THE FILMS:

The Outing (The Lamp):

As released in the United States, The Outing is kind of a cluster. Originally unleashed under the more appropriate title The Lamp, Tom Daley's horror film was trimmed by nearly 30 minutes for its U.S. release. The awkward cuts and bad editing render the mishmash of occult horror and adventure ineffective at points, but there are enough oddities here to keep the film afloat - barely. The opening is nonsensical due to the aforementioned trims, but the viewer is introduced to an Arabic artifact with killer instincts. Years later, several idiots try to rob an old woman, only to open the same magical lamp and meet grisly ends. The lamp ends up in a museum, where the curator's daughter, Alex Wallace (Andra St. Ivanyi), becomes entranced by its power.

This American edit is very strangely paced. The opening sequence was apparently a big part of The Lamp, and its reduction undercuts the film's mythology. This film's real opening sequence is the robbery, and I was more than pleased to witness those assholes die off at the hands of the possessed, no-longer-dead matron. As you might have guessed, the old woman releases a vengeful genie that possesses others and allows them to commit atrocities like rape and murder without concern. This comes up later, when the lamp is at the museum. Alex and some friends get stuck in the building overnight, the genie is unleashed, and the supporting cast begins to turn on one another.

Daley, in his only feature film, tries to breathe life into the waning '80s horror genre, and The Outing is full of sleazy sex, nasty misogyny and bloody kills. The whole thing is kind of bizarre, and, though I enjoyed some of the film's simple, bloody pleasures, the hacked-and-slashed American edit is problematic. Perhaps editors could have trimmed some of the unnecessary exposition at the museum and left the historical opening in tact? No effort is made to explain the lamp, for better or worse, but no one should push play expecting Indiana Jones. **1/2 out of *****

The Godsend:

My, my what awful '80s parenting The Godsend has. No, this is not Godsend with Robert De Niro and Mystique, but a Cannon Films adaptation of Bernard Taylor's 1976 novel. An obviously demonic woman (Angela Pleasence) leaves her newly birthed baby-girl-devil-spawn with unsuspecting parents Alan and Kate Marlowe (Malcolm Stoddard and Cyd Hayman, respectively), who continue to ignore the threat to their biological children. The couple's baby boy dies in his crib right next to Bonnie (Joanne Boorman and Wilhelmina Green). Later, another son drowns right beside Bonnie. But hey, screw it, let's just let the rest of the kids play unsupervised anyway, right?

I'm not saying The Godsend is totally ineffective; there is something inherently creepy about a murderous demon child, but the film does not quite nail the execution. The high child body count would never fly in 2015, so the film at least has the balls to kill its wee victims instead of breaking their arms or hurting their feelings. But, The Godsend has the annoying habit of immediately cutting away after something terrible happens. Perhaps director Gabrielle Beaumont was afraid showing any aftermath would render her film a depressing drama, but the cut-aways provide unintended laughs. From dead child to breakfast cereal and an under-the-covers romp, The Godsend trivializes each death and paints the Marlowes as the absolute worst parents in town.

Stoddard and Hayman sleepwalk through the drama (Stoddard is especially terrible at the climax) but the child actors are rather good. Too bad they were probably scarred for life shooting this film. Little Bonnie is a blonde-haired, clear-eyed terror, and Alan and Kate fight about what to do with her. Kate thinks the danger is nonsense; Alan knows better after observing Bonnie's violent tendencies. The Omen this ain't. The premise is scarier than the film, as is the larger conspiracy hinted at during the final shots. **1/2 out of *****

THE BLU-RAY:

PICTURE:

Each film receives a new 1.78:1/1080p/AVC-encoded transfer. The opening shots of The Outing are not impressive, as if only this section was pulled from an inferior source. There is print damage, little fine-object detail and tons of black crush. Things pick up considerably as the movie goes on, thankfully. Detail is decent in the museum, as is color saturation. The overall image is fairly soft, but the transfer retains a nice, film-like appearance. Yes, there are problems with crush, some print anomalies, etc., but this is likely the best the film has looked at home.

The Godsend is more impressive, and, overall, the image is quite detailed and sharp, with good fine-object detail and natural grain. Colors are appropriately saturated, black levels are strong, and the print is reasonably clean. Edge enhancement is not a problem, and the film's English countryside shots mostly are crisp and clean. There is a bit of softness here and there, and a few smeary pans, but this is not a bad presentation at all.

SOUND:

Each film receives a 2.0 DTS-HD Master Audio mix. There are some decent stereo effects that add to the atmospheres, and dialogue is clear, with only minimal hiss. The scores are reasonably deep, and all elements are appropriately integrated. English subtitles are available.

PACKAGING AND EXTRAS:

This single-disc release is packed in a standard case, with dual-sided artwork. There are no extra features on this double feature save the Theatrical Trailer (1:55/SD) for The Godsend.

FINAL THOUGHTS:

This is another interesting double feature from Scream Factory. Neither The Outing nor The Godsend is a great film, but both offer the requisite '80s horror thrills and cheese. The newly produced HD transfers are not bad, and, while there are no bonus features, the disc is reasonably priced. Fans of this type of filmmaking can pick it up, others may want to Rent It.

The Outing:

The Godsend:

William lives in Burlington, North Carolina, and looks forward to a Friday-afternoon matinee.