Scared Stiff appears in an aspect ratio of approximately 1.85:1 on this Blu-ray Disc. I felt pleased with this largely solid presentation.
For the most part, sharpness appeared positive. A smidgen of softness occasionally interfered with wide shots, but those issues remained minor, so the movie usually appeared distinctive and detailed.
The image suffered from no problems with jagged edges or shimmering, and it also lacked edge enhancement. Grain remained appropriate, and the image showed no print flaws.
Colors came across as reasonably good. The film utilized a fairly earthy palette, and the Blu-ray replicated those tones with decent accuracy and range.
Blacks seemed similarly tight, and shadows showed fair clarity, though some low-light shots could seem a bit thick. Given the film’s age and origins, this was a consistently satisfactory transfer.
Though the Blu-ray’s press release claims it includes a stereo mix, instead we find an LPCM monaural soundtrack. Speech was reasonably natural and concise, while music showed acceptable pep and clarity.
Effects brought us accurate enough material. This was never a memorable track, but it worked for the story and seemed fine when I considered the movie’s era.
When we shift to extras, we launch with an audio commentary from writer/director Richard Friedman, writer/producer Dan Bacaner and historian Robert Ehlinger. All three sit together for this running, screen-specific look at story/characters, cast and performances, sets and locations, music, effects and connected domains.
This becomes a pretty average commentary. While the participants discuss a good array of topics, the end result never feels especially insightful. We get some decent thoughts on occasion and that’s about it.
A new documentary called Mansion of the Doomed runs 33 minutes, 48 seconds and includes notes from Friedman, Bacaner, Ehlinger, special effects supervisor Tyler Smith, special effects assistants Jerry Macaluso and Barry Anderson and actors Andrew Stevens and Joshua Segal.
The program looks at the project’s move to the screen and its tone, story/characters, sets and locations, cast and crew, various effects, the home video re-release and general production notes. The discussion of effects works best, and a few other good stories emerge, but the overall program seems a bit inconsistent.
An Interview with Composer Billy Barber lasts six minutes, 33 seconds and features Barber’s thoughts about his work for the film. He provides a short but informative chat.
In addition to the film’s trailer, we end with an Image Gallery. It offers a running montage with 66 examples of movie shots, publicity elements and behind the scenes stills. This becomes a nice collection of images.
A 1980s take on the haunted house genre, Scared Stiff lacks much to make it memorable. Slow, cheap and bland, the movie can’t become anything intriguing or frightening. The Blu-ray comes with pretty good visuals as well as adequate audio and a pretty good set of supplements. Stiff lands with a thud.