How did Sister Sister fall through the cracks? Even though I used to go to movies regularly in the ’80s and browse the racks of Videorama looking at tempting VHS boxes, Sister Sister is rather obscure. How? The movie reunites Jennifer Jason Leigh and Eric Stoltz from Fast Times At Ridgemont High. Stoltz was hot off of Some Kind of Wonderful when the movie arrived just in time for Valentine’s Day of 1988. I have zero memory of anyone suggesting it as a great date movie. There’s no memory of one of my pals at the videostore suggesting I rent it for the erotic Cinemax After Dark elements involving Jennifer Jason Leigh. Even years later, the film wasn’t spoken about as director Bill Condon went on to win an Oscar (for writing Gods and Monsters) and direct Dreamgirls and the last two Twilight movies. I never heard anyone say, “You need to see where Condon started with Sister Sister.” The Blu-ray from Vinegar Syndrome showed up as a bit of a shock that this film existed. Once I pressed play, it was obvious why the film hadn’t made an impact: New World Pictures (post-Roger Corman) had released the film. By the late ’80s, the company had issues promoting and releasing their films. This helped keep the film under the radar even with a fine cast. Now it’s getting a second chance to make an impact with a high-definition release. Sister Sister gives us a chance to see Jennifer Jason Leigh and Eric Stoltz going beyond the ’80s Teen into the realm of Southern Gothic.
Deep in the Louisiana swamp is an old mansion that’s been turned into a bed and breakfast by the Bonnard sisters Lucy (Jennifer Jason Leigh) and Charlotte (compromising Positions‘ Judith Ivey). It seems like a quaint place with trees covered in Spanish moss and alligators lurking in nearby swampy waters. Lucy has the hots for the handyman Etienne (Benjamin Mouton) including seductive dreams. Charlotte doesn’t want her sister hooking up with the help. There’s a shared and strained secret between the two sisters. Matt Rutledge (Eric Stoltz) arrives for a bit of a stay at the house. He finds himself attracted to Lucy which puts him on the bad side of both Charlotte and Etienne. The tension is increased as bad things begin to happen around the foggy house. The secrets come to a head as Matt explains his real reason in visiting the remote bed and breakfast.
Sister Sister should have been a hot rental title in the VHS era. This film has all the elements of the erotic thrillers that were constantly being checked out. The mystery element would keep people from merely fast forwarding to the bedroom scenes. If you were a fan of Fast Times or John Hughes flicks, you could easily get into enjoying the seductive elements of Sister Sister. The mystery at the heart of the film is expertly revealed by director Bill Condon. It’s a rather ugly even understandably has messed up all the main characters. Condon amps up the scares in his Gothic Horror with killings in a land where bodies can easily vanish into the swamp. But as we learn, things can rise up from the muck. The biggest mystery that bothers me is how I didn’t see Sister Sister in 34 years.
The video is 2.35:1 anamorphic. The new 1080p transfer brings out the misty nature of the mansion. They used a 2K transfer of the original camera negative. The audio is DTS-HD MA 2.0 Stereo mix. You’ll hear a lot of bug noises in the house. The movie is subtitled.
Audio Commentary with director Bill Condon was originally on the Anchor Bay DVD release. He goes into the disastrous first preview screening where the sound went out of synch along with the audience not getting into the film.
Audio Commentary with author Alexandra Heller-Nicholas goes into the her enjoyment of the movie.
Being An Outsider (13:50) is an interview with Benjamin Mouton. He goes deep into what motivates his character. This was his first film role. He recounts working on his accent.
Staying Honest (11:46) interview with Natalija Nogulich. The actress describes how she kept her character real and not over the top. She didn’t audition since Judith Ivey recommended her to director Bill Condon. She enjoyed being part of a Southern Gothic.
Orchestrating Altered States (24:52) gets into the music with composer Richard Einhorn. He gets into mixing the strings with the synth elements. He mentions during the production, things got shutdown when they ran out of funds.
Going To War (14:48) has cinematographer Stephen Katz explains the battles of making the film. He talks about the battles of capturing the images on the bayou. He was not happy with the reshoot ending.
Deleted Scenes (3:03) has an option for director Bill Condon to explain why the scenes were snipped.
Trailer (1:49) sets up the smokey action on the Bayou. This is the Red Band Trailer since nudity is included.
Vinegar Syndrome presents Sister Sister. Directed by Bill Condon. Screenplay by Bill Condon, Ginny Cerrella and Joel Cohen. Starring Eric Stoltz, Jennifer Jason Leigh, Judith Ivey, Dennis Lipscomb, Anne Pitoniak, Benjamin Mouton, Bobby Pickett & Bill Condon. Running Time: 90 minutes. Rated: R. Release Date: March 29, 2022.
