Vinegar Syndrome

Berserker

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This listing is for the standard edition Blu-ray/DVD combo. The limited edition slipcover (designed by Earl Kessler Jr.) was limited to 2,000 units and is sold out. The two versions are identical, aside from the slipcover.

A group of friends have set out on a camping trip in a rural part of Utah. Although warned by kindly Norwegian immigrant, Pappy Nyquist (George ‘Buck’ Flowers), of a series of recent killings, supposedly the result of a bear, the campers are undeterred and decide to spend the night outdoors, getting drunk and sharing stories of berserkers, ruthlessly violent viking warriors who wore bear skins and snouts. Not long after pairing off for romantic escapades, they find themselves terrorized and ripped apart by a large and violent bear...but is it actually a bear, or perhaps a real life berserker who has somehow been transported to the 20th century...

An atmospheric and suspenseful slasher, punctuated by moments of shocking violence and brutality, Jefferson Richard's (Maniac Cop, Get Carter) BERSERKER features expressionistic cinematography by Henning Schellerup (Silent Night Deadly Night, The Boogens) and striking editing from Marcus Manton (Pumpkinhead, Breakin' 2). Vinegar Syndrome proudly presents the world disc premier of BERSERKER, newly restored from its long lost original camera negative.

directed by: Jefferson Richard
starring: Joseph Alan Johnson, Greg Dawson, Valerie Sheldon, Shannon Engemann, Beth Toussaint, George 'Buck' Flower
1987 / 85 min / 1.85:1

Additional info:

  • Region Free Blu-ray/DVD combo
  • Newly scanned & restored in 2k from its 16mm original camera negative
  • “A Family Affair” - video interview with director Jefferson Richard
  • "Beware of Bears" video interview with actor Joseph Alan Johnson
  • “Valley Girl” - video interview with actress Shannon Engemann
  • Audio interview with actor Mike Riley
  • Historical commentary track with Justin Kerswell & Joseph Henson of The Hysteria Continues!
  • Stills gallery
  • Reversible cover artwork
  • English SDH subtitles

Overall rating: 4.1842103 / 5 from 76 reviews.

AI Generated Review Summary

The Berserker Blu-ray/DVD combo offers a suspenseful slasher experience with expressionistic cinematography and striking editing. Customers praise the excellent picture quality and the film's enjoyable and gory nature, though some find it slow and boring. The transfer and film quality are highly regarded, while opinions on the kills and the movie's pace vary.

Summary topics

  • Transfer Quality: 17%
  • Slasher Film Experience: 24%
  • Picture Quality: 14%

Review topics: [looks, packaging, quality, buy, slasher, movie, film, transfer, kills, flick, characters, teen, idea, release, extras, vinegar syndrome, ending, score, scenes, plot, war, faces, story, bear, fun, slipcover, kid, fan, features, soundtrack].

Review highlights

  • "Very funny and gory movie about a nord Europe mythical beast and the usual pace of killings."Jaume M.
  • "I love cabin/woods settings and love slashers so this one really hit the spot!"Casey K.
  • "The standard edition is a nice Blu-ray + DVD combo with really nice transfer."Tero L.

Reviews

Nearly!

"A couple of decades back I found a copy of this on DVD. I'd never heard of it before, but it looked like my kind of movie. Unfortunately it was one of those '21st Century Cinema' DVDs, therefore most likely a VHS rip. The colours were washed out and most of the time you couldn't see what was going on in the night time shots. In short, it was barely watchable. Needless to say, watching this new scan was an absolute revelation. Everything was crystal clear and the scenery looked beautiful in sharp colour. All these years later I was surprised to discover this isn't actually a bad movie. . . However, that isn't enough to strongly recommend the film, which is a shame because it has so much going for it. It's well shot, the score is great, night time lighting is superb (usually a weak point on lower budget horror) and some of the acting is fantastic. In particular, a conversation between B-movie legends John F. Goff and George 'Buck' Flower will stick in the memory. What lets it down are the tame kills, poor effects and never quite getting the tension right. If you're going to have all that lighting on hand, use some of it to get the audience on edge! Despite these let-downs, I'd still recommend it to fans of slasher movies and 80s stuff. It's not terrible, actually it's quite charming in places, but it never really does enough to be truly brilliant. Which is a shame, because I think with a bit more work it really could have been. A cautious recommendation!"

Sam N. (3/5)

A WTF Movie

"For a film that initially seems predictable, it manages to deliver some good twists. It may not qualify as a hidden gem of the 1980s, but it's certainly worth picking up at a discounted price."

Noel H. (4/5)

Liked this a bit more

"Liked this a bit more on second watch. Far from great but worth checking out."

Dale V. (3/5)

Berserk For Berserker

"I had this film on a shoddy DVD-R for years. During the last sale I finally decided to upgrade. I really don't enjoy this film and knew Vinegar Syndrome would not disappoint. The image upgrade alone is worth it, but the features and it's Bluray/DVD! Bravo! Another great release."

Morgan S. (5/5)

This is a weird one!

"This is a weird one! Memorable killer, lots and lots of dialogue, some moody atmosphere. I love these low budget regional horror films and this is a great presentation. The transfer is solid and I particularly enjoyed watching the interview with the director from the bonus features."

Ryan S. (3/5)

Average movie but excellent transfer!

"Not the best slasher in my honest opinion. It’s a tad confusing due to poor editing but it did have some charm. The girls are beautiful, and the scenery is adequate. The plot is certainly unique in the slasher universe. Special features are pretty good. I would only recommend this one to the die hards of this genre."

Matthew K. (3/5)

Silly slasher

"Fun it's own way"

Dave C. (3/5)

Great

"It has all the 80’s slasher tropes I know and love. Late teens/early 20’s group of kids of friends head out to the woods for a weekend of camping, with plenty of beer, weed and of course, lust for sex. Very similar to a Friday the 13th type of plot. They share stories about recent killings in the area, that may involve a bear or possibly a berserker - crazy and violent viking warriors who wore bear skins and bear snouts over their faces. This mythology brings some interesting ideas and originality to the otherwise tried and true story. Well, of course as they pair off for sex, they begin to be knocked off one by one. The film features lots of footage of a bear, but then cuts to a human arm covered in fake bear skin which then casually mauls the campers, then they are sprayed by fake blood. I don’t need a bunch of blood/gore to enjoy a slasher, but I do appreciate creative and original kills, unfortunately this film does not offer that. Although it lacks creative kills, it makes up for it with atmosphere. Almost the entire film is cloaked in thick fog, as much as Carpenter’s The Fog. The score is downright impressive and memorable. The cinematography and editing exceeds expectations. The cast is enjoyable and has some memorable characters, from the teens to George Flowers."

Zachary P. (5/5)

Woods based slasher

"Familiar faces from Iced (shot a year later) in this low budget slasher. A lot of fun, and some great kills"

Michael L. (4/5)

Best when on sale

"Get this flick when it's on sale and you won't regret it, especially if you love a good slasher. Haven't had a chance to peruse the extras yet, but there aren't too many and the transfer is great, probably from the best print they could find. Did not get the slipcover version, as there are none left, but this was right up my alley!"

Nicholas T. (5/5)

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