Dangerous Men (2005) - Blu-ray Review - Drafthouse Films

Killers. Perverts. Bikers. DANGEROUS MEN.

Blu-ray + DVD + Digital Copy Combo Pack
Released by: Drafthouse Films
Release Date: April 19, 2016 
Production Year: 1979-2005
Region Code: ALL
Running Time: 1:19:40
Audio: English Dolby Digital 2.0
Video: 1080p (1.85:1 Aspect Ratio)
Subtitles: None

THE FILM - [ 2.5 / 5 ]:

In 1979, Iranian filmmaker John S. Rad moved to the U.S. to shoot his dream project, a rampaging gutter epic of crime, revenge, cop sex and raw power. Just 26 years later, he completed an American action film masterpiece that the world is still barely ready for today: DANGEROUS MEN.

After Mina witnesses her fiancé's brutal murder by beach thugs, she sets out on a venomous spree to eradicate all human trash from Los Angeles. Armed with a knife, a gun, and an undying rage, she murders her way through the masculine half of the city's populace. A renegade cop is hot on her heels, a trail that also leads him to the subhuman criminal overlord known as Black Pepper.

It's a pulse-pounding, heart-stopping, brain-devouring onslaught of '80s thunder, '90s lightning, and pure filmmaking daredevilry from another time and/or dimension. Blades flash, blood flows, bullets fly and synthesizers blare as the morgue overflows with the corpses of DANGEROUS MEN.

What an odd little film Mr. Rad has constructed. The film is basically strange, from start to finish. It doesn't take long before it should illicit the first of many what the... from the viewer. From really bad looking fight scenes to guns clearly not firing to bad acting to bad dialogue, this film has plenty to keep you entertained, one way or another. You will no doubt find yourself laughing at some of the convoluted plot elements and the randomly introduced characters. 

That pretty well sums up my thoughts on the film. Oh and yes, I did enjoy this mess of a film. Its zaniness gives it a bit of charm and as long as you don't expect too much as you watch the movie, you might be surprised and have some fun. I've included a trailer at the bottom of the review in case you'd like to see more. 

 

AUDIO - [ 2.5 / 5 ]:

The Blu-ray comes with an English Dolby Digital 2.0 audio track. Sorry, no lossless audio track to report on this release. However I don't know how much of an improvement it could have made. The audio quality on the Blu-ray is decent despite the audio quality of the film being a bit sub-par. It can be difficult on occasion to hear what a character is saying because of the poor recording of the audio. It's far from terrible though so don't worry too much. Besides, you might spend more time scratching your head while watching this wacky film than anything else. Good news is the sound effects for the slaptastic fight scenes and the somewhat monotonous score come through just fine.

 

VIDEO - [ 3.5 / 5 ]:

"Dangerous Men" comes to Blu-ray thanks to Drafthouse Films and MVD Entertainment Group. The film is presented in 1080p with a 1.85:1 Aspect Ratio. Considering the probable production values of the film, it looks remarkably good on this Blu-ray. Colors look pretty good with vibrant hues. In many of the brighter scenes, which there is several sunny outdoor scenes in the film, there is a fair amount of fine detail present. Film grain isn't overly heavy but there are some specks and scratches that appear throughout the film due to print damage and the image seems to suffer a little from noise at times. Still, all in all the film looks rather good.

 

SPECIAL FEATURES - [ 3 / 5 ]:

Audio Commentary with Destroy All Movies authors Zack Carlson and Bryan Connolly - The participants spend as much time lampooning the film as they do providing additional information on the film which really is probably the right way to go when talking about this crazy film. You would be hard pressed to not laugh several times while watching the movie and the commentary plays right in to that.

That's So John Rad (26:44) -  A documentary about the film and its initial theatrical release in 2005. The director's daughter is interviewed and talks a bit about her father and the film, including a story about her car being destroyed in a scene for the film. John S. Rad's granddaughter and grandson are interviewed as well. 

Interview with Peter Palian, director of cinematography (10:35) - Mr. Palian briefly talks about his early career in Iran before coming to New York then speaks about the odd production of "Dangerous Men" and John S. Rad contacting him year after year, wanting to make changes to the film. 

Full episode of local access TV show featuring John S. Rad (47:57) - The name of the show is Queer Edge. As I'm watching this, Colleen Camp is also a scheduled guest which a number of genre fans will be familiar with. Just a heads up, it's just past the 20 minute mark when John S. Rad comes out on stage and his segment only lasts a few minutes. Honestly it wasn't much of an interview with the director.

Trailers

• Original Theatrical Trailer (2:52)
• Dangerous Men - Theatrical Trailer (1:31)
• Dangerous Men - Teaser Trailer (0:41)
• Miami Connection (2:17)
• Ms. 45 (1:14)
• Roar (1:40)
• Trailer War (1:23)

16-page Booklet featuring the only documented full length interview with John S. Rad.

 

OVERALL RATING - [ 3 / 5 ]



 

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Dillinger (1973) - Blu-ray Review - Arrow Video

...he was the gangster's gangster!

Blu-ray & DVD Combo Pack
Released by: Arrow Video
Release Date: April 25, 2016 (UK) / April 26, 2016 (US) 
Production Year: 1973
Region Code: A
Running Time: 1:47:19
Audio: English LPCM Mono
Video: 1080p (1.85:1 Aspect Ratio)
Subtitles: English SDH

 

THE FILM - [ 3.5 / 5 ]:

The runaway success of "Bonnie and Clyde" in 1967 proved massively influential: it made stars of Faye Dunaway and Warren Beatty, introduced a new form of violence to the movies, and inspired a stream of imitators, including "Bloody Mama," Martin Scorsese's "Boxcar Bertha" and the directorial debut of John Milius, "Dillinger." Milius presents John Dillinger as an almost mythical figure, tracing the rise and fall of the Depression era's Public Enemy Number One as he takes on the banks and the G-men, led by the infamous Melvin Purvis. Starring Sam Peckinpah favorites Warren Oates and Ben Johnson as Dillinger and Purvis, and with a supporting cast including Harry Dean Stanton, Richard Dreyfuss and Michelle Phillips of The Mamas and the Papas, Dillinger is a top drawer gangster picture: explosive, stylish and hugely entertaining.

My first  time watching "Dillinger" and it was a pleasant surprise since I really enjoyed the film. If you enjoy the old gangster style films or TV shows like "Boardwalk Empire," you should definitely give this one a look. I feel bad not being familiar with the film until now when I viewed the cast list. Wow. Just to add in two more names not mentioned above are Geoffrey Lewis and in a small role, Cloris Leachman. 

The criminals in the film are somewhat shown in a light that romanticizes them or makes you want to be them while often making the G-men look like the bad guys, systematically hunting down and even executing some of the criminals in the film. Following the film there is a brief update, if you will, on some of the people portrayed in the film that tells of their life after the events in the film. Also stay tuned for a short audio clip following the credits.
 

AUDIO - [ 4 / 5 ]:

The Blu-ray includes an English LPCM Mono audio track with optional English SDH subtitles. While the dialogue for the film sound great and is generally easy to hear, it can be a little lost at times with the loud sound effects such as the often heard gun fire. To be clear though, it's not as though you'll be straining to hear what is being said. For those with hearing difficulty, there are subtitles included though thankfully in case you need them. Otherwise the sound is pretty well balanced. The much used gun fire gives the lossless mono track something to do and sounds nice for original audio. 
 

VIDEO - [ 4 / 5 ]:

"Dillinger" comes to U.S. Blu-ray thanks to Arrow Video and its U.S. distributor MVD Entertainment Group via a brand new 2K restoration of the film from original film materials. The film is presented in 1080p with a 1.85:1 Aspect Ratio. While the film looks really good overall, I thought it had somewhat of a softness to it which seems to be the norm for this film. Sadly it may never appear in a higher quality with an increased, natural sharpness. The colors look good even if they are a bit flat, which tends to be the case with many films from the time. They do appear more bold in a few of the bright scenes. From what I have seem from the previous DVD, fans of the film should be pleased with how this Blu-ray looks.

 

SPECIAL FEATURES - [ 3.5 / 5 ]:


Audio Commentary - Stephen Prince, author of Savage Cinema and Screening Violence provides the commentary for the film and does an excellent job. Mr. Prince points out the numerous differences between the film and their real life counterparts. If you are interested in the people portrayed in the film, you should listen to this fascinating track. It's a great lesson in history as well as provides some information on the director and members of the cast. 

Shooting Dillinger with Jules Brenner (12:01) - A newly filmed interview with the director of photography. He talks about working on the film, working with director John Milius and his own brief scene in the film. 

Lawrence Gordon: Original Gangster (10:08) - A new interview with producer Lawrence Gordon. He speaks about how he was able to get John Milius to rewrite the script and direct  "Dillinger." Mr. Gordon also talks about the casting of some roles for the film including Warren Oates and Frank McRae. 

Ballads and Bullets with Barry De Vorzon (12:00) - New interview with composer Barry De Vorzon who talks about working on "Dillinger" and other films such as "The Warriors."

Gallery

Theatrical Trailer (2:23)

Music & Effects Track 

Reversible sleeve featuring original and newly commissioned artwork by Sean Phillips.

Collector’s booklet containing new writing by Kim Newman on fictional portrayals of John Dillinger, plus an on-set report containing interviews with writer-director John Milius and others, illustrated with original production stills.

 

OVERALL RATING - [ 3.75 / 5 ]

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The Zero Boys (1986) - Blu-ray Review - Arrow Video

Dawn of a New Breed of Heroes.

Blu-ray & DVD Combo Pack
Released by: Arrow Video
Release Date: April 25, 2016 (UK) / April 26, 2016 (US) 
Production Year: 1986
Region Code: ALL
Running Time: 1:28:55
Audio: English LPCM 2.0 Stereo
Video: 1080p (1.85:1 Aspect Ratio)
Subtitles: English SDH

 THE FILM - [ 2.5 / 5 ]:

From cult director Nico Mastorakis, the man behind such eclectic offerings as the controversial "Island of Death" and the Oliver Reed-starring actioner "Hired to Kill," comes "The Zero Boys" – the genre-bending ’80s classic with gruesome sequences that anticipate the torture porn horrors of Hostel and Saw.

For a group of young friends, a weekend of survival games in the wilderness turns into a genuine battle of life and death when one of their number turns up dead. Finding themselves hunted by a bloodthirsty band of maniacs intent on slaughtering them one-by-one, the self-styled “Zero Boys” must now play their war games for real.

Starring Kelli Maroney ("Night of the Comet," "Chopping Mall") and featuring an early score from the legendary Hans Zimmer ("Inception," The Dark Knight Trilogy), "The Zero Boys" mixes action, survival and all-out slasher movie elements in a thrilling horror yarn that falls somewhere between "Friday the 13th" and "Deliverance."

This was my first time viewing "The Zero Boys." I had heard of the film before but honestly did not know anything about the plot otherwise I probably would have watched it by now. Anyhow, this is somewhat of an odd film. The first ten minutes or so plays like a much different film than what you end up with, eventually. It sort of goes through a metamorphosis throughout its run time, turning in to a bit of a backwoods survival film, which I do quite enjoy. 

It's easy to see how the film could have veered off far more in to the slasher sub-genre with just a few more deaths and of course some added grue. Instead we get more of an action-horror type of film. It was hard not to think of the film as a slasher when part of the film takes place in the house used in "Friday the 13th: Part 3." But it's still a decent film. I thought some of the characters were interesting and the actors did a fine job in their roles. It's always a pleasure to see Kelli Maroney. 

I won't spoil anything but the ending was something I was not expecting, at all, which I liked. I did some snooping around and it seems the ending gets talked about a bit so don't go searching before you watch the film so nothing in spoiled for you. It isn't something controversial or anything of the sort, just unexpected and welcomed.

AUDIO - [ 4 / 5 ]:

The Blu-ray features an English LPCM 2.0 Stereo audio track with optional English SDH subtitles. The sound quality was very good on this release with the Hans Zimmer and Stanley Myers score sounding great. The audio was balanced well as I never had an issue hearing the dialogue over the score or sound effects.  

VIDEO - [ 4 / 5 ]:

"The Zero Boys" comes to Blu-ray courtesy of Arrow Video. The film is presented in 1080p with a 1.85:1 Aspect Ratio thanks to a new 2K restoration of the film, approved by writer-director Nico Mastorakis. The film looks excellent overall, looking superior in daytime or brighter scenes where film grain is more subdued. However in darker scenes the picture does not fare quite as well and as expected, there is a noticeable increase in grain where it becomes very heavy at times. With that said, the brighter scenes look great with a good amount of fine detail present. Colors as well look vibrant and standout. I did not notice any problems with the video or any use of DNR thankfully.  

SPECIAL FEATURES - [ 3.5 / 5 ]:

Audio Commentary with star Kelli Maroney, moderated by Shock Till You Drop’s Chris Alexander - The pair provide a lighthearted look back on the film apparently watching the film on a laptop in a motel room. The commentary was fun and enjoyable, sometimes a little more entertaining than the film itself. Kelli was a delight to listen to and despite saying she hadn't seen the film in a long time, was able to provide some personal stories about the production and some information on a number of scenes. Chris Alexander did a really good job adding to the conversation and keeping things moving along.

Nico Mastorakis on… Nico Mastorakis (27:48) - A brand new interview with Mastorakis on the making of "The Zero Boys." Mr. Mastorakis talks about members of the cast and crew, including art assistant Frank Darabont, as well as the films production. A nice update on a number of cast and crew members and what they're up to today is also provided. 


Zero Girl (8:20) - A new interview with Kelli Maroney, filmed in Los Angeles in August 2015. Kelli Maroney talks about her time working on the film and its somewhat cult following. Some information covered is repeated from the commentary but it was still a nice short interview.

Blame it on Rio (8:30) - A new interview with Nicole Rio, filmed in Los Angeles in August 2015. Nicole gives her thoughts on working with director Nico Mastorakis, actor Joe Estevez, shooting the scene with the snake and other topics.

Theatrical Trailer (3:09)

Stills Gallery (1:24)

Music Videos

• Main Theme (2:09)

• The Spelling of S.U.S.P.E.N.S.E. (1:09)

Reversible sleeve featuring original and newly commissioned artwork by Graham Humphreys.

Fully-illustrated collector’s booklet featuring new writing by critic James Oliver.

OVERALL RATING - [ 3.5 / 5 ]



 

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