Before FINAL DESTINATION, there was SOLE SURVIVOR. Directed by Thom Eberhardt (Night of the Comet), This chilling film tells of a yound women who is the sole survivor of an airplane crash. Disregarding the warnings from a psychic actress friend, Denise tries to get on with her life, but she has somehow cheated death, and the Grim Reaper sends his minions to bring her to him.
Product details
Aspect Ratio
:
1.85:1
Is Discontinued By Manufacturer
:
No
MPAA rating
:
R (Restricted)
Product Dimensions
:
7.5 x 5.5 x 0.53 inches; 4 ounces
Item model number
:
CRD2007
Director
:
Thom Eberhardt
Media Format
:
NTSC, Anamorphic
Run time
:
1 hour and 25 minutes
Release date
:
April 1, 2008
Actors
:
Anita Skinner, Kurt Johnson and Caren Larkey
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Sole Survivor tells the tale of a lone living women(a "sole survivor" if you will LOL!) left in the wake of a commercial airplane crash(in easily one of the best scenes from the film, the camera pans through the carnage until it comes to her; sitting in her seat amidst the wreckage in silent shock and completely unscathed). Possibly suffering from the post-traumatic affliction known as "survivor syndrome"(depression, nightmares, and anxiety caused by thoughts of being unworthy of life over everyone else killed in the accident), our lead is caught wondering if the recent bizarre happenings and people that have entered her life are truly out for her death, or is it all in her head? Sole Survivor is definitely a well done film; it features excellent acting, effects, music, and direction throughout(Thom Eberhardt would follow this up with the 80's classic, "Night Of The Comet")... what it doesn't feature though, is much in the way of excitement. This is a "slow burn" type of horror experience(i.e. "The Changeling," "Burnt Offerings," "Don't Look Now," etc.) that focuses much more on atmosphere and a creepy premise rather than blood and guts or jump scares(although bare breasts do make a welcome appearance!), but for the patient it delivers with one of the best finales I've seen in quite awhile. Out of the group of four people that I watched this with, I was the "sole survivor" to make it to the credits without falling asleep... again, that's not a knock on the film so much as that when I told them we'd be watching a lost horror flick from 1982 they were probably expecting something quite different(like "The Burning" or "Night Of The Creeps")... now you know the type of movie you're in for at least if you do decide to give it a watch(and it deserves at least one). The DVD from Code Red is very nice, with a fairly clean picture in anamorphic widescreen and plenty of special features for the overly curious(or bored).
Many horror fans who have only recently discovered the 1983 horror film SOLE SURVIVOR describe it as a precursor to FINAL DESTINATION (2000), but that is actually not an accurate analysis. True, the plots of both films revolve around people who have somehow survived a plane crash in which they were destined to die, but that's where the similarity ends. Whereas the survivors in FINAL DESTINATION suffer inexplicable (and usually violent) deaths as an incorporeal Death seeks to realign the universe, the lone crash survivor in SOLE SURVIVOR is stalked by various denizens of the spirit world--whether ghosts or zombies the film never makes quite clear--bent on bringing her over to the "other side." In that regard, SOLE SURVIVOR should be considered a direct offspring of the cult horror classic CARNIVAL OF SOULS (1962) rather than a progenitor of FINAL DESTINATION.
An oft-overlooked but above-average little indie horror flick, SOLE SURVIVOR is notable for bucking the trend in the era when the slasher film reigned supreme in the horror genre. Being a ghost story of sorts, it is bigger on atmosphere than on blatant slasher-type shocks and thrills, and the film consequently contains little gore or gratuitous nudity. However, a couple of really cool blood-and-viscera FX do show up early during the shot of the plane wreckage, and the film's denouement is a tad bit sanguine. And genre fans into T&A will want to watch for an appearance by venerable scream queen Brinke Stevens, whose topless cameo represents the film's only true skin shot.
The DVD release of SOLE SURVIVOR from Code Red presents the film in its original theatrical aspect ratio of 1.85:1 (enhanced for widescreen TVs). The source print used for the digital transfer is fairly crisp and clean, though there are occasions when the picture contains excessive grain. The soundtrack is presented in the film's original mono format and is adequate overall, but lines of dialogue seem a bit muffled at times. Bonus materials include a feature-length commentary with the executive producer Sal Romeo, producer/co-star Caren Larkey, and film historian Jeff Burr; an interview with executive producer Sal Romeo and producer/co-star Caren Larkey; the film's original theatrical trailer; and more.
Directed by Thom Eberhardt--better known as the director of teen comedies like NIGHT OF THE COMET (1984), THE NIGHT BEFORE (1988), and the made-for-TV film RATZ (2000)--SOLE SURVIVOR is a well-crafted, atmospheric piece that, unlike most horror flicks of the 1980s, avoids the overuse of violence, gore, and gratuitous nudity, yet it mixes in just enough of those elements to keep things interesting and contemporary. The DVD from Code Red is well worth the price of admission and deserves a place in the collections of all serious horror fans.
They had me right up to the moment that death's surrogates started killing people who might have a better chance to get at the sole survivor (Anita Skinner) than the few corpses that follow her around just to gawk at her. This more or less defeats the purpose behind a "debt to be paid." Seriously, an army of faux-zombies is created just to get the one who got away!? Doesn't quite seem cost effective.
This low budget movie is based on a 1976 book (The Survivor) by OBE English horror author James Herbert. The story is limited in scope; it's about a survivor of a plane crash trying to get back to her normal life as a TV commercial producer. Unfortunately, Karma's calling and wants her back even if it costs the lives of innocent bystanders to get her.
There are a few scenes that give one pause but most of this movie strolls when it should be rushing to get somewhere. I can see great potential between the scenes, like when a shadow passes her on the wall but no one is there. Sadly, this movie just wasn't creepy enough or stylish, or fraught with heightened suspense. And it certainly didn't help that the beginning scenes were confusing due to the disparate time elements involved. On the whole, this movie felt more like a rough draft than a polished piece of film work.
I've seen in twice. It has a certain indefinable quality that makes it entertaining enough to keep for future viewings. But it is a bit on the clumsy side.
Not many reviews on the hard to find Code Red DVD, but its entirely worth it. This is one of the best films from the early 80s, and very underrated. The main leads, Anita Skinner and Carol Larkey are really great, while the male lead, the late Kurt Johnson (from Ghost Story 1981) gives an excellent performance...gone way too soon. This film has a 1970s horror feel to it; dark and foreboding, with a creepiness reminiscent of "The Following" (2014) and the Final Destination films, but unique in its style. This film should get a blu-ray release, and another DVD release...its well worth it!
I had remembered very little about Soul Survivor from my first viewing of the film more than twenty years ago, other than I knew it was a good film, so when I sat down to watch it again after such a long time I wondered if it would still leave the same impression on me as it did when I was a teen. I'm happy to report it did, and then some. Unlike so many horror/slasher films of that era Soul Survivor had a menacing feel of some impending evil that threaded it's way throughout the movie, without bombarding the viewer with excessive gore like in other movies of that time, but relying on the strength of it's story instead. I believe this movie to be one of the stand out films for 80s horror, that could certainly hold it's own against the best of that time period.
