Mausoleum was part of the infamous UK “video nasties” furore of the early 1980s. But does it live up to it’s billing as a potentially “dangerous” film? Or is it just another horror film that got caught up in the hysteria thanks to clever marketing and media hype? Well, read on to find out…
Synopsis:
Ten year-old Susan, mourning the death of her mother, is drawn to the Nomed-family tomb where she awakens a centuries-old evil: an ancestral demon who possesses her. Twenty years later, Susan is now a beautiful lady, but the demon which has been lying dormant within her is about to reawaken and take control – leading to a gory nightmare of lust, terror and death!
And that, as they say, is that. The plot is a bit of an Exorcist knock off, despite being released some 7 years later. It does have a few elements of the slasher genre, mostly to be found in it’s gory kills. But truthfully, it’s a fairly standard demonic possession film.
Analysis:
As I said above, the plot is a fairly standard demonic possession one. But it works surprisingly well. Sure, no one will be winning any Academy Awards here, but the cast headed by Bobbie Bresee and Marjoe Gortner handle the material quite well. Personally, I felt that the film was a bit slow, despite running 97 minutes, and could have done with a bit of a tighten up in places to bring it under the 90 minute marker.
The films effects are pretty decent, although the demon suit is clearly a foam rubber creation. The gore effects are handled quite well by the late effects legend John Carl Buechler, who was clearly operating under a very tight budget.
As expected, there is some nudity from the films lead female, Bobbie Bresee, but compared to many similar low budget exploitation films of the era it is brief and relatively tasteful. All told, it is a fairly well made low budget exploitation film that gives audiences pretty much everything they could want.
Visually, the film is a mixed bag. Most scenes show relatively little grain, but those shot in dark environs are extremely grainy at times. This is not the fault of Treasured Films, or the team who restored the negative. The grain is a product of the filming process at the time. Sound wise, the disc uses the original mono mix, which is more than passable.
Mausoleum Disc Contents:
LIMITED EDITION CONTENTS (3,000 units only)
- Rigid slipcase with exclusive artwork by Graham Humphreys.
- Perfect-bound book with essays by John Martin, Darrell Buxton and Mikel Koven.
- 6 Collectors’ art cards.
- Webstore exclusive ‘Bitey Boobs’ Nomed Demon Magnet.
- Webstore exclusive A3 reversible fold-out poster.
SPECIAL FEATURES
- 4K scan and restoration from the 35mm original camera negative.
- New audio commentary by Kim Newman and Barry Forshaw.
- 2008 audio commentary by Bobbie Bresee and Lee Christian.
- A Damn Good Reason: Bobbie Bresee comes out of retirement to give a new and exclusive comprehensive audio interview on her life and career. Packed full of photos and press clippings from Bobbie’s personal files. (52:58 mins).
- When You Comin’ Back, Marjoe?: a new video essay on the life and career of Marjoe Gortner, written and presented by author John Harrison (18:58 mins).
- Making Monsters: interview with special effects makeup artist John Carl Buechler (8:39 mins).
- Babysitting Monsters: a new interview with special effects artist Christopher Biggs (22:43 mins).
- Cursed Auras: Stephen Thrower on Mausoleum (29:43 mins).
- Trailers.
- TV Spots.
- Image Gallery Slideshow: promotional stills, advertisements, press cuttings, lobby cards and video covers (7:22 mins).
- Reversible sleeve featuring two artwork choices.
- English SDH Subtitles.
Overall, this is a damn impressive package from Treasured Films.
I’ll hand this a 4/5. The film is fun, but the package is phenomenal. Oh, and it’s almost impossible to see why this made the “section 3” video nasties list. It now carries a “15”!
Buy Mausoleum:
Mausoleum Gallery:
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