I just recently moved from Apache Junction after what felt like an eternity in limbo, but my memories of the video store still remain. The Video Update over on the Trail and Signal Butte was the place to be as a budding film geek. Even better still, I saw many of my favorite horror films there, including Near Dark and From Beyond, as well as curiosities such as the English version of Anthropophagus, "The Grim Reaper," and the infamous exploitation flick Nightmare from 1981. But there was another Video Update somewhere in Mesa which I frequented before going to A.J. The selection was just as huge (Alice Cooper vs. Monster Dog! Caroline Munro enrolling at Slaughter High!), and I grabbed VHS tapes by the handful with giddy anticipation.

And one of those movies was THE BURNING.

The old Thorn-EMI VHS allowed me plenty of undeniable pleasures, most lovingly the sight of a very young Jason Alexander in one of the most interesting performances in a slasher film (right next to, say, Crispin Glover in the fourth Jason film). It also allowed me the chance to see a flame-broiled maniac who wasn't named Freddy Krueger. What I learned after watching the film, though, was that the considerably dry kill sequences had all been censored by the MPAA. Fisher Stevens loses his digits thanks to the snip of a pair of shears, but there was no juicy payoff. I guess I'm more moderate now in the way I like most of my gore flicks, but that was infuriating for me as a kid then, especially when you know who Tom Savini is by the age of 15.

I discovered that old Amazon.com VHS version that presented an uncut negative of the film with all the splatter restored. I watched it a couple of times, and then left it alone. I guess looking back at the movie now, I get mixed feelings. The slasher aficionado in me appreciates the movie for what it is, while at the same time, I have seen at least 100 superior horror movies, and that includes a couple of the Elm Street sequels. THE BURNING still holds a place in my heart, but it is the same one which I reserve for, say, 1987's The Curse, which I also stumbled upon by curiosity at the video store, has been issued on DVD the same week as THE BURNING and has equally let me down more with each repeated viewing.

The movie opens on a group of kids at New York's Camp Blackfoot preparing for the mother of all pranks. Their target is a nasty caretaker named Cropsy (Lou David), the kind of guy who has to sleep next to flammable liquids. This is not good for Cropsy when the prank backfires literally, setting him ablaze from head to toe. Five years later, after failed skin grafts and the advice of doctors not to blame anyone for this tragedy, he picks up a hooker who naturally freaks out after seeing his scarred mug and is duly murdered with a pair of scissors. Cropsy then sets his sights on the campers and counselors at the neighboring Camp Stonewater, with a pair of sharp and shiny garden shears.

Released following the success of the original Friday the 13th (Savini, legendarily, turned down the sequel after reading the script), it is also worth noting that this was an early Miramax production by the soon-to-be-giant brothers Weinstein, Bob and Harvey, who supposedly fashioned this story before Sean Cunningham's immortal stalker pic. No matter when the story was written, though, the film is more often than not derivative and predictable. The usual fake scares, skinny dipping scene and occasional red herring (provided you haven't seen this movie) are all standard tricks. If there is anything worth writing about this movie, it's that the movie actually restrains from the shrieking Final Girl character of so many slasher films and gives us a meek lad named Alfred, played by Tony-winner Brian Backer, who went on to star as the Rat in Fast Times at Ridgemont High. Provided you ignore his introduction, which is quite creepy in a way outside of burnt skin make-up, you get a sense that he is a sympathetic horn dog who'd rather spy on girls than merely talk about them with his misfit friends. One of them, Dave, is played by Jason Alexander with an early demonstration of his sharp comic timing and wit (he was around 21 years old when he made this, believe it or not). I still crack up every time he refers to Fisher Stevens' Woodstock as the "world bantam-weight jerk-off champion."

And it's a good thing Tom Savini turned down F13 Part 2 to make this one, partly because then the disappointment of not seeing an uncut version of that film would likely be felt more. Although his Cropsy design isn't the most fearsome thing in the world, he handles the gore FX with the same panache he brought to The Prowler and Maniac. There is a particularly unsettling throat-slashing of a young girl that is sure to be a gorehound's delight, as well as the immortal set piece on a raft in which five characters meet their demise, including Woodstock's aforementioned pruned hand (the movie was edited by Jack Sholder, director of The Hidden).

Still, modern horror fans will likely feel jaded at having to wait over 30 minutes for another kill. I think we've all been spoiled rotten, but it's a considerable problem nonetheless. The movie has an alarming lack of style (the Cropsy POV shots seem to have been framed with a Vasoline-smudged lens) as well as substance (Cropsy himself is too underdeveloped to be truly menacing) and at times feels a bit clumsy, especially that early scene with the dead hooker which looks like something from a different movie (probably an Italian giallo). And for all the decent supporting characters, the lead counselors are quite bland and Alfred, like I said, is not that sympathetic of a Final Boy. The idea of having one of the camp counselors (Brian Matthews) being one of the boys responsible for Cropsy's burning is not explored well enough outside of a mere campfire tale recitation to make the ending even remotely shocking, thus shifting more attention on the budget-constrained faults in continuity (a dead body in a shed is actually a freeze frame from an earlier shot in the film).

Many people consider this above-average for a horror film, when in plain truth, it likely is not. It's more average fare, but it's better than a lot of low-average fare. Sleepaway Camp, for instance, despite its unforgettable ending, is excruciatingly amateurish and even more crass than THE BURNING will ever be in hindsight. The movie has a lot going against it (even Rick Wakeman's synth-symphonic score has dated as well as the movie), but it does a decent job of telling a scary story and allowing us the priceless sight of Jason Alexander and Fisher Stevens mooning the camera before they became well-known faces (I forgot to mention Holly Hunter, but unless you really keep your eyes peeled for a girl in a blue shirt, you won't notice her). Like Woodstock after his encounter with Cropsy, I think I'll give THE BURNING two out of five fingers.

MGM, through their ownership by 20th Century Fox Home Entertainment, has issued the uncut version of THE BURNING on DVD in its original widescreen presentation. Despite the presence of some grain, lapses in the level of contrast and a mild smattering of print flaws, I'd have to say that the movie has never looked better. Indeed, the colors boast quite a richness during the daytime sequences, giving the film a warm, sunny palette that works well with the moodier night shots, which aren't too shabby in attention to blackness and shadow detail. Even the flesh tones have a clarity to them which is rare in most movies of this vintage. The only audio track offered is Dolby Digital 2.0 mono, which is rather limited when considering the fact that Rick Wakeman is the film's composer, but at least the track is as crystal as a fine lake (oops!). Dialogue, effects, piercing musical stings...they all have proper fidelity if not presence. Subtitles in English, Spanish and French are accessible.

Supplementary material begins with an audio commentary track featuring director Tony Maylam, moderated by fellow Brit and international film journalist Alan Jones. Having watched the movie for the first time in 25 years before recording the track, Maylam is refreshingly honest about the film although he doesn't detract from the experience he had making it. Even in the U.K., it was listed as one of those notorious Video Nasties, but it doesn't faze him. Instead, he breezily recalls how the film was made as a "one-off...commercial enterprise" with a couple of concert promoters, Harvey Weinstein and Corky Burger. Maylam relays the experience of working with Bob and Harvey, who were quite animated and driven even in their formative years, as well as the cast and crew. One of the credited story writers is TV veteran Brad Grey, a friend of Harvey's, although Tony can't recall his explicit contributions to the film and instead credits Peter Lawrence for a lot of the work. Although perhaps not anecdotal enough for some, including me, Maylam and Jones are quite a pair and contribute a surprisingly strong track.

This wouldn't be a recommended DVD however were Tom Savini allowed not to chime in on his experience making THE BURNING. And that's where the 18-minute featurette "Blood ‘n' Fire Memories" comes in, which presents Savini's solitary on-camera recollections of the film. If Maylam is somewhat elusive about whatever stress there was working with the Weinsteins, Savini admits that the relationship between Maylam and the brothers had soured near the end (the make-up guru was even asked to direct the ending, but declined). Savini provides all the fan-pleasing trivia that the commentary seemed to lack, including how actress Shelley Bruce played little orphan Annie on Broadway and was top-billed in the NY publicity material for the film. The best thing about this feature is the presence of vintage video recordings and still photographs of the self-proclaimed "assassin" at work, doing fire stunts, watching Maylam get "hands-on" during one of the kills and playing classical music as he applies Fisher Stevens' final death makeup.

The package rounds out with a gallery of 30 production stills and the movie's theatrical trailer, which will inspire ironic laughter in those seemingly rare few who saw Grindhouse earlier this year (once again, I raise my hand). It's a shame MGM doesn't provide insert cards which include the original theatrical poster design, for the generic-looking DVD cover isn't all that appealing either.

I appreciate THE BURNING much the way Maylam does when he puts it down straight in the commentary: "It's not a particularly innovative film, [but] it is what it is." And what is to be found here: some well-done Tom Savini make-up FX; surprisingly decent cinematography by Harvey Harrison; a story courtesy of two of Hollywood's biggest moguls; and the sights of a 22-year-old Holly Hunter, a 21-year-old Jason Alexander, and a 16-year-old Fisher Stevens all making their debut film. The DVD looks to have been made with care and there are some decent bonuses to be found, particularly remembrances from the director and the FX artist.

The verdict: Flame on? Flame on.

THE BURNING is a Cropsy Venture/Miramax production, rated R on the DVD but presented in its uncut glory on DVD, which means graphic violence, gore, and nudity. The film runs 91 minutes and was released May 8, 1981 in theatres.

Recommended:
Yes

Viewing Format: DVD
Video Occasion: Good for Groups
Suitability For Children: Not suitable for Children of any age