Troma has always had a knack for digging up cult treasures, and their Blu-ray release of The Last Horror Film is no exception. Long overshadowed by the splattery antics of its grindhouse peers, this 1982 oddity blends slasher conventions with satirical jabs at the film industry itself.
Joe Spinell delivers another unhinged performance, this time as a deranged cabbie obsessed with horror star Jana Bates, and his off-kilter energy anchors the movie in sleaze and madness. Caroline Munro brings a touch of class and charisma, giving their cat-and-mouse tension a warped romantic undercurrent.
Vinny (Joe Spinell) is a cab driver with a dangerous fixation on horror star Jana Bates (Caroline Munro), convinced she’s destined to headline his dream project. He follows her all the way to the Cannes Film Festival, where glitz and glamour clash with his increasingly unhinged behavior. Instead of pitching like a professional, Vinny’s obsession spirals out of control, and before long, the people closest to Jana start vanishing one by one.
The restoration here is surprisingly strong (considering Troma isn’t really known for its transfer quality), retaining the grainy grindhouse texture while offering a clarity that finally does justice to its Cannes location shooting. What truly stands out on this release, though, is the music.
While originally a patchwork of library cues, this Troma Blu-ray features an unexpected treat: the pulsing, moody sounds of Depeche Mode. The band’s early synth-driven tracks amplify the film’s uneasy tension, transforming stalk-and-slash sequences into something hypnotic and surreal. The result is a strange marriage between grimy New York exploitation cinema and glossy new wave atmosphere.
For horror buffs, it may actually be a letdown since it doesn’t particularly deliver everything the title suggests. It’s strictly for Spinell and Munro fans or for a look at what was being promoted at the Cannes Film Festival when it was filmed.
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There’s a decent number of extras, including commentary tracks, interviews, the short film Mr. Robbie directed by Buddy Giovinazzo (Combat Shock) and starring Spinell, Tromadance highlights, a full episode of Kabukiman’s Cocktail Corner, and the return of Dolphinman. No Troma release would be complete without an introduction by Lloyd Kaufman, founder and creator of The Toxic Avenger.
For cult cinema enthusiasts, The Last Horror Film has never looked or sounded better. With the added presence of Depeche Mode, this Blu-ray becomes less a curiosity and more an essential document of a truly unique moment where genre sleaze and pop culture collided, even if the finished product is just okay.
