Abandoned 2000s Horror Thriller From Master Director Unearthed And Restored

Just what is the Bruiser movie about, though? The title refers to the name of a magazine in this film, and our protagonist is its creative director, a man dealing with problems ranging from a tepid marriage to vivid fantasies of murder. It’s not too long before he starts making those violent fantasies into brutal realities, all while wearing a mask that makes Jason Voorhees’ hockey gear look downright normal.

One of the reasons we think you should check the Bruiser movie out is that it has an (ahem) killer cast: this includes Jason Flemyng (best known for appearing in movies like Kick-Ass and X-Men: First Class) as our creepy killer. His awful boss at the magazine is played by Peter Stormare, best known for his roles in the Fargo film and the Prison Break television series. 24 alumnus Leslie Hope also appears in the film, as does reliable horror staple Tom Atkins.

Depending on your musical tastes, another reason to check out Bruiser is that the movie features the music of The Misfits. If you’re too young to remember their contribution to the horror genre, this band basically invented horror punk and forever associated the worlds of punk rock with violent cinema. Think about it, horror fans: if not for The Misfits, we probably never would have had that creepy cover rendition of The Pixies’ “Where Is My Mind” in Malignant. 

Given all of the great things Bruiser has going for it, you might be wondering why you haven’t heard of this film until now. The main reason is that it premiered in theaters only in Canada, making it harder for horror lovers around the world to see the then-latest film from George Romero. After that, the movie received a modest DVD release way back in 2001 before getting a quiet Blu-Ray release later, so this upcoming 4K restoration is certain to introduce this cult hit to a greater audience than it ever had before.

At the time that Bruiser came out, the movie wasn’t widely reviewed, but those who saw it really liked it. On Rotten Tomatoes, the movie currently has a 67 percent (meaning that it’s certified fresh), and critics generally praised how the movie paired Romero’s directorial flourishes with a different kind of story. Some critics pointed out that even if this movie isn’t Romero’s best film, an average movie from this director is typically better than a great movie from a lesser filmmaker.

If you’d like to see how the man who popularized the walking dead delivers a mixture of social satire and gory violence, you can pre-order the Bruiser 4K movie restoration from Powerhouse Films today. You’ll get audio commentary from the late, great director as well as interviews (old and new) from the people who helped bring the film to life. Throw in an exclusive book and and you can see why this is one great deal for the George Romero fan who merely thought he had everything.