In Search of Darkness, volume 1

"The problem today is everybody's trying to please all the people at all the same time and you get baby food. You can live on baby food but it's very boring." - Lloyd Kaufman

release year: 2019
genre: documentary
viewing setting: home Bluray 6/2-8/25

synopsis: This 4 1/2 hour documentary explores just about every aspect of the horror films of the 1980s.

impressions: This is a very well-made fan documentary. It alternates between some capsule discussions of movies from each year and other topics e.g. 1980 movies, the VHS boom, 1981 movies, special effects, 1982 movies, the holiday slasher subgenre, 1983 movies, the 3-D boom, and so on. Overall, this was really enjoyable - a look back at just a small sampling of the horror films from that decade, along with framing material about how things were back then. What's amazing is that there are two more discs in this overall set...!

acting: N/A but the interview segments feature numerous directors, actors, and others from the times.

final word: Probably the most in-depth look at the 1980s horror film genre that exists.

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