Don Coscarelli has been deemed a “Master of Horror” by the producers of the “Masters of Horror” series on Showtime. Even though he’s really only got “Bubba Ho-Tep” and the “Phantasm” films under his belt to earn this, he is rightfully given this moniker because he’s had an indelible impact on the genre.

Now that his “Masters of Horror” episode has been released on DVD, Anchor Bay Entertainment is releasing some of his old titles. In addition to new DVDs of “Phantasm” and “Phantasm III: Lord of the Dead,” Coscarelli’s 1990 thriller “Survival Quest” is also hitting the stores.

Produced in the wake of several James Cameron successes, “Survival Quest” anchors itself around “Aliens” co-stars Lance Hendricksen and Mark Rolston. These former alien-hunters star as two rival survivalists. Hendricksen plays the more respectful Hank, and Rolston plays the mercenary trainer Jake.

Both survivalists are teachers that bring their own groups into the wilderness for a survival weekend. Hank wants to teach them to live in harmony with the land while Jake is training for war. Soon, the two groups clash, and over a series of accidents, one is killed. This leads to a hunt as the mercenary trainees try to wipe out the more peaceful group.

Probably the most impressive part of Coscarelli’s work on “Survival Quest” is his ability to predict stardom in his cast. Sure, he chose then up-and-coming comic Paul Provenza and sexy young Traci Lin, both of whom have since disappeared into obscurity. But he also managed to secure a decent top-billing cast that includes Catherine Keener and Dermot Mulroney.

Overall, “Survival Quest” has the distinct feel of an action flick from the late 80s. It’s not a horror film, so “Phantasm” devotees might want to pass on this. It feels like a film Coscarelli made to help break himself out of the “Phantasm” rut.

The script is rocky at times, and the logical flow doesn’t quite seem to work perfectly. The film falls into several action movie cliches, and considering how freaking big the outdoors is, I found it a bit implausible for the two survival groups to keep running into each other.

Included on the DVD is a behind-the-scenes featurette about the film. Not constructed as a typical documentary for a DVD, this is more of a compilation of behind-the-scenes footage shot on set with no narrative.

As a character study of everyday people stuck in the wilderness, “Survival Quest” can be interesting. However, it’s understandable how this movie was forgotten in the wake of “Phantasm.” After all, it is pretty forgettable.



Specifications: Dolby Digital 5.1 and 2.0 Surround Sound. Widescreen (1.85:1) – enhanced for 16x9 televisions.