A group of friends plans the perfect camping trip for a relaxing vacation. They stumble across a hidden cave and decide to explore it. But the unstable walls crash and trap them deep inside. After being stuck for days, the group starts to become desperate and hungry. They come up with a plan to eat random parts of their body by drawing straws. But the unlucky winner doesn’t approve. When the group finally does cut his arm off they face the cruel irony of being rescued. Years later their past comes back to haunt them with a series of grisly murders.
The Severed Arm (1973) is an offbeat and atmospheric proto-slasher that has been around on VHS ripped DVDs for years. The quality has been so so at best. Thankfully Vinegar Syndrome has rescued another hidden gem with a handsome new Blu-ray.
The whole movie is oozing with style thanks to the slick and gritty direction by Thomas S Alderman, music composer Phillan Bishop, and Cinematographer Robert Maxwell. From the first scene, there is an uncomfortable vibe to the movie. We see an arm being cut off and mailed to one of the unlucky campers. It’s all filmed like a hidden documentary, spying on the actors while the eerie synth score settles in. Maxwell’s camera also makes the best of the cheap conditions and finds bizarre angles for all the scenes. Some shots do look bad, with car headlights lighting the scenes, but most of it is spooky and raw.
The Severed Arm is full of elements that would become staples of the slasher genre. There is the sinister killer pov (which predates some of the shots in Bob Clark’s Black Christmas), the haunting flashbacks, and a suspenseful final act. There is even a deadly secret that comes back to haunt the victims like in Prom Night, Terror Train, and much later in the post Scream meta slasher phase. It also borrows some bizarre touches from the giallo, with my favorite death scene being the death of the DJ while he is on air. This feels like early Argento or Mario Bava’s Bay of Blood. But while it’s mainly a slasher, it still manages to transform from many types of films like the survival drama with its caved in flashbacks, the police procedural as they try to stop the killer, and the revenge thriller with it’s chilling final 30minutes. The final scene is a beautiful mix of a macabre happy ending and a bitter tone for our “heroes”.
David G. Cannon makes a likable lead as the haunted camper who first suggested cutting off body parts to survive. It’s fun to see how much of a 70s time capsule this is just with his oddball choice in fashion. Paul Carr is also a likable action man as the policeman in the group of friends. Deborah Walley has what first looks like a thankless role as the severed arm man’s daughter, but it soon transforms into one of the most natural performances in the movie. On the opposite side of that is the scene-stealing Marvin Kaplan who plays the sassy DJ Mad Man Herman. Herman may be one of my new favorite slasher characters.
In terms of audio and video, Vinegar Syndrome’s Blu-ray is a stunning release. The 1080p HD Transfer is rough around the edges with some light film grain. It shows some of the film’s low budget but overall its a colorful transfer with clear focus. The black levels are also well defined with no DNR issues. The 2.0 English Master Audio is well mixed with no hiss or pops. English subtitles are included.
Extras included are:
- “Severing the Past” an interview with actor Vince Martorano.
- “A Cut Above the Rest” An interview with producer Gary Adelman.
- Promotional still gallery
The Severed Arm is a great little 70’s horror movie with a mystery edge. It’s well-paced and has a nasty bite of an ending. I don’t want to spoil it, So check it out as soon as possible. Highly Recommended.
Director- Thomas S Alderman
Cast- Deborah Walley, Paul Carr, David G. Cannon
Country of Origin- US
Discs- 1
Distributor- Vinegar Syndrome
Reviewer- Tyler Miller