This first release from Fear Makers Studios is an anthology flick that gathers together four short films and while the overall product really isn't that bad it's too bad they felt they had to cash-in on the fact make-up maestro Tom Savini has a minor role in the film (he shows-up in the last five minutes) by pasting his face on the DVD box with the line, "From The Modern Master Of Horror". So for the false advertising, and deception, I give Fear Makers and distributor The Asylum a "boo" and a "hiss".

"The Doll's House" is first up here and it has a couple (one of which is a struggling writer, one of the first of many clichéd things in the movie) renting a huge home for a cheap price (warning sign # 1, people!) only for it to turn out to be haunted by a doll called, "Toby", who used to belong to the young boy who once lived there. The entire thing is fairly thin and the music drowns out the dialogue a couple of times, but there is an alright scene involving lightning and the story manages to be pretty bearable.

It's onto "Folklore" for the second tale as a group of twenty-something friends head-off to the woods to go camping and end-up being attacked by a group of demonic wolves (or maybe they're hellhounds, it's not quite clear) that have been unleashed by the Natives who used to roam the land. Again there's a thin story on hand here and the attack scenes are pretty unconvincing for the most part, but this segment is saved by a jokey tone (which supplies a few alright chuckles) and a "jump" final shot that works.

"World's Most Haunted" is next, and it's the most ambitious attempt in the film, as it has a group of supernatural investigators heading into an abandoned asylum and being harassed by malicious spirits. Playing very similar to 2001's Session 9, this is still a moderately well done ghost story and contains some decent imagery (the green tinted security camera shots are pretty creepy) despite a so-so pay-off.

Finally we get to "The Psychic" which contains the most well-known faces as Margot Kidder (of Superman fame) bring some class, be it hammy class but still..., to the proceedings as a somewhat bogus psychic who's customers all seem to be dying after she pulls the "death" card out for their "future" prediction. Kidder keeps this segment watchable as there really is no point to it and some of the jokiness here seems out of place. Plus it contains Savini's appearance (and he gets to stage the films bloodiest moment).

Overall, Death 4 Told, is a pretty passable time and plays out fairly uninspired despite being made competently. It just doesn't deliver any chills, bloodshed, or originality - and I'm still choked about the whole Savini thing I mentioned in the opening of this review.

Visit The Asylum for more information. (Chris Hartley, 3/22/05)

Directed By: Bo Buckley, C. Michael Close.
Written By: Bo Buckley, Jim Palmquist.

Starring: Margot Kidder, Alicia Goranson, Harley Kaplan, KC Armstrong.

Picture Ratio: 1.78:1 Widescreen.

Picture Quality: The transfer here is pretty inconsistant and weak. It differs from story-to-story; but each one suffers from moments of picture shakiness, some fuzziness, and general poor clarity - plus the sound quality is poor also. Not one of Asylum's best discs.

Extras: Pretty slim extras here as there's a trailer (plus trailers for Ghost Of The Needle, Way Of The Vampire, and Rachel's Attic), a dull commentary with co-director Buckley (which for some reason has all the sound of the film turned off), and the short "Don't Do That!" which was remade for our second story "Folklore".