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Drainiac
Although it did get released on VHS back in 2000, Brett Piper never really considered Drainiac finished. Fast forward a few years to 2008 and Piper has a seemingly very healthy relationship with independent cinema wunderkinds, Shock-O-Rama. A few dollars change hands, Piper grabs the film elements and gets back to work, and low and behold an all new version of Drainiac is now available on DVD. The differences aren't drastic - some of the dubbing and effects have been cleaned up - and thankfully the movie retains most of its low-rent charm in this spiffy new edition.
So what the heck is Drainiac all about? The film begins when pair of random guys takes shelter from a cold night inside the basement of an old house. There they're a little unsettled to discover some green goo seeping out of an old pipe. One of the guys not so wisely decides to touch the goo, and before you know it, he's died a very painful looking death.
From that amusing intro, we meet a high school student named Julie (Georgia Hatzis) who still grieves over the recent loss of her mother. Her father, a foul man, buys up cheap houses in hopes of turning them around and making a quick buck and he uses Julie as free manual labor. When Julie's dad buys up the house from the beginning of the movie, she and her three friends head on into the house and start experiencing strange, gooey, problems. Thankfully a psychic named Plummer shows up to help them before whatever horrible creature that calls this place home can kill everyone off.
Shot fast and cheap on 16mm film stock for $10,000.00 in the late nineties, Drainiac isn't exactly good but it is at least enjoyable. It makes for a fun diversion, a campy b-movie that doesn't take itself too seriously but plays as a straight enough picture that the humor doesn't feel too forced. The performances are all fairly wooden and the script is pretty ridiculous, but this is Drainiac, not high art. While this isn't an over the top gore-fest it does feature some (almost entirely in-camera) special effects set pieces that at least make an attempt at going for the gross out. A welcome nude scene also pops up about half way in, but being a horror movie and all, its sex appeal soon gives way to gore.
Ultimately, it's hard not to have at least a moderately good time with Drainiac. Sure, there are better low budget horror films out there but there are also many that are much, much worse. It's competently made, well paced, and honestly fun to watch.
The DVD Video:
The 1.78.1 anamorphic widescreen presentation (the film was originally shown 1.33.1 and at times looks a little tight here) would be better if it were flagged for progressive scan, but it isn't. That said, for a low budget 16mm cheapie, Drainiac doesn't look bad even if there's an odd flicker at the bottom of the picture. The image is a little soft and a little grainy and colors are a bit on the flat side but these are all minor issues. Flesh tones look nice and lifelike and detail levels are alright, even if a few of the darker scenes are a bit muddy. Overall, this is a decent presentation and while it could have been better, it also could have been much worse.
Sound:The English language Dolby Digital 2.0 Stereo track has a bit of echo in some spots but is otherwise just fine. Dialogue remains clear throughout and there aren't any problems with noisy hiss or distortion. The levels are properly balanced and the performers are always pretty easy to understand. No alternate language dubs or subtitles are supplied, this is an English language only affair through and through.
Extras:The primary supplement on this DVD is a commentary track with director Brett Piper where he talks about the changes that were made to this revamped version of Drainiac and why they were made. He talks about the film's history and how and when it was made as well as what various cast and crewmembers did during the production. Piper is joined by E.I. head-honcho Michael Raso who details his company's part in the history of Drainiac and the commentary is moderated quite nicely by Greg Conley.
A Shock-O-Rama trailer vault rounds out the supplements with promo spots for various DVD release. Chapter selection and animated menus are included as is a booklet of liner notes from Greg Conley that cover some of the same ground as the commentary track but still make for an interesting read that helps to put the film into context.
Final Thoughts:Drainiac is far from a modern classic but those with a taste for cheap, trashy b-movies should have fun with the movie. The script is fairly mundane but the effects have a primitive charm and the picture has enough goo, gore, and girly parts to entertain. Recommended for genre buffs.
Ian lives in NYC with his wife where he writes for DVD Talk, runs Rock! Shock! Pop!. He likes NYC a lot, even if it is expensive and loud.
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