CURTAINS Finally on DVD (Don’t Get TOO Excited)

The 1983 Slasher Classic “Curtains” is out on DVD, legally released and without any fanfare. Starring John Vernon and Samantha Eggar, and co-directed by Richard Ciupka and Peter Simpson, “Curtains” is the flick with that indelible scene featuring a skater chased by a hag mask-wearing killer brandishing a scythe. It’s a title that Slasher fans have been screaming for for years. So why no PR?

Released by Platinum Disc in October of 2010 as part of a four-movie set called the Midnight Horror Collection, according to Rue Morgue Magazine, the version of the movie presented here is less than stellar (i.e. full-frame and sourced from VHS). Still, for those who haven’t seen “Curtains”, or for those longing to re-visit it again, this is the only legit way to go at the present (“Curtains” is a mainstay in the DVD-R grey market). I suspect the other movies in the set – Hoboken Hollow, Secrets of the Clown, and Room 33 – won’t do much to lure customers. However, “Curtains” stands as a fine example of the Golden Era Slasher, and until a Special Edition comes along, this may be worth picking up for that hag mask/scythe scene alone.