Fender Bender

If you've ever wondered just what that person who hit your car is really like, Shout Factory's latest horror Blu-ray may give you some insight. "Fender Bender" takes an original concept of a killer driver and puts that scenario into a late 70's and early 80's slasher situation.

After a slow yet intense buildup, "Fender Bender" concerns teenager Hilary, distraught over her boyfriend's infidelity. When an odd man hits her mother's brand new car from behind, the na�ve Hilary exchanges personal information with the mysterious man. Soon, Hilary is receiving cryptic texts from The Driver (as the character gets billed in the credits) but thinks nothing of it.

I'm sure it's not a shock to learn that Hilary gets left alone for the weekend by her parents, but her reliable best friends pop in for a visit. It won't be long until The Driver, masked and looking like a cross between an S&M gimp and the killer from "My Bloody Valentine," shows up to stalk a new batch of innocent victims.

"Fender Bender" is an original production between Scream Factory and Chiller Films. Both companies know the horror genre well, so it makes perfect sense for them to create a throwback terror film.

Director Mark Pavia obviously was influenced by John Carpenter's "Halloween," a fact he bluntly admits in the behind-the-scenes featurette on the Blu-ray. Pavia even wears a "Halloween" hat in honor of his favorite movie and he describes how his filming process evokes the widescreen shots of Carpenter's classic 1978 horror film.

Unique is the word to describe the special feature "Retro VHS Cut of the Film," where the pristine look of the high-definition transfer gets traded in for the blurry and pan-and-scan look of VHS tapes. There's also a "Slashback Vintage Trailer Reel," a 40-minute collection of vintage trailers for Scream Factory's Blu-ray titles.

"Fender Bender"
Blu-ray
$22.97
www.shoutfactory.com