Slaughterhouse Rulez Blu-ray Review

School of Hell

by Casimir Harlow
Movies & TV Shows Review

2

Slaughterhouse Rulez Blu-ray Review
MSRP: £15.00

Slaughterhouse Rulez Film Review

An odd blend of Tremors, Breakfast Club, If and Harry Potter, the Brit comedy horror Slaughterhouse Rulez almost gets the mix right.

Clearly inspired by the classic Malcolm McDowell drama If..., this first offering from Simon Pegg and Nick Frost's newly-minted production company Stolen Picture is a decent opening salvo, with both Pegg and Frost on hand to bolster the cast, taking an initially satirical look at private boarding school hell before (literally) opening up a sinkhole to hell for some bloody horror mayhem.

It's hardly new territory - when it's not following the footsteps of If..., nodding to Harry Potter or paying tribute to The Breakfast Club, it's going all-out as an over-the-top tongue-in-cheek monster horror a la Tremors - but Slaughterhouse Rulez still feels remarkably fresh, perhaps in part thanks to a game cast, or the enthusiastic work of writer/director Crispian Mills (frontman of Kula Shaker), or maybe even the Frost/Pegg influence, whose films together all had a similarly fresh and energetic vibe.

It's not groundbreaking, but it's a fun enough outing and a great first feature from Pegg and Frost's new company who can clearly turn around a solid piece of work on a comparative micro-budget

Peaky Blinders' Finn Cole is the new boy thrown into hell, taking a shine to Hermione Corfield's (Mission: Impossible - Rogue Nation; Star Wars: The Last Jedi) out-of-his-league upper school girl, facing confrontation with Tom Rhys-Harries' senior mini-Hitler, finding friendship with Asa Butterfield (Miss Peregrine; Journey's End) and getting little support from Michael Sheen's headmaster or Simon Pegg's housemaster (who spends most of his time drowning his sorrows over his estranged wife - Margot Robbie), whilst eco-warrior Nick Frost's warnings about the dangers of fracking go unheeded until the ground opens up...

Slaughterhouse Rulez doesn't hit a home run for originality, but still manages to be a fun Brit monster comedy in the vein of Attack the Block, making the most of its cast and familiar but fresh plotting, and just about surviving its competent-CG-on-a-budget-shot-in-the-dark effects. It's not groundbreaking, but it's a fun enough outing and a great first feature from Pegg and Frost's new company who can clearly turn around a solid piece of work on a comparative micro-budget.

Slaughterhouse Rulez Blu-ray Picture

Slaughterhouse Rulez
Sony's UK Region Free Blu-ray release of Slaughterhouse Rulez comes complete with a largely impressive 1080p/AVC-encoded High Definition video presentation framed in the movie's original theatrical aspect ratio of 2.4:1 widescreen.

It's a good looking movie for £5 million

Despite the limited budget, the reasonably glossy and well-framed cinematography and a decent enough main setting affords strong detail, with no signs of softness or digital damage, giving a refined image throughout. It's a good looking movie for £5 million, with some impressive broader shots of the school grounds and main structure. There's a faithful colour scheme that renders natural skin tones, some nice primary pops from red ribbing on clothing, and lush green grounds, all underpinned by rich and deep blacks which leave gowns inky dark and shadows effective. It's not demo, but it's - somewhat surprisingly - not far off.

Slaughterhouse Rulez Blu-ray Sound

Slaughterhouse Rulez
A very good aural accompaniment

The accompanying DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 track does a great job with the material, enjoying the fun songs picked for the soundtrack, as well as the more energetic moments, whilst providing clear and coherent delivery of the dialogue - which remains largely the most important element, at least for the first act, and takes priority across the frontal array. Effects remain atmospheric for the first part at least, with a couple of noisier tones - a Chinook rattling overhead, a sinkhole growling to life underfoot - but otherwise a track which mostly enjoys the crowds and hall bustle. That is, until all hell breaks loose, where we get a more engaging, and LFE-enthused offering. Overall it's a very good aural accompaniment.

Slaughterhouse Rulez Blu-ray Extras

Slaughterhouse Rulez
Nothing

Conclusion

Slaughterhouse Rulez Blu-ray Review

Slaughterhouse Rulez
Fans should consider it a solid release, and whilst it may not set the world alight, it's still worth checking out

The first film from Simon Pegg and Nick Frost's newly minted production company is a solid effort, particularly given its micro-budget (think: Attack the Block NOT Redcon-1), delivering monster horror comedy with a nice setting, a game cast and a fair amount of style and gusto.

Sony's UK Blu-ray release does a very good job with the material, offering up reasonably impressive video and audio, although the dearth of extra features is a little disappointing for this kind of home-grown production. Fans should consider it a solid release, and whilst it may not set the world alight, it's still worth checking out.

Scores

Movie

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7

Picture Quality

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8

Sound Quality

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8

Extras

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.
.
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1

Overall

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7
7
AVForumsSCORE
OUT OF
10

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