By MICHAEL GINGOLD
Following his reissue of his debut feature MARK OF THE DEVIL 666 (details here), independent filmmaker Jason Paul Collum has now brought his more recent SAFE INSIDE to hi-def disc, and gave us the word on the details.
First released in 2017 on a now out-of-print DVD, SAFE INSIDE stars Chris Harder, cult-fave actress Brinke Stevens, Judith O’Dea (NIGHT OF THE LIVING DEAD) and Darcey Vanderhoef. According to the official synopsis, “The film follows a troubled man [Harder] recovering from a recent breakdown. Left alone one evening in the home of his recently deceased mother, he begins to hear walls creak and sees shadows move. As the fear escalates, he begins to believe something is inside with him, but friends wonder if it’s just his psyche coming apart.”
The Blu-ray (along with a DVD edition) includes the following special features:
- Audio commentary by Collum and editor Derrick Carey
- “Are We Safe Inside” featurette
- “We Are Safe Inside” featurette
- Behind-the-scenes reel
- Photo gallery
- Collum trailer gallery
The discs are available at various on-line retailers; all but those sold at Amazon.com include a double-sided cover wrap with an essay by Collum on the flip side. The filmmaker reveals that the movie’s story was an especially emotional one for him. “I tend to develop characters from personal experiences,” he says. “I’ve had many bouts with depression over the years, so much of the inner stresses and nervousness shown by lead character J.J. were from my own battles. My aunt, Roberta Vanderhoef, passed away from cancer just months before I wrote the script. The conversation between J.J. and his mother Crystal Lake [O’Dea] on her deathbed is one I’d had with my aunt in her final days. Filming it was both painful and cleansing for me. I had to leave the room after their final conversation.”
Collum also based the script on the oddities of his own home. “The house was built in 1900, and remodeled so many times it has bizarre nooks and crannies everywhere. Cupboards hide old windows, there are rooms and closets hidden within those old wood-paneling walls from the 1960s, crawlspaces… Even after 15 years, I just discovered new electric outlets a few weeks ago. It never ends! And for a creepy true event, the farmer who built the home had his casket placed in the dining room for his funeral viewing. Strange things have happened here on occasion, so I’m just saying… Maybe someday I’ll welcome curiosity seekers to check it out.”
SAFE INSIDE will be followed by new discs of Collum’s documentary SCREAMING IN HIGH HEELS: THE RISE & FALL OF THE SCREAM QUEEN ERA (August 18), an OCTOBER MOON 15th Anniversary double-feature set (with the sequel NOVEMBER SON, September 1) and the JASON PAUL COLLUM’S UNLUCKY 13 boxed set featuring almost all of his features (also September 1).
