Hack-O-Lantern (4K UHD Review)
- Review Date: Oct 31, 2025
- Format: 4K Ultra HD
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Director
Jag MundhraRelease Date(s)
1988 (November 26, 2025)Studio(s)
Spencer Films (Massacre Video)- Film/Program Grade: B
- Video Grade: B+
- Audio Grade: B+
- Extras Grade: B-
Review
The basic description of a film like Hack-O-Lantern would seem pretty mundane among the many and varying 1980s horror films. Slashers and monster movies of that era were filled with partying teenagers, secret killers, and devil worshiping, but through the lens of producer Raj Mehrotra and director Jag Mundhra, the latter of whom had only made three films previously, including one American film the year prior (Open House starring Adrienne Barbeau), Hack-O-Lantern (originally released as Halloween Night and later Death Mask) came and went on home video in 1987 with little to no fanfare. The film was revived completely thanks to Red Letter Media during one of their annual Halloween episodes of Best of the Worst, later finding new life on Blu-ray thanks to Massacre Video.
Tommy (Gregory Scott Cummins) is a troubled young man, obsessed with heavy metal and avoiding the responsibilities of the world. His distressed mother (Katina Garner) is constantly concerned that her children, including Vera (Carla B. aka Carla Baron) and local deputy Roger (Jeff Brown) are growing apart from her while Tommy ignores her completely. Meanwhile, their grandpa (Hy Pyke) is openly assimilating Tommy to be a member of a satanic order, of which grandpa is the high priest. As Halloween night approaches and Vera and her friend Beth (Patricia Christie) prepare for a local Halloween party, someone starts bumping off anyone close to Tommy, leaving everyone to wonder if Tommy has actually already gone to the dark side. Also among the cast is Jeanna Fine, Marya Gant, Michael Potts, and Laurence Coven.
Like many low budget films made by filmmakers from other parts of the world for alien territories, Hack-O-Lantern works on its own strange yet somehow beguiling. It’s not an overlooked masterpiece by any means, but it winds up being charming in spite of itself. Even with all of its obvious deficiencies, it manages to capture the atmosphere and spirit of Halloween-based horror, even if it doesn’t realize it. The film is fairly well photographed and cast is all game, though they’re often overlooked by the presence of Hy Pyke, who gives an absolutely memorable performance. He had already appeared in several horror films, including Lemora: A Child’s Tale of the Supernatural, Nightmare in Blood, and Slithis, but it’s his role as Taffey Lewis, the owner of the bar in Blade Runner, that he’s most remembered for. His presence and delivery are a thing of magic, and you won’t soon forget lines like “I come by the store to pick up some candles for your ceremony!” and “Ain’t you the goody two-shoes since they gave you them guns.”
There’s the gratuitous nude scene and pre-murder of Nora, played by porn actress Jeanna Fine, sex on a fresh grave with one of the participants holding the hand of the corpse and commenting on how cold their lover’s hands are, a random stand-up comedian performing his routine outside of the Halloween party, a young boy cutting his finger and telling his mother how much he likes the taste of blood, and the film’s main highlight, a dream sequence in which Tommy fantasizes about being in a heavy metal band before a dancer seduces him and decapitates him. Trying not to jam out to D.C. Lacroix’s The Devil’s Son, who appears as the heavy metal band in question, and not get the song stuck in your head for days is nigh impossible.
In other words, Hack-O-Lantern is full of ineptitude, but it’s thoroughly entertaining. I suppose one must be in the right frame of mind to truly enjoy it, that is if you’re from the Mystery Science Theater 3000 camp, but even if you’re not, there’s something bewitching about it that keeps you engaged. For this reviewer, Hack-O-Lantern remains a perennial spooky season favorite.
Hack-O-Lantern was shot by cinematographer Stephen Ashley Blake (Deadly Prey and Sorority Babes in the Slimeball Bowl-O-Rama) on 35mm film using Arriflex cameras and spherical lenses, finished photochemically, and presented in the aspect ratio of 1.85:1. Massacre Video debuts the film on Ultra HD with a new 4K scan of the original camera negative, graded for High Dynamic Range in HDR10 and approved by producer Raj Mehrotra, and presented on a dual-layered BD-66 disc. It’s a very solid presentation, looking better than it ever has before. There’s a lovely medium grain structure on display that’s very refined, getting a little chunky here and there, but with bitrates that sit mostly between 80 and 100Mbps. The new HDR pass really boosts the detail in the colors, especially reds, oranges, and blues. The red lighting during The Devil’s Son really pops off the screen. Blacks are also much deeper with excellent contrast. There’s a mild instability and frequent speckling, as well as some digital fades that really stand out. There’s also some obvious scratches at the 2:22 and 12:16 marks, and the second reel, specifically around the 28:34 mark and onward, are a little rough in terms of the condition of the original elements. A frame-shaking effect has been added to scene that takes place in the latter half, from 68:27 to 68:35, which isn’t present on Massacre Video’s previous Blu-ray release. Otherwise, this is a top notch presentation of the film that’s very organic with excellent clarity.
Audio is included in English 2.0 mono LPCM with optional subtitles in English SDH. A stereo mix was included on the previous Blu-ray, but it hasn’t carried over and didn’t much spread anyway. The mono track is clean and offers good support for the various elements. Dialogue is perfectly discernible and the music has plenty of heft to it.
Massacre Video’s 2-Disc 4K Ultra HD release of Hack-O-Lantern sits in a black Amaray case alongside a 1080p Blu-ray copy of the film with a double-sided insert featuring a variant of the Massacre Video key art on the front and a still of Hy Pyke in character on the reverse. Everything is housed in slipcase packaging featuring the full original Massacre Video key art. The following extras are included, all in SD:
DISC ONE (UHD)
- Audio Commentary with Raj Mehrotra, Joe Rubin, and Louis Justin
- Isolated Score Track in 2.0 Dolby Digital
DISC TWO (BD)
- Audio Commentary with Raj Mehrotra, Joe Rubin, and Louis Justin
- Isolated Score Track in 2.0 Dolby Digital
- The Power Is in the Blood: A Look Back at Hack-O-Lantern (Halloween Night) (11:24)
- Rare Public Access Interview (28:27)
- Behind the Scenes Stills (58 in all – 4:50)
- Trailers:
- Nutbag (:54)
- Men Behind the Sun (2:04)
- Horrible High Heels (1:26)
The audio commentary with producer Raj Mehrotra is moderated by Vinegar Syndrome’s Joe Rubin and Massacre Video’s Louis Justin. It’s an interesting chat as Mehrotra doesn’t have a ton of knowledge about the actual production at his disposal, but nonetheless provides his memories of what he does have, mentioning various cast and crew members and how they were brought on to the project. Next is an Isolated Score Track, presented in 2.0 Dolby Digital. The Power Is in the Blood features interviews with actors Gregory Scott Cummings and Katina Garner. Cummings discusses being a young actor in the business, being perplexed by Jag Mundhra’s shooting style, Hy Pyke possibly being an actual devil worshiper, and becoming aware of the film’s quality. Garner talks about her work with Jag Mundhra, working with him on the set after he wound up in a wheelchair, her experiences with Hy Pyke, shooting the flashback sequence, and being happy with the role she played. Next is a Rare Public Access Interview with Katina Garner, Jag Mundhra, and Marya Gant, hosted by Michelle Kemper, discussing their careers and show clips from their films. Garner even takes a moment to play trombone for everyone. Next is a series of Behind the Scenes stills on the production and trailers for other Massacre Video titles.
Massacre Video’s previous Blu-ray of Hack-O-Lantern definitely brought the film much more attention, while their 4K UHD is a fine upgrade with much improved video and a nice set of extras. It’s a fun movie for the Halloween season. Highly recommended.
- Tim Salmons
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