Rawhead Rex

The major interest of George Pavlou's 1986 monster movie—which centers on an ancient demon that goes on a killing spree in the Irish countryside after being released from its millennia-old grave—is that it was based on one of the stories in Clive Barker's Books of Blood series. Rawhead Rex is a rubbery creature that is likely—at least in this inept incarnation—to inspire laughter rather than screams as it rampages through fields ripping off people's heads and hypnotizing others to do its bidding. David Dukes stars as Howard Hallenbeck, an American professor who discovers a weapon that can defeat the monster in the altar of the local church—although for some reason it must be wielded by a woman to be effective. A postscript suggests that a sequel was planned, but given the mediocrity on display here it is hardly surprising that it never materialized. Making its Blu-ray debut, Rawhead Rex features extras including audio commentary by Pavlou, cast and crew interviews, a featurette about an abandoned graphic novel adaptation of the story, an image gallery, and a booklet. Not recommended. (F. Swietek)