha, Venantino Venantini, Perry Pirkanen, and others.  According to our friends at IMDB.com, here's the plot summary:

"Three friends embark on a trip through the Amazon jungle to disprove cannibalism, where they meet a pair of fugitive drug smugglers forcing a vicious cannibal tribe to harvest cocaine."

-- EZ

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So many movies ... so little time ...

On this day in 2015 (in the U.S.), audiences in attendance of the USA Film Festival were treated to the exclusive theatrical premiere of End Of Days, Inc.  Directed by Jennifer Liao from a story by Christina Ray, the SciFi/Comedy starred Mark O'Brien, Paulino Nunes, Janet Porter, Carolyne Maraghi, Paul Hyung-Sun Lee, Anna Ferguson, Karen Glave, Sandy Kellerman, Mark Robinson, Luis Fernandes, and others.  According to our friends at IMDB.com, here's the plot summary:

"A group of laid-off workers bribed into working one last night discover that processing the last of their "inventory" will lead to cataclysmic consequences."

-- EZ

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(NOTE: The following review will contain minor spoilers necessary solely for the discussion of plot and/or characters.  If you’re the type of reader who prefers a review entirely spoiler-free, then I’d encourage you to skip down to the last few paragraphs for the final assessment.  If, however, you’re accepting of a few modest hints at ‘things to come,’ then read on …)
 
From the film’s IMDB.com page citation:
“Emily, a troubled spirit, haunts her own house every day, wondering why she can't leave. With the help of Sylvia, a clairvoyant hired to rid the house of spirits, Emily is forced into a 'patient/therapist' relationship, uncovering disturbing mysteries about her past that may help her move on to 'the next place'.”
 
Like it or not, films are a conglomeration of good ideas and bad ideas.
 
Rarely does this confluence come together to produce the perfect experience both critically and commercially.  Not all films are considered ones for the record book; and the general hope when undertaking any singular story is that all of the people brought together to produce the end result were ‘on the same page.’  Minimally, this gives the surviving picture the chance to then seek out and explore strange new audiences, delivering its message (or messages) in such a way as to endear those watching with some of the narrative pieces.  However, the sad truth is that more films are forgotten than are ever truly remembered, so talent does need to work in sync – minimize those bad ideas and elevate the good ones – if they’re to have even a modest chance of being appreciated.
 
Of course, none of the above really even applies when if you’re talking about preaching to a niche audience; and that’s honestly the only hope an uneven spectral yarn like I Am A Ghost (2012) has.  From what I’ve read, the film from writer/director H.P. Mendoza appears to have been assembled this little haunt as a traditional chiller, but the production has mostly been embraced by the trans community with its members largely seeing this tale somewhat quizzically as commenting on their unique lifestyle.  Having seen it, I’m not entirely sure I’d concur with that statement; but – as I’m not transgender – perhaps I’m not qualified to speak on such particulars.
 
Sigh.
 
What I can say is that Ghost is a somewhat stupefyingly boring film.
 
Now, before all of you haters rise up and screech, let me remind you what I said above: flicks combine ideas both good and bad.  Where I Am A Ghost fails is that there’s far too much weight given to what doesn’t work as opposed to those things that are, frankly, quite exceptional.  Having written thousands of reviews over the years, I’m well aware that no reader wants to spend time parsing example after example of the triumphs over failures (and vice versa), so allow me to simply highlight a few of the reasons why Ghost missed where it should’ve struck chords and played like a symphony but didn’t.
 
Many, many times before I’ve harped on how some storytellers don’t have enough story to fill out, say, a two-hour production – certainly not enough to warrant the exploitation of resources involved – and that’s Ghost’s biggest sin.  Even at its economical 76-minute running time, there just isn’t enough in here to keep viewers focused.  Mendoza sets the stage with a seemingly endless series of choppy scenes, each and every one with broken endings to highlight things are amiss; and this goes on for far, far, far too long.  In fact, an argument could be made that the first twenty minutes of the picture could’ve been trimmed to well under five minutes; and nothing would’ve been lost.
​
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Again, this isn’t to suggest in any way that there wasn’t room for more story to be told.  The point is that these small vignettes build a foundation perfectly fine as they are; and yet well after their purpose is served Mendoza keeps layering them on and on and on.  Essentially, what’s happening here is that our lead character Emily (played by Anna Ishida) finds herself being ‘haunted’ by various loops of her existence – i.e. she’s the ghost reliving significant moments leading up to her demise – with some minor changes taking place in subsequent reels.  Far too long after the audience is in on the idea, Mendoza kept reminding them; and such re-runs were exhaustively unnecessary.
 
Now, there is a bit more context to what we see and learn in these loops.  As I said, minor changes happen here and there; and I suspect that Mendoza’s method to this madness was that Emily’s story as it unfolded had some details cleverly withheld.  (We learn as much once the first twist takes place.)  My problem remains that there just wasn’t enough story in this endless parade of reframing to warrant spinning them for as long as the director believed was necessary, and the loss of forward momentum kills the picture, mostly because that’s the only trick Mendoza uses even when the tale becomes more involved, so its effect has worn off.
 
However, Ghost’s biggest secret is that Emily discovers there is something more to her story – she’s not exactly trapped in here alone.  Sylvia (Jeannie Barroga) is a medium who has been hired by the house’s owner (in the present day) to apparently cleanse the home of the wandering spirit; and it’s this development that really gives the film its greatest chance to shift directions.  Our two actresses make the most of some key scenes because of Mendoza’s smart writing; and yet their exchanges eventually return back to the same old time loop format that hamstrung the production from finding its legs in the first place.  Thankfully, Emily’s demon shows its face – and genitals, even – in the second half, giving the flick the chance to dabble in some interesting jump scares (if nothing else); but it’s far too late to really salvage what becomes little more than a paranormal identity crisis … one we’ve already known about (or suspected) since the film’s beginning.
 
Because I’m at heart a good guy, I will say that I don’t find it surprising in the slightest that the project has been a bit of a critical darling.  I Am A Ghost is exactly the kind of entity that does well on the film festival circuit where it garners the attention of folks pushing social causes or celebrating niche storytelling to the delight of small groups.  The trouble there is that – from my experience – those winners rarely translate to big box office or crowd acclaim.  It’s a good effort, but it’s only going to be celebrated amongst those who live and die for such highbrow attention.  Still, congrats to all involved.
 
I Am A Ghost (2012) was produced by Ersatz Films.  DVD distribution (for this particular release) has been coordinated by the fine folks at Level 33 Entertainment.  As for the technical specifications?  While I’m no trained video expert, I found the provided sights-and-sounds to be quite good throughout: there’s a bit of low-level visual trickery here and there, but it all works well enough to support the slim story.  Lastly, if you’re looking for special features?  There are a few extras … and here’s the cautionary thing: when the extras are more interesting than the picture itself, then you can be sure this isn’t going to please everyone.
 
Alas, this one is hard to recommend.
 
I Am A Ghost favors filmmaking techniques over storytelling, trying to weave a rather simple affair with perpetual visual misdirection to the point of near absurdity.  As a result, the audience is propelled into a macabre and uninteresting carnival attraction that’s seemingly unending even though they all know they’ll still be getting off safely when the ride stops.  Because there just isn’t enough story to bear the weight of these experiences, Mendoza’s point could easily have been made in a much shorter flick – maybe 30 minutes – as opposed to what feels wasted here.
 
In the interest of fairness, I’m pleased to disclose that the fine folks at Level 33 Entertainment provided me with a complimentary Blu-ray of I Am A Ghost (2012) by request for the expressed purpose of completing this review.  Their contribution to me in no way, shape, or form influenced my opinion of it.

-- EZ
​

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