The Loved Ones - Pretty in Blood (2 Disc Extreme Edition) - DVD

Movie: After the tragic accidental death of his father, Brent (Xavier Samuel, best known as Riley from "Eclipse - Biss zum Abendrot") loses all desire for life. He's smoking pot, self-inflicting injuries, and always feeling that death wish. Only in the arms of Holly (Victoria Thaine) he still feels SOMETHING and so it is also a matter of course for him that he goes with her to the prom at his school. This doesn't please the unassuming Lola (Robin McLeavy) at all, because she has her eye on the attractive Brent. And so now Daddy (John Brumpton) has to step in. Because Daddy makes sure his princess gets what she wants. And so Brent soon finds himself tied to a chair in Lola's house, unaware that he's in for the worst night of his life - and closer to death than he'd like.

In his directorial debut, "The Loved Ones - Pretty in Blood", Australian Sean Byrne cites numerous other films, from "Carrie" to "Kill Bill" to "Mad Max". Byrne loves movies and obviously especially the horror genre and that's exactly what you can see in his debut. Because even if many set pieces are known, the overall work is still fresh and original and offers horror fans some very effective moments. However, it was important to the director that not the macabre, bloody moments, but the characters are in the foreground. And while that doesn't always succeed, the good will is still palpable and comforts over many an overdone moment.

Shot in just five weeks on a mini-budget, "The Loved Ones - Pretty in Blood" was made with a lot of heart and sweat. The fact that not only the team behind the camera but also the actors put in their best is another positive aspect of this festival favourite. Especially Robin McLeavy can convince as crazy Lola, even if her performance overshoots the mark a bit in some moments.

As for the gory, brutal scenes, they are very effective. Whether it's a drill, boiling water, knife or hammer, Lola and her daddy know how to teach unwilling "worshipers" manners. Towards the end, there is a truly frightening moment, but we can't go into it here so as not to spoil the surprise for you. Overall, though, horror fans will definitely get their money's worth from this bloody prom.

The actual plot is repeatedly interrupted by a subplot, which at first glance only serves as filler. But in the end it turns out that this is only to show what far-reaching consequences the actions of Lola and her daddy have, not only for Brent, and that different fates are cruelly intertwined here. It is factors like these, as well as the macabre humor used in gentle doses again and again, and the sometimes deliberately contrarian interplay between images and music that make "The Loved Ones - Pretty in Blood" a small genre highlight. Certainly, the film is not without its weaknesses, but as a directorial debut and a nod to the horror genre, this Australian slasher is absolutely successful and worth watching!

Picture + Sound: The technical realization of the DVD is absolutely satisfactory. The reduced colors give the action an atmospheric dirty look, the overall sharpness is okay, only in the darker scenes some weaknesses become apparent. The sound is convincing with dialogue that sounds well intelligible and powerful, supported by the soundtrack that is sometimes used as a stark counterpoint. Overall rather front-heavy, only here and there some surround effect is created by smaller sound effects. Good!

Extras: The 2 Disc Extreme Edition has some very worthwhile extras to offer. Starting things off on the first DVD is an interesting, but unfortunately not subtitled audio commentary by director Sean Byrne. In a likeable way, the Australian reveals many interesting details about his directorial debut, draws attention to references that should be particularly familiar to Australian viewers and even comes to talk about the gruesome incest case around Josef Fritzl from Austria. Those who aren't really fluent in English shouldn't despair, however, as the bonus disc also has quite a few interesting insights into the filming process to offer.

Let's get started with a behind-the-scenes look at the film that lasts just under 23 minutes. This is a film shot by Tommie McSweeney, the "Runner" (sort of the "Girl for Everything") on set. While some of the footage is a bit shaky, this completely commercial-free short documentary is convincing in that it does a good job of capturing the atmosphere on the set, provides good entertainment, and also introduces those members of the staff who otherwise go unmentioned in the usual promo features.

Continues with just under 50 minutes of interviews with four cast members, the director, the art director and the person in charge of special effects. Again, these interviews offer a lot of interesting insight into the making of this low budget production, even if its promotional nature is a bit more so than was the case with the making of documentary. What follows is a nearly 30 minute look at the making of the many practical effects. The picture quality isn't the best, but it's still worth watching.

That's not all: for 16 minutes, the viewer gets to be a guest at the premiere in Toronto and witness the director and his cast's sympathetic performance in front of the enthusiastic audience. Three teaser trailers, an image gallery and a short cut scene that is effectively an extension of the opening sequence round out the good bonus package. Very good!

Conclusion: "The Loved Ones - Pretty in Blood" doesn't reinvent the wheel, but it juggles familiar set pieces of the horror genre in a highly entertaining way. The DVD is technically well implemented, the Extreme Edition also has some very nice extras to offer. For fans of neat, slightly weirder slasher entertainment absolutely recommended!

An article by Frankfurt-Tipp