I, Madman (Blu-ray Review)
- Review Date: Sep 11, 2025
- Format: Blu-ray Disc
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Director
Tibor TakácsRelease Date(s)
1989 (June 17, 2025)Studio(s)
TransWorld Entertainment (Kino Cult #31)- Film/Program Grade: C+
- Video Grade: B-
- Audio Grade: B-
- Extras Grade: B-
Review
A late 80s oddity that’s mostly remembered by deep-seated horror fans, I, Madman (aka Hardcover) barely made a dent upon its initial release. Director Tibor Takács (The Gate) clearly had an idea of what exactly it was that he wanted, and certainly achieves it, but the results are somewhat of a mixed bag. The make-up effects and the very memorable sped-up dolly shot revealing the titular “madman” with a large syringe in his hand are the more effective and memorable aspects of the film, but neither appear to be powerful enough to raise the film from the depths of obscurity.
Virginia (Jenny Wright) works at a bookstore and reads ultra-violent pulp novels in her spare time, but soon discovers that the vivid and disturbing butchery she’s been reading about is manifesting itself in reality, and so has the diabolical killer Dr. Kessler (Randall William Cook). Fearing for her life once she realizes that she’s his next target, she goes to her policeman boyfriend Richard (Clayton Rohner) for help. At the outset, everyone assumes that Virginia is mentally unbalanced, but as the bodies continue piling up, it’s up to her and Richard to lure Kessler in and stop him.
Special effects artist Randall William Cook and director Tibor Takács had previously collaborated on The Gate and its lesser know sequel Gate II: Trespassers, but for their third team-up, Cook was also hired to portray the characters of Dr. Kessler and Malcolm Brand. Jenny Wright, who had previously appeared in Pink Floyd: The Wall, St. Elmo’s Fire, and Near Dark, handles being the lead of the film well enough, even if her performance is a bit lackluster. Clayton Rohner had been featured in Just One of the Guys and April Fool’s Day, and had just come off of making the war drama Bat*21. Neither he nor Wright have much of an impact on the film, but Cook’s fiendish Dr. Kessler visage is probably its most indelible facet by comparison.
Unfortunately, composer Michael Hoenig’s (The Gate, The Blob) score adds nothing to the film’s atmosphere. In fact, it often works against it, aiding in giving the story an unusual mix of tones (he apparently had a mere two weeks to write and record it, according to Takács). Combined with the sluggish performances, nothing necessarily adds up, despite some fun make-up and visual effects, including a stop-motion demon creature. Most folks my age first got a glimpse of I, Madman from its home video trailer, which was very well put together, even if the final film wound up not fully delivering on what it was selling. In essence, I, Madman attempts to blend slasher elements with a noir-ish aesthetic that takes place in modern day, but even with its charms, it never fully gels.
I, Madman was shot by director of photography Bryan England on 35mm film (Eastman 125T 5247) using Panaflex cameras and spherical Panavision lenses, finished photochemically, and presented theatrically in the aspect ratio of 1.85:1. Kino Cult brings the film to Blu-ray for a second time on a dual-layered BD-50 disc. It appears to be the exact same master included on the Scream Factory Blu-ray, down to the same speckling and minor instability. The bitrate on the Scream Factory disc, also a dual-layered BD-50, sat at a constant 35 to 40Mbps. Kino’s disc sits mostly around 40Mbps, with some minor variability that never drops below 35Mbps. It’s also worth noting that the file size for the main presentation on the Scream Factory disc is 27.8GB, while Kino’s presentation takes a hit at 27.1GB. In other words, it’s a slightly different encode, and it appears a touch softer, as a consequence. Color and contrast are otherwise identical, both of which are solid with decent depth in the shadows. The stop-motion sequences, compositing, and opticals stand out, but everything appears organic to the original source. As this master has floating around since at least 2015, if not earlier, it’s due for a fresh scan of the original elements. At the same time, it’s also a master that holds up better than expected ten years on.
Audio is included in English 2.0 DTS-HD Master Audio with optional subtitles in English SDH, dropping the 5.1 option from the Scream Factory release. The film was recorded in Ultra Stereo, and the dual channel option represents that experience nicely. The previous 5.1 track gave the score and sound effects some additional spread, but the original stereo track still manages to offer clean dialogue and plenty of dynamic range for score and sound effects.
The Kino Cult Blu-ray release of I, Madman (#31 in the line) sits in a blue Amaray case with dual-sided artwork, featuring a version of the MGM DVD artwork on one side (as well as the slipcover) and a version of the artwork used for one of its VHS releases on the reverse. The following extras are included:
- Audio Commentary with Tibor Takács, Randall William Cook, and Rob Galluzzo
- Much of Madness, More of Sin: A Visual Essay on I, Madman (HD – 13:31)
- Ripped From the Pages: The Making of I, Madman (HD – 33:24)
- Behind the Scenes Footage with Commentary by Randall William Cook (SD – 11:08)
- Hardcover Theatrical Trailer (SD – 2:12)
First up is an audio commentary with Tibor Takács and Randall William Cook, moderated by Rob Galluzzo. Cook keeps things light, while Galluzzo keeps things on track, discussing with the two men various things about the film and the making of it. New to this release is Much of Madness, More of Sin, a decidedly dry and very uninteresting visual essay by Chris O’Neill. Ripped From the Pages is a very nice making-of documentary by Red Shirt Pictures, featuring interviews with screenwriter David Chaskin, Tibor Takács, Randall William Cook, and actors Clayton Rohner and Stephanie Hodge. Next is a set of Behind the Scenes Footage, which features audio commentary by Cook, and the Hardcover theatrical trailer. Not carried over from the Scream Factory Blu-ray release is the aforementioned home video trailer and a still gallery, which also came with optional commentary by Cook.
I, Madman may not be a top tier horror film, but it’s an interesting misfire, with a bit of style and some good ideas floating around in it. For long-time fans of the film who already own the 2015 Scream Factory Blu-ray, the slightly lesser presentation and the loss of the 5.1 option, the video trailer, and the still gallery means that they can safely skip this release. However, if you don’t already own that now out-of-print Blu-ray, this is still worth picking up until a higher quality presentation comes along.
- Tim Salmons
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