RETRIBUTION (1987)
Label: Severin Films
Region Code: Region Free
Rating: Unrated
Duration: 109 Minutes
Audio: English DTS-HD MA 2.0 Stereo with Optional English Subtitles
Video: 1080p HD Widescreen (1.85:1)
Director: Guy Magar
Cast: Dennis Lipscomb, Leslie Wing, Suzanne Snyder, Jeff Pomerantz, George Murdock, Pamela Dunlap
Set in L.A. the 1987 film Retribution (1987) was the feature-film debut of TV director Guy Magar (Stepfather 3) which opens with struggling artist George Miller (Dennis Lipscomb, Eyes of Fire) throwing himself off the roof of the seedy hotel he calls home. Miraculously he survives not only the leap but the sudden stop at the bottom, owing to the fact that when he was at death's door an angry blue-faced entity entered his body. After convalescing at the hospital he is briefly sent to a psychiatric center under the watch of psychologist Jennifer Curtis (Leslie Wing, The Frighteners). While there he's plagued by visions of a group of faceless killers murdering an unknown man, but the well-meaning shrink assures him these horrible dreams are just his mind working through his issues, and releases him with regular check-ins to follow.
After being released he returns to the motel and attempts to get back into the swing of things, even striking up a relationship with another tenant of the hotel, the fresh-faced happy-hooker Angel (Suzanne Snyder, Weird Science). He seems happy for a bit, however, he begins to unravel when he begins dreaming of murdering a series of strangers, only to read in the newspaper the next day to see that the victims in his dreams have been brutally slain in real life.
As the dreams intensify he finds himself drawn to people and places he doesn't know, and he begins to think that he could be possessed by the vengeful spirit of a murdered hoodlum named Vito (Mike Muscat, Terminator 2: Judgement Day), who was himself horrifically shot and then set on fire the very same night George attempted suicide; in fact, they were both born on the same day, April Fool's Day, their stories somehow supernaturally entwined. While Dr. Curtis doesn't believe George could be a murderer her colleague and lover Dr. Falconer (Jeff Pomerantz, Savage Weekend) has no qualms about dropping a dime on George after learning about his dreams. The doc alerts detective Lt. Ashley (a poorly cast Hoyt Axton, Gremlins) to him as a potential suspect, citing his increasingly erratic behavior and incriminating knowledge of the horrific murders.
Retribution is a cool and gory riff on post-Exorcist possession films with some gruesome murder set-pieces that truly stand apart, including a bad-ass fire stunt, a disemboweling, acetylene torch dismemberment, an inventive face smash, and the best of the bunch - a buzz saw gag at a meat packing plant with the still live victim stuffed inside a cow carcass! Additionally the glowing green-eyed possession looks pretty cool (if a bit cartoony) but it's plenty entertaining, and the look of the film some cool 80's garish colored lighting and strobing effects that I just ate up with a spoon, plus the L.A. locations are so dang scuzzy, it sort of feels like a New York film in that way.
The one negative might be that it's a tad on the long for what it is but it does give us a chance to get to know the plentiful side characters a bit, from the colorful hotel regulars to a Rastafarian voodoo doc who gets more than he bargains for when he tries to exorcise Georgie or his evil. Lipscomb, who more of a character actor, is solid as the suicidal artist who has become an unwitting instrument of evil. His portrayal is anguished and sympathetic, he plays depressed and pathetic well enough and then cranks up the unhinged green-eyed alter-ego with telekinetic powers with a real ferocity when needed, he carries the whole film with some help from a solid cast of supporting characters.
Retribution is a true 80's gem waiting for you to discover it, chock full of seedy atmosphere and gory set pieces, plus a bizarre possession angle that gets more intense right up till the bat-shit final sprint to the finish line. This is a solidly entertaining flick well-worth seeking out.
Audio/Video: Retribution (1987) arrives on 3-disc Blu-ray/CD from Severin Films scanned in 2K from recently discovered pre-print elements, framed in 1.85:1 widescreen in 1080p HD. Its a fine looking scan of elements that are in generally great shape. There are a few brief moments when scartched and some minor damage pops-up but this is a generally pleasing presentation with a lot of surreal lighting and neon colors that looks terrific. Below you will find a comparison to the now out-if-print Code Red Blu-ray from 2017, which was cropped to 1.78:1. The Severin release is framed in 1.85:1 and looks more organic and filmic, and notably the colors are richer and more saturated with much warmer skintones and a considerably less blue saturation which allows for some truer whites to emerge. The fresh scan also benefits from an uptick in depth, clarity and contrast that refreshes the film, this is definitely the best the film has ever looked on home video; it's brighter, the color-grading more nuanced, and there's more information in the frame.
Audio comes by way of English DTS-HD MA 2.0 stereo with optional English subtitles. Dialogue is never a chore to discern and the electronic synth score from Carpenter collaborator Alan Howarth (Prince of Darkness) sounds fantastic.
Most of the extras are housed on the first disc, kicking off with an archival commentary with Magar that first appeared on the Code Red DVD and Blu-ray releases. Then into a ton of new interviews, beginning with the 12-min Writing Wrongs: Interview With Co-Writer Lee Wasserman who talks about meeting director Magar, how this film was inspired by The Exorcist and how they spun it into a unique variation, and we get some some solid tales about the making of this film.
Up next is the 8-min Shock Therapy: Interview With Actress Leslie Wing, who gets into transitioning from stage to screen, stories from the set and working with the cast. The 7-min Angel’s Heart: Interview With Actress Suzanne Snyder features the starlet discussing her early career, being cast in Retribution, and how much she loved and looked up to Magar and Lipscomb.
The 9-min Santa Maria, Mother Of God, Help Me!: Interview With Actor Mike Muscat has the star discussing his career as a character actor, getting into acting while enlisted in the army. Settling The Score: Interview With Soundtrack Composer Alan Howarth is an 8-minute piece with the respected composer discussing his style of composing, developing themes for the film, and working with Magar. Visions Of Vengeance: Interview With Special Effects Artist John Eggett is a 7-minute interview with Eggett getting into his philosophy of no one getting hurt on a set, collaborating with Magar and how specific gore-gags seen in the film were achieved.
The 6-min The Art Of Getting Even: Interview With Artist Barry Fahr who talks about his early career during the punk movement, working for Cannon Films, and his work on Retribution. The last of the interviews is the 10-minute Living In Oblivion: Interview With Production Designer Robb Wilson King, he gets into working for Roger Corman, working with Magar, designing the cool neon art gallery for the film, and some info about that Easter Island stone head seen in the film. Disc one is buttoned up with Magar's Student Short 'Bingo' with optional commentary from the director; a 2-min Trailer, and a 2-min Stills & Poster Gallery with various posters, home video releases and promotional still.
Onto disc two we have the slightly longer Extended Dutch Video Release Version which is about 8-secs longer than the R-rated cut, this is sourced from the same excellent new scan as the R-rated cut with standard-definition gore inserts that were cut to get the R-rating. There's also a brand new audio commentary with directory Guy Magar moderated by Severin's David Gregory, which is pretty great. Gregory steers the director towards facets and things not covered by Magar on his solo R-rated cut commentary. Disc three is the Alan Howarth CD soundtrack containing the 14-song soundtrack that clocks in at 54-minutes.
The 3-disc release arrives with a sleeve of reversible artwork and a slipcover that features displayable artwork on both the front and back. Inside there's a 34-page illustrated collector's booklet that features a new introduction from director Guy Magar, plus some lengthy excerpts from his book "Kiss Me Quick Before I Shoot' that cover shooting Retribution. There's also an essay and track by track breakdown of the score by writer Randall D Larson that is reprinted from the 2015 soundtrack re-release, plus a track list for the CD. Severin have really knocked it out of the park with this extra-stuffed 3-disc edition, so I hope this gem finds some broader appreciation with this stunning release, clearly Severin love it.
REVERSIBLE ARTWORK!
Special Features:
- Two Versions: Theatrical Cut Version + Extended Dutch Video Release Version
- Audio Commentary With Co-Writer/Director Guy Magar
- Writing Wrongs: Interview With Co-Writer Lee Wasserman (12 min)
- Shock Therapy: Interview With Actress Leslie Wing (8 min)
- Angel’s Heart: Interview With Actress Suzanne Snyder (7 min)
- Santa Maria, Mother Of God, Help Me!: Interview With Actor Mike Muscat (9 min)
- Settling The Score: Interview With Soundtrack Composer Alan Howarth (8 min)
- Visions Of Vengeance: Interview With Special Effects Artist John Eggett (7 min)
- The Art Of Getting Even: Interview With Artist Barry Fahr (6 min)
- Living In Oblivion: Interview With Production Designer Robb Wilson King (10 min)
- BINGO: Student Short By Guy Magar With Optional Director Commentary (2 min)
- Trailer (2 min)
- Stills & Poster Gallery (2 min)
- Bonus: CD Soundtrack (14 Songs, 54 Minutes)
- Sleeve of Reversible Artwork
Severin's 3-disc edition is a celebration of this violent supernatural shocker; a true gory gem that's largely gone unheralded for years and is in need of some fresh eyes on it. If you're looking for a cool underseen 80's slice of terror definitely check it out, you won't regret it!
Blu-ray Screenshot Comparison:
Top: Code Red Blu-ray 1.78:1 (2017)
Bottom: Severin Blu-ray 1.85:1 (2021)
More Severin Blu-ray Screenshots:
Extras:
