MUTANT (1984) - Vinegar Syndrome

Mutant
Vinegar Syndrome

Original Release Date Aug. 24th, 1984
Written by Michael Jones & John C. Kruize (story), & Peter Z. Orton (screenplay)
Directed by John 'Bud' Cardos, Mark Rosman (original director)
Starring Wings Hauser, Lee Montgomery, Bo Hopkins, Jody Medford, Jennifer Warren
Language English (English subs available)

Get your copy HERE from Diabolik, or HERE from Orbit

by "Doc" Hunter Bush, MovieJawn Podcast Director and Staff Writer 

Overview:

Mutant comes to Blu-ray and 4K from Vinegar Syndrome. Directed by industry veteran and jack-of-all-trades John 'Bud' Cardos, who was brought in to replace the original director, the film is an enjoyably creepy experience. Vinegar Syndrome's release of Mutant features a respectable video transfer and audio package with a solid assortment of bonus features.

The Movie Itself: 4 stars

Mutant (also known as Night Shadows, The Pestilence, Things in the Night, or Toxic Waste) (yes, really) most likely will not blow your socks off, but it's a very competent small town horror thriller. When brothers Josh (Wings Hauser) and Mike (Lee Montgomery) run afoul of some rednecks on the highway, their car ends up in a ditch and they end up stuck overnight in a fairly inhospitable small town. But the violent locals aren't their biggest problem.

Beset with production difficulties that led to original director Mark Rosman being replaced by John 'Bud' Cardos, Mutant plays the long game with the audience, teasing something unknown and horrible and a possible conspiracy to hide it from prying eyes before ultimately revealing a more familiar style of antagonist fiends. Allegedly, the "monsters" were originally intended to be something else, but budgetary concerns and limited time were the real conspiracy, I guess.

BUT. The final product is still enjoyable. With plot elements that feel straight out of a Resident Evil game--including characters listening to the final audio log of a doctor (Jennifer Warren) while examining the site where they were murdered by monsters--and a charismatic lead performance from the great Wings Hauser, as well as a colorful cast of supporting locals, Mutant is perfect late night, popcorn-and-a-beer movie.

The Packaging: 3.5

The film comes in a standard, handsome black 4K Blu-ray case with a reversible cover. One side features an appropriately drive-in style cover with a baseball bat wielding Josh protecting bartender / schoolteacher Holly (Jody Medford) from threatening outstretched hands, flanked by other characters from the film and above an image of a burning car on town's main street. The reverse side features a more vague (and honestly, misleading) image of many large, amorphous, vaguely biological shapes filling the sky above a small town on the horizon. This image, which would make more sense for a movie like Phantoms (1998), sits above the tagline "Mankind's deadliest threat will not come from the skies."

The Video: 4 stars

Something that happens fairly frequently with these restorations is that lower light sequences will end up having a bit more digital visual noise in them; a byproduct of balancing the contrast (is my understanding). Since the majority of Mutant is set at night and/or in various interiors, the light levels are somewhat inconsistent, meaning there's kind of a lot of this grain. So if you're someone who will not settle for anything but the most pristine, crystal clear presentations, you'll want to skip this one.

Now, I will say, at no point was any of this grain ever a distraction. For the most part, it just became akin to the usual film grain and added that certain something that modern digital clarity lacks. For me, some grain, some noise is a bonus. It's akin to production value, especially when it fits the vibe of the film. For a desperate, paranoid, trapped-in-a-small town monster movie thriller like Mutant, it fits like a glove.

The Audio: 4 stars

I had no issues with the sound mix here. My personal metrics are: whether or not I have to ride the volume buttons on my remote and whether or not, when things get their loudest, the mix makes my three-channel soundbar vibrate. Neither of these particular beasts reared their ugly heads on this one. There are one, maybe two scenes in locations that are slightly more echoey, but these sequences don't have a ton of important dialogue, so audio clarity and whether or not I could understand what was being said is kind of a moot point.

What I really loved was the score, by veteran composer Richard Band (brother of fellow genre legend Charles Band, and composer for many of their projects) which features a lot of simple motifs and some beautifully sustained strings. It was nothing mind-blowing, but as usual with Richard Band, it was surprisingly engaging and vivid.

The Supplements: 4 stars

What I want most out of supplemental materials is context, especially when I learn that the production on a film was somewhat troubled. Luckily this release offers a lot of it. Between the two commentary tracks, two archival interviews, and the new interviews, I feel like I have a very good idea of what the experience of making Mutant was like, and as a bonus, it seems largely very positive. Oftentimes, a change of director is indicative of some great strife, but here it seems like a mutual parting of ways.

• Archival commentary track with director John 'Bud' Cardos, producer Igo Kantor, and actor Lee Montgomery
• New commentary track with film historians Howard S. Berger, and Steve Mitchell
• A Real Country Boy - an interview with Cali Lili Hauser, widow of Wings Hauser  (17:10) (HD)
• Mutant Report - Anthony Everitt reflects on his father's coverage of the film (7:23) (SD)
• Archival Interview with Bo Hopkins (10:59) (SD)
• Archival Interview with Lee Montgomery (15:42) (SD)
• Trailer (1:30)

Final Thoughts: Highly Recommended

I don't think Mutant is a must watch, but for genre fans, it's a neat little treat. Wings Hauser, Lee Montgomery, and Jody Medford are all fun to watch, even though Montgomery is missing for much of the run time, and Medford doesn't arrive until nearly halfway through, I believe. But hands down, my favorite character and performance was Bo Hopkins as the Sheriff, who goes through an entire arc, largely in the background of his scenes. He begins as a surly obstacle with a drinking problem before the events of the film begin to set him straight and he ends up a hero.

All-in-all I recommend most people check this film out if you get the chance. It's probably worth a watch if only to see Wings Hauser leap across a pool table in the middle of a bar fight! But I imagine only true blue midnight movie fans will be making space for Mutant on their shelf.

VICE SQUAD (Kino Lorber)

Vice Squad
Kino Lorber

The Stats
Video: 1080p High Definition (blu-ray packaged with 4k disc as well)
Audio: Dolby Digital
Subtitles: English SDH

Buy it HERE from Diabolik or HERE from Kino Lorber

by "Doc" Hunter Bush, Staff Writer and Podcast Director

Vice Squad comes to Blu-ray and 4k from Kino Lorber. Directed by Gary Sherman (Dead & Buried (1981) and Lisa (1990) which is tragically under-seen), Vice Squad is a bombastic yet realistic bit of exploitation with terrific lead performances. With a wealth of bonus material, this Kino Lorber release allows you to fully experience the west coast Neon Slime aesthetic like never before!

The Movie: Excellent

Vice Squad captures a specific era that has moved on in some ways, though not all. Much like the dangerous, family-unfriendly New York of filmmakers like Abel Ferrara, there is a peculiar flavor of West Coast sleaze present here that is palpable from the jump. The sound, the visuals, the colors, and the textures all contribute to a sweaty, desperate feeling that's pervasive throughout the entire film. Vice Squad, for me, has also given that particular feeling a name: Neon Slime.

Vice Squad opens with footage from the Sunset strip accompanying actor Wings Hauser performing the song Neon Slime in an Alice Cooper-adjacent, raw-throated croon, and it perfectly sets the mood for the film to come. When sex worker Ginger (Nina Blackwood) is murdered by her pimp Ramrod (Hauser), vice squad sergeant Walsh (Gary Swanson) enlists Ginger's friend and fellow prostitute Princess (Season Hubley) into a sting operation to capture the pimp. But when Ramrod escapes capture, he sets out on a single-minded mission of violent retribution against a completely unaware Princess.

Vice Squad pulls no punches, but it also never dwells in the vileness of its brutality. Perhaps my favorite moment from the film is after Ginger is beaten, when we cut to the police station to find Walsh bringing in some perps. The scene is chaotic: cops and undercover officers bringing in people, shouting instructions to desk sergeants and the like; barely enough room to move, and then a huge cop emerges from his office in the back screaming about other cops taking his paperclips! It's honestly hilarious--I'm surely not doing it justice--and then Walsh finds out Ginger is in the hospital and we cut to that scene, which ends with Ginger's death. The juxtaposition of realistic comedy and tragedy is part of what makes Vice Squad feel so vital and alive even 40+ years on. It feels heightened, maybe, but real.

Director Gary Sherman (Dead & Buried (1981) and Lisa (1990) which is tragically under-seen) intended Vice Squad to be the first major movie to accurately depict police tactics and, though it might not be the first--apparently Fort Apache the Bronx (1981) does this as well and beat Vice Squad to theaters by a year--the operational sequences on display are riveting. The third act is entirely a chase back and forth across L.A. with the police always precariously on the edge of losing Ramrod's trail as he closes in on the oblivious Princess, going from John to John--which delivers more levity via their various kinks--and fleshes out the world beyond the bounds of the narrative.

Season Hubley is captivating here as Princess. Being introduced to her in her former identity as a businesswoman only for her to change into her sex worker clothes in a bus station bathroom subtly mirrors the vice squad's undercover strategies and the events to come. Apparently she was in the process of divorcing Kurt Russell at the time of filming and Gary Sherman advised her, as is the classic Hollywood punchline, to "use it". That she is not instrumental in Ramrod's inevitable downfall is my one real criticism of Vice Squad as a whole. But while on the subject, I would be seriously remiss to end this review without heaping due praise on Wings Hauser's sleazy, wild-eyed performance as Ramrod. From the moment he sweet-talks his way into Ginger's motel room, he radiates a feral menace. His third-act scramble for revenge--choosing this rather than fleeing the city--are the actions of a man with no thoughts of self-preservation, which Hauser portrays with a creeping inevitability, like watching a predator hunting prey.

The Packaging: Good

There's nothing to complain about, or caution against here. The cover image is a stark black and white, high contrast image of Walsh staring out from behind the wheel of his undercover car, with a smaller, backlit image of a woman standing in an alley, and the tagline: "On the street the real trick is staying alive." The blood-red logo features a neat detail: the middle stroke of the E--which is called a bar, btw-- has been made into a pistol.

Kino's jet-black 4k case combined with the largely also black cover makes the entire package look sleek and menacing. The first printing of the Kino Lorber release also includes a cardboard sleeve of the same graphics.

The Video: Excellent

The blu-ray transfer here is largely incredible. There is one notable sequence at Ramrod's apartment where--whether a product of my television, or some combination of colors and patterns--the grain seemed to almost vibrate and this moiré was initially kind of distracting. There are other grain-heavy sequences, but none of them produced this effect, and in general the grain was a pleasant additional texture in any given scene.

There's even one sequence in a strip club--The Balled Eagle, btw--where the prevalence of film grain, presumably due to the low light and cigarette smoke in the air, actually added to the environment. Princess has agreed to be a honeypot for Ramrod, and as she stalks into his normal hangout, the heavy presence of the grain makes the atmosphere feel thick with intangible jeopardy as well as the smoke.

The colors in Vice Squad, which takes place over one night, are tremendous. From the reds, golds, and moonlight blues of the main drag, to the sickly yellow motel lobbies, and even a sequence lit entirely by candlelight--an inside-joke between director Gary Sherman and cinematographer John Alcott, who had previously worked on Barry Lyndon (1975), amongst other Stanley Kubrick films--it's all so tactile. On the blu-ray, the visual quality is high enough that you can make out the cartoon penis of the flasher graffitied in a bathroom stall, but not quite clear enough to read Walsh's button which, according to one of the commentary tracks, reads "We are all prostitutes". The overall is so good that I am giving this release the highest rating despite my minor, aforementioned quibble.

The Audio: Excellent

This was a very well-balanced audio experience for me. As I mentioned, the film opens with Neon Slime--which also plays over the menu--but once the dialogue proper began and I found the correct audio level, I never had to tweak it again. I'm sure anyone reading this is familiar with the problem of having to adjust volume up or down from time to time when viewing some films; quiet dialogue followed by booming gunfire, roaring car engines, or their ilk. Vice Squad was excellently balanced.

There were shootouts, car crashes, arguments, screaming, and even organ music at one point, and it was all perfectly mixed. The police shouting into their radios, coordinating assorted vehicles in pursuit of Ramrod--a genuinely riveting sequence--lacked for none of the clarity of any scenes that came before or after. As they say: perfect. No notes.

The Special Features: Excellent

This release really cooks for me. Both the commentary tracks on the main disc were fascinating--fair warning that the track with Gary Sherman and Brian Frankish has a little more downtime where the two are just engrossed in the film--and each filled with interesting making-of tidbits. If that was it, plus the trailers, radio and TV spots, this would still be a satisfying experience. But there's an additional disc of supplemental bonus material! It all seems to have been produced for the Shout Factory blu-ray release from 2019--so heads up if you already have that--but for the rest of us, that's about 6 hours of interviews! Between all the interviews and commentary tracks, there are a few repeat stories, but I won't hold that against this release.

• Audio commentary by Steve Mitchell, writer/director of Wings Hauser: Working Class Actor
• Audio commentary by director Gary Sherman and producer Brain Frankish
• Radio spots
• TV spots
• Trailers
• Vice Squad (1982)
• Stick (1985)
• The Hunter (1980)
• To Live and Die in L.A. (1985)
• Wanted: Dead of Alive (1986)
• Code of Silence (1985)
• Murphy's Law (1986)

• Disc of Bonus Materials:
• Tracking the Beast: Interview with actor Gary Swanson
• Of Poltergeists and Neon Lights: Interview with director Gary Sherman
• Hollywood Magic: Interview with producer Brian Frankish
• The Roots of Reality: Interview with actress Beverly Todd
• Catching a Killer: Interview with actor Pepe Serna
• Princess Driver: Interview with actor Michael Ensign
• Hollywood Streetwalking: Vice Squad filming locations

In Summary: Must own!

Vice Squad will not suit everyone's palate, nor should it, but if you enjoy a fictional walk on a realistic wild-side, it may just be for you. Allegedly, Martin Scorsese once got into an argument in a restaurant with future Columbia Pictures head Dawn Steel over whether or not the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences would have the gumption to nominate Vice Squad for the Best Picture Oscar, as he felt it was the film of the year.

I may not know everything, but I know better than to argue with one of the foremost living appreciators of fine and not-so-fine cinema. This is a truly incredible example of crime filmmaking, and would be a glorious addition to almost any film library. Vice Squad is Neon Slime in all the best ways. My one caveat is that there are examples of language that has either grown outdated, or was deliberately intolerant to begin with which, combined with the subject matter, might not be enjoyable for all viewers.