Review of Flix Mix Ultimate Horror Boogeymen

Introduction

Billed as `the killer compilation`, Boogeymen more than lives up to its tag with a montage of clips from seventeen of the most memorable on-screen monsters of all-time. From the earlier Norman Bates (Psycho), right through to the more recent Wishmaster, were treated with a scene with the Boogeyman in question, and in most cases, a trailer to the relevant movie from which they`re spawned. We can watch the whole 58-minute feature-length programme, or chapters dedicated to certain Boogeymen, each usually around four minutes in duration.

I grew up watching a lot of mindless trash in my younger days, and this kind of release has the potential to be a nice reminder for people alike of what exactly b-movie horror was all about.

Video

Obviously seeing that this disc is an actual compilation of clips from various movies, the image quality is going to vastly differ from one scene to the next. For example, Scream`s represented clip looks very nice indeed, whilst that of Psycho`s obviously looks shoddy.

Audio

The audio is presented in DD 2.0 and works quite well overall. This sound track is obviously not overpowering, and the inclusion of a DD 5.1 track would have been nice, but considering that these are clips from a great variety of films, re-mastering a 5.1 mix would have been a considerable chore; the 2.0 track should satisfy most viewers.

Features

Extras wise, Boogeymen is in top-form. We get a commentary from the ultimate Boogeyman, Freddy Krueger himself, Robert Englund. Also included is a host of trivia via the FlixFacts feature, full-length trailers from the films these Boogeymen were based in, Horror Trivia including "Name That Frame", Boogeymen Character Bios, and DVD-ROM features. All in all, there is a good deal of bonus material here that should keep you busy for hours.

Conclusion

A nice reminder of what made these movies & their ghastly characters so damn watchable. Boogeyman isn`t quite simply a half-hearted documentary with poorly conducted interviews & shoddy clips. There`s an outstanding scene from each movie, and the action keeps flowing nicely with a good portion of gore along the way. Some of the additions may seem a little strange, and it would have been nice to see a lengthier programme, but what`s there is fairly solid. The visual & aural presentation can be a little ropey at times, but that`s understandable, and it`d be a crime to hold it against it. The extras are fantastic fun, and may convince you to go for three or maybe four consecutive viewings. All in all, a very nice treat for horror fans everywhere.