SCALPS (1983)
Directed by Fred Olen Ray
Retromedia DVD
Reviewed 05.07.04
Review by Joseph A. Ziemba

THE FILM
Ok, Scalps. Whatcha got for me? Oh, a rubber faced Indian monster with stone-washed Levis and low top tennis shoes? Sounds great. Some gratuitous, yet comic book level gore effects? Not bad, not bad at all. A 40 minute kick off in which nothing much happens at all? Uhhh...

I really wanted to embrace Scalps and pre-watch, was envisioning it to be a perfect night of mindless drive-in fun. I mean, I was really into Alien Dead, my first step into the world of Fred Olen Ray’s films. My natural assumption was that Scalps would up the ante a bit production-wise and deliver a few more thrills, while still retaining all the depth of a puddle. Well, I was right. Unfortunately, I didn’t expect those thrills to tag along with some unwanted dullness.

Essentially an updated reworking of William Grefe’s not-so-hot-to-begin-with Death Curse Of Tartu, Scalps features a miniscule plot. A group of unlikable college stereotypes (nerd, bitch, weirdo, frat dude, intellectual) go digging around an old Indian burial ground, unleashing some kind of spirit that scalps and possesses its victims. Before that happens though, we’re forced to meet the co-eds’ discombobulated Professor (Kirk Alyn), bear witness to driving padding, running padding, rock climbing padding, and listen to unending dialogue about...well, nothing in particular. Then, right before things get exciting, a nasty rape scene pops up out of nowhere, putting a bit of a damper on the proceedings. Thereafter, the scalpings and murders occur, which hop the line from gruesome (a particularly cringing throat slash) to hilarious (flying heads).

Despite a few inspired moments (the rubber faced Indian slasher looks completely nuts and the inclusion of superimposed shots featuring a dime store old man mask will please any enthusiast of bad filmmaking), I just couldn’t find enough charm to raise Scalps above the “just another bad movie” level. I was left feeling unfulfilled, a little bored, and turned off. Maybe that’s why the promised Scalps II: The Return Of D.J. never materialized.

AUDIO AND VIDEO
Despite the disclaimer before the film apologizing for an inconsistent print, which was pieced together from several different sources, I was pretty impressed with the quality here. The widescreen print looks fine and flawless for over half of the picture, save for a quick turn to video for a minute or so. At 52 minutes, it starts switching between the actual print and a murkier video source, but it’s not too distracting. The mono sound, with the occasional effect in stereo, was perfectly audible.

EXTRAS
We’ve got a fun trailer, a nice behind the scenes still gallery, and another terrific commentary (ala Alien Dead), this time with Fred Olen Ray and producer T.L. Langford. To be honest, I enjoyed the commentary about ten times more than the actual film. The entire track is enthusiastic, laid back, and filled with juicy nuggets. It’s unbelievable to hear about the exhausting efforts that went into presenting this film on DVD and how hard it was in tracking down the various film elements. Interesting to note is that the print presented here is the distributor's cut. Included are a few scenes (featuring an inexplicable lion monster) that were never intended to be in the film. A very enjoyable listen.

FINAL THOUGHTS
Although I didn’t completely enjoy Scalps, I appreciate the effort that went into preserving such a rarity. Fans will want this definitive disc in their collection, pronto.

Did somebody say "pizza"?


Excuse me, waiter...


Scalps in action


Black Tree monster