The Film
What's scarier: The scariest horror movie ever made or the people that make those movies? Director J.T. Petty walks a fine line in the 2006 documentary S&Man (pronounced "Sandman").
This film focuses on the world of underground horror, with a voyeurism twist. Whether these subjects are good or bad is completely subjective and we never even really get Petty's point of view. The film flip-flops between interviews with filmmakers and psychologists. The pros put in their two cents on the "art" of this type of filmmaking, since it seems to include a lot of fetish violence, a lot of nudity, and a lot of completely bizarre forms of death and/or torture -- and you thought the Saw people were original!
It's tough to say whether or not these filmmakers are original or just disturbed. There are certainly a few that deserve to be rounded up and served with search warrants. (Interviewee Eric Rost is such a creepy character that he gets his own extra on the disc).
At one point, filmmaker Fred Vogel poignantly describes his work by saying, "When you're done watching this movie, you just want to take a bath." The same could be said for S&Man. If you're the type that likes to watch a girl get shot in the crotch or have an arrow inserted into her bellybutton, lights baby dolls on fire, or even likes watching serial killer-types stalk with a video camera, you may find a lot of joy in this film.
S&Man does have its moments, but otherwise, it's kind of disturbing. The closing credits (and commentary track) do provide a little relief. Either way, you'll want to proceed with caution on every level possible.
The Picture
S&Man's image is on par with home movies of someone's vacation -- assuming that vacation included a lot of creepy horror film conventions. There's practically no detail, the colors are flat and dim, and the film has enough shaky cam to make you want to vomit. It's borderline horrible, but that's just the way it was filmed. It's hard to believe that this Blu-ray looks any better than the standard-def DVD. Last, but not least, the case says that the aspect ratio is 2.35:1. However, it looks a lot more like 1.78:1.
The Sound
Considering the bad image and subject matter, it's hard to expect too much from this DTS-HD Master Audio track. The dialogue sounds fair, although some feels like it's being projected through a tin can. Again, it's the way it was filmed; it's hard to expect much of an improvement. Director J.T. Petty does have a bass-heavy voice. He's no Barry White, but his voice does ring heavy through the front three speakers. That's really the only effect here. The film clips don't get treated any better. The only thing left for the surrounds is just the faint twinkle of the creep-show soundtrack.
The Extras
S&Man includes two documentary tracks. The most interesting is the one between J.T. Petty and Erik Marcisak, which features a spoiler right off the bat. Otherwise, it probably won't really keep your attention for another full viewing of the film. If you find yourself wanting to people-watch without leaving the house, there's over 27 minutes dedicated to Eric Rost's voyerism in "The Complete 'S&Man' Episode 11." Other extras include an 8-minute blurry peek at underground film clips and 12 minutes of deleted scenes, which add in a few extra kills and a lot of leftover interviews.
Final Thoughts
Underground horror is creepy, but also kind of interesting. Those with a weak stomach won't want to touch S&Man with a 10-foot pole. If that pole leaves you a little aroused, this might be the movie for you. But splurging on the Blu-ray version just may be (wait for it...) overkill.
Product Details
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