If you were to describe a stereotypical slasher, you’d likely inadvertently tell the plot of 1982’s Madman. Arriving smack dab in the middle of the subgenre’s golden age, the film features a group of camp counselors in the woods, doing all the things young people do, before being picked off one-by-one by a deformed boogeyman in a variety of bloody ways.

Madman was originally inspired by the urban legend of Cropsey, but the premise was changed at the last minute due to 1981’s The Burning being based on the same story. Instead, it tells the legend of Madman Marz. Setting up the cheesy tone for the film, the opening scene finds one counselor creepily singing a campfire tale a cappela before the head counselor properly recites the story of Madman Marz.

As the legend goes, Marz was a local farmer who went crazy and murdered his wife and children with an axe. After discovering what he had done, an angry mob of locals lynched Marz. The next day, however, his body was gone, as were those of his family - never to be seen again. Some say he still haunts the woods, and he’ll come for you if you say his name out loud…

The camp counselors in the movie are supposed to be looking after gifted children on a retreat, according to the opening title card, but few kids are scene. The backstory is of little importance, of course; all that matters is that Marz - a hulking monster of a man in overalls (bearing a passing resemblance to Hatchet’s Victor Crowley) - is in the woods to hunt them down.

Dawn of the Dead’s Gaylen Ross stars alongside a cast of unknowns who never went on to anything of note, which isn’t particularly surprising after watching their performances. As the head counselor, Carl Fredricks seems to be attempting his best Vincent Price impersonation, chewing the scenery with proper annunciations. (Come to find out on the bonus features, the producers tried to get Price for the role.) Paul Ehlers is imposing enough as Marz, although the character isn’t particularly memorable in the annals of slasher history.

The only film of late writer-director Joe Giannone, Madman was an unabashed attempt to cash in on the slasher craze. While his direction is fine, the film brings nothing new to the table. It’s void of all tension and the pacing is off, making the 88-minute runtime feel much longer. There’s also an over-the-top love scene that feels like it’s spliced in from a romance movie. That said, the movie is still fun for what it is.

It also looks good, which is rare for a low budget film that takes place entirely at night. Cinematographer James Lemmo (Maniac Cop, Ms. 45) expertly handles the night-for-night shoot. There’s also a catchy, Halloween-inspired electronic theme composed by Stephen Horelick.

Manman’s previous home video releases have been spotty. After gaining a cult following in the VHS days, it wasn’t released on DVD until 2001. Anchor Bay’s first release was non-anamorphic. It was later re-released by Code Red with a good amount of extra content, but its picture quality was lacking. Finally, Vinegar Syndrome delivers the definitive version on Blu-ray, with a new 4K restoration from the original negative. In addition to a fine transfer, the Blu-ray is jam-packed with special features.

Most notably, there’s a 90-minute making-of documentary titled The Legend Lives. It features in-depth interviews with cast, crew and fans. Producer Gary Sales is very informative, but it’s Ehlers who’s the most fun to watch. A passionate genre fan, he’s proud of his little spot in horror history. He also reveals that he has written a script for a Madman remake with his son, which they are currently shopping around. The documentary is even longer than the film, but it’s a fascinating look back - perhaps even more entertaining than the movie itself.

A separate featurette, Madman: Alive at 35, shows an on-camera reunion between Sales, Ehlrs and actor Tom Candela for the first time since production. Other bonus content includes: an introduction by Sales, a look at Sales’ early career in the adult film industry, a look at music inspired by Madman (including a CKY song), an in memoriam tribute to Giannone and actors Tony Fish and Carl Fredericks, Deadpit Radio interviews with Sales and Ehlers, a gallery and the trailer. As if that wasn’t enough, there are 2 audio commentaries: an older one with Giannone, Sales, Ehlers and Fish, and a new one from The Hysteria Continues.

At the end of the day, Madman is little more than an unremarkable blip on the slasher radar, but fans of the subgenre will eat it up. It delivers exactly what they want: all the slasher tropes in spades. I’m surprised it never received a sequel; it came along at the right time and set itself up for one. Thanks to Vinegar Syndrome, we have a proper presentation in high definition with an astonishing amount of extras to pass on like the campfire tale of Madman Marz.

Madman will be released on Blu-ray on May 26 via Vinegar Syndrome.