This Blue Underground Limited Edition 4K Ultra HD/Bu-ray set is currently available.
Genre fans will know William Lustig as a plucky New York-based independent filmmaker who self-financed and created several cult flicks during the 1980s, including Maniac (1980), Maniac Cop (1988), Maniac Cop 2 (1990), Uncle Sam (1996) as well as several other titles. He’s also helped out the film industry in many other capacities. This includes founding Blue Underground, a wonderful video distribution company that restores and releases all kinds of hard-to-find genre pictures.
In recent years, Blue Underground has put out several magnificent 4K editions of movies like Zombie, The New York Ripper, Daughters of Darkness and The House by the Cemetery. All of them feature new high-definition discs that come with equally stunning Blu-rays. Earlier in the year, Lustig went back into his own catalog and put out an authoritative 4K/Blu-ray of Maniac. Now, he’s moved on to releasing a new, upgraded edition of his follow-up… a punchy, low-budget action opus called Vigilante (1982). This 4K restoration comes from the original 35mm camera negative. Simply put, the results are stunning to behold. In fact, it should be noted that the still on display don’t really capture just how good the movie now appears.
Set in an era where crime was rampant on New York streets, this tale follows a pair of factory workers who initially deal with the chaos on the streets in different ways. Eddie Marino (Robert Forster) is a family man who keeps his head down and tries to avoid trouble. His co-worker Nick (Fred Williamson) is far more frustrated by the state of his neighborhood, forming a vigilante squad to dole out justice when the law doesn’t provide it. Eddie initially questions his friend’s extreme tactics. However, when Eddie’s wife is attacked and his child is murdered by a vicious street gang, the man gets an inside look at a flawed criminal system. After being imprisoned for lashing out during the trial and more tragedy follows, he decides to seek vengeance on the crooks responsible and enlists Nick and his vigilante squad to help.
This is B-movie exploitation pulp from beginning to end and, on that level, is quite effective. Lustig himself mentions in the extras for this disc that Vigilante was his attempt to produce a “working class Death Wish”, albeit on a very limited budget. The director ends up performing the job with remarkable skill. The movie follows two paths, one detailing the experiences of an average guy reacting to horrific events and a second following the vigilante leader. We watch their separate paths before they converge together. What occurs onscreen is at times brutal to watch (this was the intent), but the exceptional cast and impressive New York on-location photography creates a gritty atmosphere that many Death Wish-knock offs lack. The fantastic and very memorable score also helps tremendously in creating a palpable mood and atmosphere. Truth be told, this flick is every bit as effective as its inspiration.
It certainly isn’t a movie that could be made today, but when you put this feature on, you can’t help but be impressed by what you see, often literally. The finale, which features a couple of violent confrontations and a lengthy car chase through the streets, is as pulse-pounding (if not more so) than any studio picture out there. If you enjoy films in the Charles Bronson mold, then you won’t go wrong checking out this effort.
And the transfer for the release is flat-out stunning in appearance. Every exterior looks sharp and clean, to the point where you can see each store front to the little bits of garbage blowing around in the streets. Despite this being a movie with limited funding, this is one of the best-looking discs recent discs to come on the market. Even from a historical perspective, it’s incredible to the see the city boroughs with a much less polished and more abrasive appearance, which suits the story incredibly well.
The extras are also informative. The first is a track recorded in 2010 featuring William Lustig and co-producer Andrew Garroni. They detail how they got the movie made on a very limited budget. Naturally, their stories are great, noting that it was a seemingly impossible task given the available resources. The two state that the movie really only got completed only through their enthusiasm. They mention initially telling equipment rental houses and film stock suppliers that they wanted to test their goods in advance of the shoot. After getting everything for a day for free, they flew Fred Williamson in and created the opening sequence (which they then used to sell the movie to foreign markets at film festival). Lustig and Garroni also discuss about how they deferred paying various suppliers in order to finish the feature and how they would manage to talk collectors into letting them continue shooting until the project was completed and sold in order to pay them back. All of their wild tales are a blast to listen to.
The second track with Lustig and stars Robert Forster, Fred Williamson and Fred Pesce details the actual shooting and stories about various cast members and shooting in the city without permits. Again, there are some noteworthy facts relayed. Apparently, they had limited resources for the car chase. So, much of the time the man driving both cars in the chase is actually the same person (apparently, the crew filmed him racing his route in one car and then the same path in the second). It ends up looking pretty seamless. This is another amusing track filled with great stories. And there is a new third commentary with a pair of film historians who impart even more information and behind-the-scenes details, as well as even more information about the cast and crew. All three audio extras contain nonstop facts that will serve as an inspiration to anyone hoping to get out there and make their own film under the radar.
The release also includes newly recorded interviews with the film’s writer, co-stars, the first AD and many other crew members. It’s entertaining, as is a recent interview with the film’s composer, Jay Chattaway, who goes over his process for creating the music. He makes a number of interesting points, stating that filmmakers today are so insistent on using temp tracks that to some degree influence the director and composer and stifles creativity. Chattaway says he simply talked to the director and watched the movie, noting some of the western elements. Then, came up with a guitar-heavy score which Lustig approved that serves the film brilliantly. The composer also notes that the original masters are lost and until they are able to find the source material, they won’t be able to release this score to the public.
Additionally, you’ll see that original promo, as well as seemingly every trailer, TV spot or piece of publicity there created for the movie. Since Lustig was involved himself with his own company on this release, just about every extra available element is present on this Blu-ray set. And the disc comes with a collectable booklet with an essay on the film and a nifty 3D lenticular cover.
If you’re a fan of William Lustig or genre pictures in general, this 4K Ultra HD/Blu-ray release of Vigilante is absolutely incredible. It’s a slick exploitation flick with an excellent cast and a memorable score. And the image quality on display is so good that it also serves as historical document of the city and the era in which it was produced. Blue Underground have delivered another winning disc that comes highly recommended from this reviewer.