Hats off to Eureka for resurrecting this forgotten VHS title, which has a forward-thinking premise and two members of horror royalty to recommend it.
The film is set in the year 2037, where people spend most of their time hooked into a virtual reality world called Infinisynth. Judy (Marta Martin) has had enough and wants something real, so is banished to the post-apocalyptic wasteland above ground. She’s saved from a pair of mutant cannibals (called Crawlers) by Stover (Bruce Campbell), but before long the pair are captured by the underground dwellers led by Seer (Angus Scrimm). Stover is put to work while Judy is set to become a vessel of reproduction.
The first film produced by Fangoria magazine, Mindwarp doesn’t contain as much gore as you’d expect. The story is a mix of The Omega Man, Mad Max 2, and A Boy and His Dog, and does suffer from trying to be too clever. The VR angle is way ahead of its time, but it leads to an ending that is a bit of a copout. Fans of Groovy Bruce may be disappointed in his portrayal here, as there is little of the swagger and humour we’re used to, but he still makes an impression even though he’s underused. It’s directed adequately by Steve Barnett, but the script by John Brancato and Michael Ferris (under their pseudonym Henry Dominick) ties itself up a little too much.
Eureka’s release looks good, although the main bonus features – Campbell and Scrimm filmed at a Fangoria convention in 1990 – are of typical hand-held VHS quality. The booklet adds context to the film and it’s nice to see the reprinted Campbell profile from the US Gorezone mag.
Although Mindwarp isn’t the unearthed gem it could be, it’s a fun, if flawed, watch.
Release Date: February 22nd
