Two convict brothers, Bob and Ray Perkins, have escaped from prison and are on a bit of a madcap adventure. While staging a local talent show to earn enough money to save an orphanage full of sick kids, the two discover the true meaning of brotherhood. I’m just kidding! They’re going after the men who put them away and killing them in brutal and unsettling ways! And bonus: they’re also killing the wives of the men who put them away.
Another innocent who gets caught up in all of this bloodshed is Stephanie (Kyle Richards), the daughter of the district attorney who was key in the Perkins’s conviction. She comes home just in time to get taken hostage along with her mom and dad. I can relate to this because I once watched Porky’s (1981) and Porky’s 2: The Next Day (1983) with my parents. No one was holding us hostage, but it was a bad night.
If home invasion, torture, unwinnable psychological games, and just plain cruelty are what you’re into, then you will definitely enjoy Curfew (1989). Hold up, why are you into that stuff!? I know it’s not my place to judge how you spend your Friday nights, but I often worry about what you’re getting up to lately. You know what? This isn’t the place to get into a whole intervention dealie with you right now. We’ll meet up later to talk (preferably in a public place).
The performances here are all great, especially Wendell Wellman as Ray. He is especially electric and seems downright dangerous as an outright sadist. And heck, it’s always fun to see Kyle Richards in a film. Weirdly enough, she says, “Evil dies tonight!” at the 20-minute mark in Curfew. Okay, that’s not true. But for real, Curfew is a grim and rather uncomfortable watch. Even though this type of film isn’t my cup of poisoned tea, I enjoyed the beautiful cinematography by Makoto Watanabe and the awesome score by Cengiz Yaltkaya.
Hey now, this Blu-ray is loud! Not sure what magic sauce Vinegar Syndrome poured all over this release, but you might have the neighbors thinking twice about letting their kids run through your yard when you crank this puppy up. Both the audio and the picture quality of Curfew are fantastic. It’s a good thing that the colors and detail are so sharp since most of the film takes place at night.
As for extras, we get an interview with Williams about his career, getting paid (eventually) for working on this film, and the ins and outs of working on low budget films. There’s also an interview with editor Carole Kravetz Aykanian, who talks about being grateful that she got this gig so early in her career and how learning to edit on 35mm film is so important for an editor. Last and most least, there’s an excellent trailer for Curfew.