During the ’80s and the ’90s, there was a gap in international movies that made it to America. The rise of the Dependies (as coined by John Pierson) really tightened the grip on imports making it to your local art house (unless you lived in New York City and Los Angeles). What were the Dependies? Formerly independent studios that were snatched up by major studios to be their Oscar Bait boutique label. Disney snagged Miramax. New Line was grabbed by Warner Brothers. Universal snagged several including October. The Dependies took over the art house schedules and seemed to mostly import films they swore could win hardware. My memory of indie films from New Zealand during the ’90s is limited to Peter Jackson’s Heavenly Creatures and Jane Campion’s The Piano. Both were Dependie films eager for awards. I wanted to see Jackson’s early films, but they never played a theater near me. To see Meet The Feebles and Braindead, I had to find a non-Blockbuster store with a great cult imports section. When The Ugly arrived in America from New Zealand in 1998, it didn’t play at my arthouse cinema in Winston-Salem. I also have no recollection of the VHS box at West End video even though Trimark (a real independent company) released it (they also put out Peter Jackson’s Dead Alive, Doom Generation and the Leprechaun films). Now The Ugly is on Blu-ray and looking better than VHS.
Dr. Karen Schumaker (Burying Brian‘s Rebecca Hobbs) arrives at the asylum in Auckland to interview notorious serial killer Simon Cartwright (Xena: Warrior Princess‘s Paolo Rotondo). Dr. Marlowe (Roy Ward) isn’t thrilled that his favorite patient is getting an outside expert. Cartwright wants to prove he’s now sane enough to stand trial since he’s had it with being held indefinitely at the decaying asylum. Dr. Schumaker is game for judging if Cartwright is not too far gone that he can last at the defend table in a courtroom. She sits down and listens to Simon’s messed up childhood that included a controlling mother who wouldn’t let his rich father get custody. His first victim was close to home. Even though he was caught, his time behind bars didn’t straighten him out. He claimed even more victims after being sprung. Dr. Schumaker finds herself transporting to the killing grounds as Simon recounts his success. Why must he murder so many people? He blames it on “The Ugly.” Is she going to think he’s really that sane?
The Ugly is an impressive small film that packs a lot into the screen. There’s an odd vibe of the asylum looking like it’s been abandoned by the janitorial staff years before. There is something off to how Dr. Marlowe runs the place. His orderlies look like they’re mental patients who escaped from a beach compound. At the start of the film, they rough up Simon so I couldn’t tell if they were the bad guys in the film. Although turns out that they need to be a bit rough and shady dealing with the Simon. Having Dr. Schumaker slip in and out of Simon’s recollections pushes things. You do get to question the reality of his stories. Is he shaping them to make her think he knows what he’s doing? Is this a Madman trying to play it straight? Rebecca Hobbs and Paolo Rotondo have a great give and take during the asylum interviews that keep things fascinating. Director Scott Reynold and his crew get very creative in lighting, camera movement and editing that set it apart from other asylum flicks of the era. The Ugly is a film that I wish I’d seen back in the late ’90s if the Dependies weren’t hogging up the space in the indie world.
The Video is 1.85:1 anamorphic. The transfers brings out the blue and greens pushed in the color palette. The Audio is LPCM 2.0 and DTS-HD MA 4.0 mixes. The film is subtitled in English.
Audio Commentary with actors Paolo Rotondo, and Rebecca Hobbs reunites the killer and the shrink. They talk about working on the production. The script was well written. Hobbs explains how she got into screenwriting for TV. She talks about auditioning for The Matrix.
1997 Radio New Zealand Interview with Scott Reynolds (18:03) has him talk about growing up near a movie theater. He would go there on weekends for matinee fun.
The M1NUTE (1992) is a short film by Scott Reynolds that’s longer than a minute. It deals with a character’s anxious expectations.
A Game With No Rules (1994) Short Film (16:54) is by director Scott Reynolds. Has a husband eager to expose his affair so his wife will demand a divorce. Reyolds has a bit of fun with special effects and lighting in this neo noir.
Original Theatrical Trailer 2.0 Mix (1:37) promises that somethings can’t be contained.
Original Theatrical Trailer 4.0 Mix (1:37) has the creepiness amped up for surround sound.
Image Gallery (3:37) contains press phots, behind the scenes pics,
The Ugly Visual Essay (19:22) compares the film with other serial killer films from over the years. The idea of raw evil in these killers. Psycho changed the game as people wanted to know “why the do what they do.” You’ll want to write down a few titles mentioned here. Howard S. Berger does a great job.
Illustrated Booklet with essays on the film.
Unearthed Classics present The Ugly: Limited Collector’s Edition. Directed by Scott Reynolds. Screenplay by Scott Reynolds. Starring Paolo Rotondo, Caelem Pope, Sam Wallace, Rebecca Hobbs, Roy Ward, Paul Glover, Cristopher Graham, Darien Takle & Jennifer Ward-Lealand. Running Time: 94 minutes. Rating: Unrated. Release Date: April 21, 2026.
