Blumhouse of Horrors: 10-Movie Collection

As we've already reviewed all of these over the years, we'll forgo the arduous task of reviewing these individually again and instead provide brief excerpts with links to the previous reviews. The final star rating for these films will be an average of all ten films. Overall this is a pretty great set and if you are just now expanding your Blu-ray collection or upgrading from DVD this is a great way to snag all of these in one shot. There are some iffy ones in the set, but they're all entertaining with some standing out far above some of the other films:

The Purge
"The home invasion storyline and seeing the parents protect their kids and family is done well. However, the undertones and the on-the-nose social and political commentaries are too much and deviate from the actual story and point of the movie. Whether it be jealousy, rich people overpowering poor people, or big government, these issues should have been non-existent in this film." 2.5/5 

Ouija
"Hasbro Studios wanting to adapt the property is surprisingly not at fault because previous efforts ('G.I. Joe,' 'Transformers' and to a lesser degree 'Battleship') have proven enormous success. And as bad as the end product may be, this little flick, it turns out, was worth the risk, swindling gullible moviegoers of their hard-earned cash with its illusions of spirit rapping and table lifting. But in the end, the only real victim in this whole mess is the innocent board game." 0.5/5 

The Boy Next Door
"There were tons of plot holes and setups and characters that never showed up again or wrapped up in any way shape or form, nor did the one big sex scene between Lopez and Guzman look like any steamy sexual episode. It was all amateur hour here. My god, the acting was ten times worse than daytime soap operas. It’s so bad in fact, you can play a drinking game in which you could take a drink each time someone delivers a cheesy line of dialogue.
I will say that in the final two minutes of the film, before the movie abruptly ends (thank God), we get to see a B-Movie eye gouge sequence, which made me laugh out loud. But other than that cheap practical effect, ‘The Boy Next Door‘ is a true disaster." 0.5/5 

Unfriended 
"The "found-footage" subgenre, a particular style of filmmaking which frankly wore out its welcome almost as quickly as it came to sudden prominence and popularity nearly twenty years ago, has taken its next logical evolutionary step in 'Unfriended.' In fact, I'm not entirely sure the movie accurately falls under that definition -- since according to certain details expressed throughout the story, the footage seen survives in the abstract, intangible reality of cyberspace. Unlike other cinéma-vérité types, there doesn't exist physical evidence of the events, such as film reels, a video cassette, or even a hard drive from a digital device. Everything occurs and is seen thanks to apps and social media websites like Skype, Facebook, and YouTube. What's unique about this particular production is that the plot is set in real-time from the rather bizarre point of view of the main protagonist's laptop screen. And surprisingly, it makes for an entertaining watch of a fairly familiar supernatural tale." 3.5/5 

The Visit 
"The rise and fall of the career, perception, and success of M. Night Shyamalan is one for the history books. In 1999 he unexpectedly exploded onto the big screen with the surprise hit. The Sixth Sense was an anomaly, a horror movie that was able to reel in audiences of all ages and demographics. His next two films were well received, but it all went downhill from there. Over that time, Shyamalan is said to have burned bridges with all the studios with which he worked. Rumor has it that his ego got wildly out-of-control. Even then, he has still been able to find someone to back and finance his movies. Business has been bad. The movies have been bad – but that just might be a thing of the past. The Visit isn't perfect and it certainly doesn't stand up against The Sixth Sense, Unbreakable, or Signs, but it's a step in the right direction for the once-great director. I, for one, am excited to see where he goes from here." 4/5

Split
"Thankfully, unlike so many other M. Night titles, the movie stands alone without the reveal at the very end (which comes after the title card, but quickly enough that viewers won't tune out before seeing it). The director could have very easily released this movie without the "twist" at all, and I wouldn't have changed my admiration for the film one iota. Going into the movie, I was worried that this would just be another typical Hollywood thriller, with McAvoy chewing the scenery and endless "scare" moments (you know the kind...where you think the killer is hiding behind the door, the soundtrack music wells up, and a cat jumps out). But it's not that at all. In fact, I don't think there's a single "scare" moment as described above in the entire movie (although it's certainly scary), and despite the villainy of McAvoy's character, he often comes off as quite sympathetic. There's a wonderful (albeit horrific) backstory to the character of Casey here too, and a connection between her and McAvoy's character (although not the one I thought the movie was going to give us, given some of the early scenes) that gives Split staying power than 99 percent of other horror/thriller movies never achieve." 4.5/5

Get Out
"I always knew Jordan Peele was talented, but to switch genres, or in this case mix the horror and comedy genres in such a perfect way -- where the film will legitimately scare you as well as make you laugh out loud -- is something that is very difficult to do. Peele flawlessly executes the writing and direction, never straying into side tangents, dangling clues throughout, and always leaving you wanting more. It never overstays its welcome either and hilariously satirizes race relations without ever being preachy. Get Out is one film that has etched its way into one of my instant favorites." 5/5 

Happy Death Day (previously unreviewed)
A Slasher version of Groundhog Day, Happy Death Day may be a little too clever for its own good loosely setting up a set of rules to live and die by, but overall it's an entertaining venture. Jessica Rothe is the proverbial "final girl" only she gets killed over and over again and is on a quest to prevent her untimely demise at the hands, knives, and other implements of a masked killer. While the film is having fun with itself - it also has a hard time getting to the point and the repetitive kills become less and less effective. Still, a fun show well worth revisiting periodically, but maybe not enough to warrant a sequel. 3.5/5

Truth or Dare
"In the end, I didn’t actively hate anything here, but wasn’t frightened or adrenalized by it either. I wasn’t insulted by its obvious cash grab nature, nor was I frustrated with how derivative this was. Instead, this whole experience just washed over me, and when I woke up the next morning I didn’t think about it at all. Watching Truth or Dare is like eating a triple Whopper. It isn’t even the best fast food burger and provides absolutely no substance. And depending on your tolerance level it may even be harmful to your health." 2/5

Ma
"Octavia Spencer channels her inner Perkins to go full psycho in Tate Taylor's wobbly Ma. Is it a horror movie? Is it a movie with a message about bullying? Both? Weighted by cut-out characters, stale performances, and nonsense plotting, Spencer is the only thing that keeps this schlocky would-be horror-thriller afloat. It's a fun time, but not if you're looking for solid scares or surprises." 2.5/5

Vital Disc Stats: The Blu-ray

The Blumhouse of Horrors 10 Movie Collection gathers ten films from the production house previously released on Blu-ray and packages them together in a 10-disc Blu-ray + Digital set from Universal Pictures Home Entertainment. All of the discs are housed in a standard sturdy 10-disc case with each disc getting its own tray to occupy without being stacked. The case is housed in a Book-style slipcover and is relatively compact without needing to occupy a ton of shelf space. 

The Purge
"The Purge comes with an excellent 1080p HD transfer and is presented in 2.40:1 aspect ratio. The detail is very good with well-defined closeups of the actors' make-up, scars, and wrinkles. The props throughout the house and guns, weapons, and axes all look very defined and sharp. However, when the camera is in the form of a security camera or toy camera, things get a bit fuzzy, but that's how the filmmakers wanted it." 4.5/5

Ouija
"The nth iteration of a movie revolving around the popular spirit board debuts on Blu-ray with a highly-detailed 1080p/AVC MPEG-4 encode. Shot entirely on HD cameras, the freshly-minted transfer shows distinct, sharp lines in the foliage and exposes the tiniest object and furnishing in the background. Facial complexions are not the most revealing, likely the result of heavy make-up, but pores, blemishes, and wrinkles in older cast members are plainly observable. Spot-on contrast allows for excellent visibility in the far distance, and black levels are full-bodied, providing the 2.40:1 image with very good dimensionality." 4.5/5

The Boy Next Door
"Each scene has rich detail that is vivid and sharp throughout. Every scar, individual hair, makeup blemish, and beads of sweat comes across nicely here. The lace and fine threads on Jennifer's outfits are deep and the denim costumes along with props and background school sets look amazing. The hardware store in particular shows off every glare and scuff in the tools quite nicely, giving the films some image depth. Colors are pleasantly balanced and saturated with mostly warm neutral colors." 4.5/5

Unfriended
"The cyber-chiller debuts on Blu-ray with a fantastic 1080p/AVC MPEG-4 encode (1.78:1) that doesn't look very promising at first, but it is consistent right from the start and, after a while, look pretty darn good. It's not exactly the type to impress friends, but the high-def transfer is faithful to the creative intentions of the filmmakers." 4/5

The Visit
"The Visit arrives on Blu-ray with a nearly perfect 1080p/AVC MPEG-4 encode. Just because the movie is meant to be a homemade documentary shot by a teenager with affordable home-use cameras, it doesn't mean that it's of low quality. Aside from a few scenes that place our central characters in terrifying run-for-your-life scenarios, it doesn't carry a shaky feel. The contrast doesn't fluctuate between settings. The colorization and brightness are consistent. The only issue to arise is banding. A few shots from within a light-less room during the climax feature small bands on the walls and ceiling of the room - but aside from that, The Visit is a wonderful presentation of digital cinema. 4/5

Split
"Split was shot digitally on Arri Alexa XT cameras and is presented here in the 2.40:1 aspect ratio. M. Night hired Michael Gioulakis as his Director of Photography after enjoying the work he did on It Follows. If you've seen that movie, the look of this title isn't too dissimilar.
Split has a very warm look to it, with colors often bordering on the edge of oversaturation, especially the reds and oranges. Because so much of the story takes place in the main character's dimly lit underground lair, black levels are important – and while I wouldn't go as far to say they are "inky deep", they're good enough that noise doesn't rear its ugly head in the backgrounds and shadow dilatation is pretty solid." 4/5

Get Out
"Get Out comes with a 1080p HD transfer and is presented in 2.40:1 aspect ratio. This is a gorgeous video presentation from top to bottom. Detail is always very sharp and vivid in all lighting conditions. The opening scene takes place on a residential street at nighttime, and it looks perfect with the street lights giving a good shine and glimmer. The green leaves on the trees and red and brown bricks all look excellent in this nighttime scene with copious amounts of strong detail showing. In well-lit situations, detail is excellent as well where you can see individual facial hairs, pores, and beads of sweat on the actor's faces." 4.5/5

Happy Death Day
The 2.39:1 1080p transfer checks off all the boxes a modern digitally-shot horror film should hit. Well detailed giving facial features, clothing, and most importantly gore effects the visual appeal they should. Colors are bold and lively with great primary pop and presence - especially reds. Black levels are on point with a nice richly inky presence giving the image some three-dimensional depth. Some video noise crops up from time to time and can skew shadows a bit and can be distracting, but it's a sporadic issue and really the only trouble spot for this transfer. 4/5

Truth or Dare
"Truth or Dare puts a hex on your television with a 1080p MPEG-4 encode that stands up to the majority of the releases on the market. Combining a 2.39:1 ratio and being shot digitally, this has all the usual advantages and trappings of a digital shoot. From the first shot of a car pulling up to a gas station, there is an amazing amount of depth. You can tell from a production standpoint this was an experienced shoot, with many expertly crafted shots. Detail work is also well done with shots of lesions and pores on skin tones that stand out with all sorts of gory goodness. Blacks can be a bit of a problem from time to time not dipping enough to absolute blackness." 4/5

Ma
"Digitally shot and sourced from a 2K DI, Ma cooks up a solid 2.39:1 1080p transfer. Details are top-notch. From frame one I was damn impressed at the detail in facial features, clothing, and production design. Spencer is a particular stand out in this department as she goes through a physical costume presentation as she gains her confidence and opens herself up to becoming flashy and fun for the kids who have accepted her. Her home is also a great representation of her character and everything shows on screen."  4.5/5

The Purge
"This release comes with a stellar lossless DTS-HD 5.1 audio mix and sounds amazing. This is what all horror films should sound like. Dialogue is crystal clear and always easy to understand. It's free of any pops, cracks, or hissing. The directionality of the voices are well balanced and prioritized here. The screams, yells, and whispers are truly haunting." 4.5/5 

Ouija
"Failing to leave a memorable or even frightening experience in the audio department, the DTS-HD MA soundtrack accompanying the supernatural adaptation is nonetheless capable with a few decently effective moments. Although the music of Anton Sanko consistently bleeds into the surrounds to generate an engaging environment, rear activity is reserved for the scares and shocks. Normally, this would be precisely as expected for a horror flick, but in this case, the lack of atmospherics is distractingly noticeable, as if the town was devoid of wildlife or any sign of neighbors. However, discrete effects are employed amusingly for generating a fun and spooky soundfield with satisfying directionality and excellent panning." 5/5 

The Boy Next Door
"This release comes with a lossless DTS-HD 5.1 audio mix, and for being a supposed suspenseful thriller, the audio is somewhat lacking. I'm not saying this is terrible in any way, but I am saying that this is more of a front-heavy audio mix than I'd like to hear. Nothing here is particularly lively, which is a shame, because there are several instances with gunfire, a car accident, and a fire. The gunshots don't sound all that realistic but staged and never pack a punch, let alone use the surround speakers. The same can be said for the car accident as well." 3.5/5

Unfriended
"The cleverly hip thriller continues posting shivers down your spine with a stylishly yet effective DTS-HD Master Audio soundtrack. Seeing as how the plot revolves around a Skype conversation, the design is, not surprisingly, a mostly front-heavy presentation with a good chunk of the action seemingly taking place in the center." 5/5

The Visit
"The Visit is accompanied by a 5.1 DTS-HD Master Audio track that's good, but not quite as lively as you might expect. On one side, that's a good thing because it means that the movie doesn't rely on its sound for scares; on the other side, it's not quite as immersive and effective as it could be." 4/5

Split
"The featured audio here is an English 5.1 DTS-HD Master Audio track and it's a competent enough rendering, although it doesn't really offer much immersion. The track's surrounds are primarily used to enhance West Dylan Thordson's musical score, as well as to add a few distinct creaks and other ambient noises that add just the right level of creepiness to the villain's labyrinth of underground rooms. LFE use is virtually non-existent, but the overall mix is still well done and there are no issues with the dialogue, which is crisp and clear throughout. This is one of those tracks that is more impressive by its subtlety rather than any loud bombastic moments. It's properly rendered and free of apparent glitches, but it's not something that's going to give one's home theater a workout." 4/5

Get Out
"For a thriller/horror/comedy satire film, one expects a certain sound design. You want the creaks in the floors, the loud music crescendos, screams, haunting noises, loud sound effects, and a full ambient soundscape to fully immerse you into this scary world. Luckily, this audio mix does all that. You won't get a big blockbuster sound with tons of explosions, but that's not the type of film this is. Every noise is perfectly balanced and layered to give a very realistic sound design." 4/5

Happy Death Day
Nailing a DTS-HD MA 5.1 audio mix, Happy Death Day has something to truly celebrate as this audio mix is virtually nonstop sonic delights. Dialog is clean and clear throughout and never at odds with the other elements of the soundscape. Scoring is on point and lends to the creepy vibe of the film as well as the comedic undertones. LFE gets some time to celebrate while imaging is practically pitch-perfect for some impressive channel movement. Sides and rears really give the mix a nice sense of atmosphere from scene to scene and there never feels like there's any dead air. 4.5/5

Truth or Dare
"Universal dares you to say that Truth or Dare's DTS-HD 5.1 mix is anything short of greatness. This was an active and aggressive mix that I actually had a whole lot of fun with. First off, how many mixes out there will have a scene where a character will hear voices all around him but for the viewer, it is relegated to the fronts? Too many for this reviewer to count! Here, all of the spooky voices and whispers cover the full field of sound, and in return, it actually gives the scene more credence than the source material allows for. Is it a rote cliché to have every character hear voices before they die? Yup. But that doesn’t stop it from being a whole lot of fun in this case, because of the audio presentation." 4.5/5

Ma
"Ma sports a strong DTS-HD MA 5.1 mix that rolls with the punches and really comes alive in the film's last act. A lor of the film is atmosphere with small sounds here and there to keep sides and rear channels active - but nothing overly dynamic. Slowly as the movie moves along things start to perk up. By the time all the school kids are partying at Ma's house, you've got some great immersion activity. The big climax is a standout here as well - but no spoilers! Dialogue is clean and clear throughout and a source of some great comedy as Ma is prone to muttering to herself." 4/5

The Purge

• Surviving the Night: The Making of The Purge

Ouija

• The Spirit Board: An Evolution
• Adapting the Fear
• Icon of the Unknown

The Boy Next Door

• Audio Commentary - with Rob Cohen
• Deleted Scenes 
• The Making of The Boy Next Door

Unfriended
No bonus features included with this disc. 

The Visit

• Alternate Ending
• Deleted Scenes
• The Making of The Visit
• Becca's Photos

Split

• Alternate Ending
• Deleted Scenes
• The Making of Split
• The Many Faces of James McAvoy
• The Filmmaker's Eye: M. Night Shyamalan

Get Out

• Audio Commentary
• Alternate Ending
• Unveiling the Horror of Get Out
• Q&A Discussion
• Deleted Scenes

Happy Death Day

• Alternate Ending
• Deleted Scenes
• Worst Birthday Ever!
• Behind the Mask: The Suspects
• The Many Deaths of Tree

Truth or Dare

• Audio Commentary
• Game On: The Making of Truth or Dare
• Directing the Deaths

Ma

• Alternate Ending
• Deleted Scenes 
• Creating Sue Ann 
• Party At Ma's 
• Trailer 

Overall, Blumhouse of Horrors 10 Movie Collection is a pretty cool set. Aside from two or three of the films - I didn't already have a lot of these so it was cool to get to add them into the shelf. For the price tag, this isn't a bad set at all. While most horror fans may have a hard time adding this to their collection since it's likely they'd already have what they want - if you're just now getting into Blu-ray or have a few gaps in your horror collection, this 10-film set is a convenient way to go. The set gathers up the already available discs from Universal Pictures Home Entertainment with the same solid A/V presentations and bonus features package - so you're not missing anything there. How much mileage you get out of this set will depend entirely on which of these you already own - or even want to own. But if you're looking for a convenient horror box set this spooky season this is a good way to go. Worth A Look.