A while back I reviewed a film for the site called Freez'er (review here) and it's almost ironic that I'm now posting this review only days after my updated review for August Underground (review here). For one thing, these two films are extreme polar opposites (which really has little to do with any irony, but I figured it was worth mentioning). Secondly (and more importantly to the ironic side of things), these two movies are representative of the first indie films reviewed for the site, and now they're both seeing a (hopefully) wider DVD release around the same time after almost 4-years. Something I've learned from the experiences of revisiting these films...the films themselves are great to come home to, but my amateurish original reviews are not. Yeesh, what was I thinking? In any event, you'll see elements from my original review pop up here, primarily from the synopsis but other than that, I'll be offering a fresh perspective on Freez'er, now renamed Cold Blood.

The story of Cold Blood comes to an attention grabbing and abrupt start with a baseball bat to the head as JM (Barnes Walker III) in an apparent fit of rage kills his wife Andrea (Laurence Avenet-Bradley, also the films producer and cinematographer). We learn through flashback that Andrea was involved with another man, and JM had just caught the two of them together before losing his cool and going to batting practice on her head. Confused and obviously still very much in love, JM heads down to his sister's desolate farm with Andrea thrown in the trunk, carefully packed in ice. Once JM arrives, he soon discovers that he's not going to be left alone. Unexpected visitors and visions will taunt JM to insanity.

This is really all one needs to know, as Cold Blood does a fine job of piling on the twists and turns from this point forward. Part of the appeal here is that the viewer has no idea which direction the filmmakers are going to take them in. Cold Blood may not be highly original in its basic concept, but execution is key here and this is where Cold Blood finds itself way ahead of the pack. This is definitely not your typical paint by the numbers horror film.

What I like most about Cold Blood (and I know I've said this about Brian's other film Ghost of the Needle -review here-) is that it's a very mature production. It's not a film geared towards those after a quick boobs/blood fix. These films certainly have their place, but Cold Blood is a more deliberately paced (to the films advantage) thriller that takes exceptional care in its look and execution. JM is not a ruthless killer. He loved his wife and now he's a desperate man in a desperate situation. And he still loves his wife. The audience is carefully given information as to who JM is and exactly what it is that's happening around him. Our position (as the viewer), is constantly shifting and being challenged. One moment we may know more than JM, but then in the next we may know less. Thus, constantly being kept on our toes.

Cold Blood made a brief appearance on DVD a few years back (under the Freez'er title), but the distributor turned out to be a fly-by-night company, and the film saw little to no fanfare or actual distribution. It's nice to see that Cold Blood has wound up in the hands of Heretic Films. This will hopefully bring Cold Blood to a wider, more deserving audience.

Most (if not all) of the extras have been carried over from the previous (and long out of print) DVD. Extras include a few deleted scenes, a trailer, cast and crew BIOS and a great little 15-minute behind-the-scenes featurette. Just about everyone involved in the production is interviewed (from the actors to the special effects crew) and this makes for a really interesting view. It's also worth making special note of the special effects in Cold Blood as well as they are for the most part quite impressive. Especially the make-up for Andrea. As the film progresses, she becomes much worse for wear as she begins to rot away, quite disgustingly. Other points of interest include 2 digital effects in the film that I would have never known were digital unless they had told me, and info on the storyboards, lighting techniques and rehearsals. Also, as an added bonus, selections from the score is included as a supplement along with a feature length audio commentary from director/writer/editor Brian Avenet-Bradley, star/cinematographer Laurence Avent-Bradley and star Barnes Walker III, that is essential listening especially for those interested in indie filmmaking.

Cold Blood is presented in a matted widescreen format (the film was shot on 16mm) and the widescreen framing does add a more cinematic feel to it than the previous full frame transfer. Image quality is passable here, but not great. There is a fair share of print damage (a few nicks and spots) and some slight shimmering/jaggies from the encoding process. Still, the non-anamorphic widescreen image serves the film fine, as does the impressive 5.1 Dolby Digital sound mix.

Cold Blood, while full of few surprises, gets high marks for its slick look and execution. It's a captivating film, truly and unlike many indie films, was shot beautifully with just enough scares and twists to keep the viewer entertained. Cold Blood comes highly recommended.