COLLECTOR'S CRYPT - THE JESTER (EPIC FILMS BLU RAY)
Creating a horror icon isn’t easy. If you think about it, there aren’t that horror icons that will persist beyond their generation. Time will soon tell if characters like Jason Vorhees, Freddy Krueger, and even Michael Myers will be relevant to the next generations of horror fans. Come to think of it, there have only been about 2 or 3 substantial horror icons created in the last 20 years; Jigsaw and Art the Clown. Both have cultivated mass followings and fan bases, and both have and are inspiring similarities in the genre. Love them or hate them, the Terrifier movies from Damien Leone have taken the genre by storm and through that brought in more fans young and old. Leone’s creation, Art the Clown, brought to life by David Howard Thornton is a force to be reckoned with. And The Jester, from Dread Films, is here to bring a new clownish contender to the ring. Will The Jester deliver for fans of Art and those that aren’t?
WHAT’S IT ABOUT?
After the recent death of their father, two estranged sisters find themselves being stalked by a malevolent being known as The Jester. Revealing himself to be more than just a man in a mask, the evil entity begins to further torment the inhabitants of this small town on Halloween night. The path to defeating this unholy monster lies with the two sisters who realize that the only way to survive is to figure out how to right the wrongs of their dark past.
HOW IS IT?
Imitation is nothing new in the horror genre. One could argue that the derivatives and imitations that populate the genre make it great. That doesn’t mean that every single film is a winner, rather, the sheer volume of films that have large amounts of overlapping aesthetics and inspirations is what keeps stale ideas fresher just a little longer. Like putting bread in the freezer, some films are simply trying to keep an idea around just long enough to catch just some of the tidal wave of profits the trend could generate. The Jester is the kind of film that at times feels like it has something to say, and yet, it also feels almost shockingly similar to the film trend it is trying to ride the coattails of. What it all amounts to is a film that for the most part doesn’t work, and when it does it isn’t memorable.
The plot of The Jester is a bit of a mess. The opening involves a father coerced into suicide, who also happens to be the father of two estranged step-sisters, all of whom seem to be connected to the titular character. Why? Well, it isn’t ever explained. Much like Art the Clown, the details of The Jester and where it comes from are non-existent in the narrative. This often lends itself to making the film feel like you’re just going from scene to scene like in a children’s book watching each situation unfold almost as single-scenes not connected to a whole. Given this was adapted from a series of shorts, it gives the impression that the story is very much an afterthought just to pad the runtime and showcase The Jester. Much like the Terrifier films, the story is secondary to the antagonist running amok regardless of logic or reason. It is unfortunate too, because there is a tender story about two sisters coming together that deserves much better than what this story provides.
The Jester is of course a gag reel for this character to exact a not-so-unique brand of darkly comedic murder. While the material that inspired it is infamous for the gratuitous gore, The Jester has significantly less. Some scenes are of some note, like the beheaded cop scene in the convenience store, but beyond that, the gore and effects are just okay. This is something that The Jester would’ve been wise to carry over from Leone’s film as that is often the thing people claim as their favorite thing next to Art. Oftentimes it isn’t fair to compare films this closely, but there just isn’t a lot separating them aside from quality. The Jester character has an interesting, even if unoriginal look that would’ve been better served amping up the violence and playing down the melodrama.
HOW DOES IT LOOK?
The Jester is a 2021 production so it doesn’t have any need for remasters or restorations. The overall film quality is as good as you expect for a VOD-type release, and the film comes presented in a 1.85:1 aspect ratio in 1080p. Visually there is nothing wrong with the film. The film is well-lit even in darker scenes, and it presents a nice juxtaposition to the brightly-colored main character. Images from this disc are used throughout this review and below:
HOW DOES IT SOUND?
The Jester comes with a Dolby 5.1 Surround Sound mix and it is pretty great! The levels are well-balanced so that dialogue isn’t obscured by the action or the score. The score is just present enough to be effective and works well against the tone of the film. Also, the film comes with two subtitle options in both English and Spanish for the hearing impaired.
ANYTHING SPECIAL?
On the special features front, things are a tad light. The one feature we watched was probably the most important, the original shorts that the feature is based on. There are a total of three shorts in total with the first two coming in at 10 minutes each and the last one just slightly longer at 14 minutes. Each of these semi-connects to each other and has a lot in common with what is seen in the film. No scenes are repeated and the mask/costume is a bit different, which makes them feel more like screentests than anything else. Still, they are a good bit of fun and a bit better than the feature. A list of all special features included in this release is listed below.
Blu-ray Special Features:
“The Jester” original short films
Official Trailer
Dread Trailers
LAST RITES
The Jester is not the barrel of laughs or frights that it aspires to be, despite an interesting character design and a handful of good ideas it mostly falls flat in the face of what inspired it.
THE GORY DETAILS
Thank you to the fine fiends over at MVD ENTERTAINMENT for providing a review copy for the crypt! The Jester is available NOW and can be purchased via MVD DIRECT!
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