Synapse Films
4K UHD Release: October 8, 2024 (standard edition)
Video: 1.78:1/2160p (HDR10/Dolby Vision)/Color
Audio: English DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1
Subtitles: English SDH
Run Time: 79:36
Director: Mike Mendez
In 1960, a young woman named Christine entered St. Francis Boarding School for Girls and laid waste to the resident nuns. Four decades later, late one night, a group of college students head to the long-abandoned building to tag it with their fraternity letters, unaware that rumors of the place being haunted are terrifyingly true. Stir in a couple of disapproving cops and a band of unlikely Satanists, and the table is set for a feast of demonic infestation and bloodshed that only the grown-up Christine (Adrienne Barbeau) can possibly stop. (From Synapse’s official synopsis)
I don’t have the pertinent data on hand to prove it, but it feels like the end of the period between 1998 and 2002 was a bit of a black hole for low and modestly priced horror films. I suppose it’s a matter of being stuck between technological and stylistic changes in the industry. The initial VHS rental boom was wrapping up and giving way to the similarly profitable DVD ownership boom. The neo-slasher craze that Wes Craven’s Scream (1996) had kicked off was already becoming passé, yet the grittier post-Saw (2004) and Texas Chainsaw Massacre (2003) remake climate was still a year or so away. Whatever the reason, a number of promising cult favorites were lost to landfills and the purgatory of late-nite cable.
While Mike Mendez’ The Convent (2000) has too significant of a following to qualify as a lost gem of the era, it is a nice example of the kind of films produced during this transitional period. It’s not exactly a demonic answer to Scream’s trope dissection – it’s too indebted to Kevin Smith-styled snark, for one thing – but it does emphasize referential comedy while doing its best to look forward stylistically, albeit on a limited budget. Chaton Anderson’s script is particularly indebted to Kevin S. Tenney’s Night of the Demons (1988), in which a different group of college coeds try to throw a party in a deserted funeral home, only to find themselves beset by demonic forces (according to the behind-the-scenes interview, she also based the story on personal adventures and local urban legends). At the time of release, this would have been seen as a knowing throwback, putting a post-millennial twist on retro ‘80s gags.
The cast is pretty good across the board, especially lead Joanna Canton, sarcastic gothgirl Megahn Perry, future drag star Kelly Mantle, and scream queen Adrienne Barbeau, channeling her inner Snake Plissken, but everyone chokes on an overly-wordy joke at least once and there are a number of awkward moments that feel like forced improvisation. Overall though, once The Convent gets past its sluggish introductory act, it has energy to burn, plenty of fun, cartoonish gore gags, and Mendez does a decent impression of Sam Raimi and Lamberto Bava. He continued working in low-budget horror, including segments in anthologies Tales from Halloween (2015) and Satanic Hispanics (2022), one of the better After Dark Horrorfest entries, The Gravedancers (2006), and giant creature-features Big Ass Spider! (2013) and Lavalantula (2015).
Video
As mentioned, The Convent hit video at the onset of DVD and was released on anamorphic disc from Lionsgate in 2001. Following that, it basically disappeared until it recently cropped up on streaming services. Synapse’s new 4K UHD and same-day Blu-ray (which is included with the UHD version) have been fully remastered in 4K from original 35mm internegative elements and are presented here in 2160p with Dolby Vision/HDR10 upgrades and the intended 1.78:1 aspect ratio. Unlike the Lionsgate DVD, this disc (and the Blu-ray) features the full, uncut, unrated version of the film (for a breakdown of the differences between the R-rated and unrated cuts, see this Movie-Censorship.com post).
Jason Lowe’s lively and dynamic cinematography gets a solid boost from the HDR improvements. There’s quite a bit of grit, but the grain quality is relatively consistent (composite shots and optical zooms tend to chunk things up), natural for a lowish budget 2000 release, and doesn’t get in the way of important detail. The occasional dips in resolution appear related to focus issues, composite shots, and optical zooms, rather than mastering problems. The hyper-vibrant, blacklight-assisted colors are the highlight and pop beautifully against the deep black shadows.
Audio
The Convent is presented in 5.1 and uncompressed DTS-HD Master Audio sound. According to IMDb.com specs, the original release was mixed for digital 5.1, so I assume that this is an accurate representation of the filmmakers’ intentions. There is an excess of directionality to the effects and echoey quality to the canned effects in particular, but both of these things were pretty common at the time and most likely not an issue with Synapse’s mix. Composer John Rosenburg’s at times excruciatingly late-’90s techno-industrial score perfectly fits the end-of-the-century vibe, but too much of it is shuffled into the rear channels, magnifying the echo issue. Again, I have little doubt that this was all intended.
Extras
Commentary with director Mike Mendez, composer Joseph Bishara, and actors Megahn Perry & Liam Kyle Sullivan – This first of the original 2001 Lionsgate DVD commentaries is a sweet and informative affair. Mendez keeps things moving with plenty of behind-the-scenes factoids, while Bishara and the actors offer their own perspectives, while laughing at jokes and poking fun at themselves.
Commentary with actors David Gunn and Kelly Mantle – The second track features two of the four ‘Lords of Hell’ cast members (the two that survive the longest), who are a bit mumbly, low energy, and tongue-in-cheek, but in a manner that perfectly fits their personalities as characters and actors. It’s all in good fun.
Vintage making-of featurette (8:33, SD) – Another piece from the Lionsgate DVD that includes a bit of raw behind-the-scenes footage and a roundtable interview with Mendez, Anderson, and the main cast members.
Location tour (14:33, HD) – A new location tour of both Convent and Mendez’ original debut, Killers (1996), hosted by the director himself.
Deleted scene (0:31, SD)
Gore outtakes reel (5:54, SD)
Original EPK (11:33, SD)
Two promotional trailers
Still gallery
Blu-ray copy, including all the same extras
The images on this page are taken from the BD and sized for the page. Larger versions can be viewed by clicking the images. Note that there will be some JPG compression.
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