SKINNER -- Blu-ray Review by Porfle

Originally posted on 2/1/19

 

Before the slasher genre settled into such a predictable rut, the 70s and 80s yielded some really interesting and atmospheric entries in the budding genre.  For me, fondly-rememberd titles such as BLACK CHRISTMAS (1974), SILENT SCREAM (1980), HE KNOWS YOU'RE ALONE (1980), and NIGHT WARNING (1982) come to mind, and you could no doubt name some more yourself.

I got that same feeling watching the 1993 slasher SKINNER (Severin Films) because instead of just being a vehicle for some faceless killer stalking bland, unlikable teens and a showcase for his gory torture-murders, this thoughtfully-rendered tale has colorful characters and a compelling story, both of which are actually more watchable than the murder scenes themselves rather than simply serving as filler between them.

The cast is terrific, beginning with cult fave Ted Raimi (MILLENNIUM CRISIS, EVIL DEAD, SPIDER MAN) as Dennis, the title creep who comes off as a nice guy and wins the trust of unhappy housewife Kerry (Ricki Lake of HAIRSPRAY and CRY-BABY in another winning performance) when he answers her "room for rent" ad.

Dennis is, as we see, a total bloodthirsty psycho who murders women (usually street hookers) and skins them in an unused backroom of the factory where he works as a janitor.   Then he sews the skins into a full body-suit and, Ed Gein-style, cavorts around like a loon because, as he relates later in the story, Daddy once made little Dennis watch as he performed an autopsy on his own mom, and the total mind-warpage just took off from there.

The film teases us with all this at first, however, and then doesn't dwell on it all that much aside from a few appallingly graphic gore sequences.  What really makes things interesting, besides the conflict between Kerry and her ill-tempered husband Geoff (David Warshofsky, THERE WILL BE BLOOD, TAKEN, THE MASTER) over their new boarder, is that Dennis himself is being stalked by none other than Traci Lords (EXCISION, SERIAL MOM, BLADE) as a hideously scarred woman named Heidi who's out for his blood and whatever else she can extract.

With her wide-brimmed black hat, trenchcoat, and Veronica Lake hairstyle, Traci strikes an imposingly intriguing figure whether skulking through alleys in stealthy pursuit of Dennis or hanging out in her cheap hotel room being peeped at by the pervert who runs it (Richard Schiff, SE7EN, LOST WORLD: JURASSIC PARK, SPEED) while planning on what to do to Dennis with her scalpels and hypodermic needles when she catches up to him.

It all mixes together into quite a heady brew that's directed with keenly artistic verve by Ivan Nagy (DEADLY HERO, PUSHING UP DAISIES) from a briskly-paced screenplay by Paul Hart-Wilden.  Technical elements are fine including creative lighting which often recalls the lavish color comics in the old Warren magazines like "Creepy" and "Eerie", and some gore effects that are rather distressingly convincing.

The Blu-ray from Severin Films is in 1080p full HD resolution with English and French audio and English subtitles.  The uncut print has been scanned in 4k from the original camera negative. In addition to outtakes/extended takes and a trailer, the bonus menu contains genuinely interesting and sometimes fascinating interviews with director Ivan Nagy (quite an interesting character himself), star Ted Raimi, screenwriter Paul Hart-Wilson, and editor Jeremy Kasten.

Rather than losing steam as it goes along and simply throwing in a few gouts of gore to keep us awake, SKINNER builds to a well-plotted finale which lets the relationships between the characters play out in satisfying ways.  It's smart, finely-crafted, and, despite the tawdry and frankly depraved subject matter, fun cinematic storytelling that lets the viewer bask in some of the best this genre has to offer.



Special Features:
A Touch of Scandal: Interview with Director Ivan Nagy
Under His Skin: Interview with Star Ted Raimi
Bargain Bin VHS For A Buck: Interview with Screenwriter Paul Hart-Wilden
Cutting Skinner: Interview with Editor Jeremy Kasten
Flaying Sequence Out-takes & Extended Takes
Trailer