FORCE: FIVE (1981)
Collector's Edition
Label: MVD Rewind
Region Code: A
Rating: Unrated
Duration: 96 Minutes 37 Seconds
Audio: English LPCM 2.0 Dual-Mono with Optional English Subtitles
Video: 1080p HD Widescreen (1.85:1)
Director: Robert Clouse
Cast: Joe Lewis, Bong Soo Han, Sonny Barnes, Richard Norton, Amanda Wyss, Benny Urquidez, Robert Clouse
Force-Five (1981) is a low-rent Enter the Dragon riff that combines that kung-fi island action of that film with a death-cult strand, which makes for a very entertaining fisticuffs romp. They even got Enter the Dragon director Robert Clouse to direct, making this one right before his killer-rat flick Deadly Eyes (1982)! In it Reverend Rhee (Bong Soo Han, The Kentucky Fried Movie) operates a death-cult disguised as a peace, love and tranquility retreat, recruiting the naive children of wealthy elites and enrapturing them with the promise of eternal tranquility, then getting them to sign over their inheritances, before sending them down into his labyrinth where they are chased and gored to death by a bull!
When wealthy senator William Stark's (Michael Prince, Death Wish II) daughter Cynthia ( Amanda Wyss, A Nightmare on Elm Street) is recruited by the cult he sends a would-be assassin (Mel Novak, Game of Death) to retrieve her, but he gets caught and is given some painful nerve-shredding acupuncture before being sent to the subterranean labyrinth to meet his maker. Undeterred, Stark recruits martial arts expert Jim Martin (World Karate Champion Joe Lewis, Jaguar Lives!) to assemble a team of bad-asses to storm the island and infiltrate the cult. Our "Force: Five" include Billy Ortega (Benny Urquidez, Grosse Pointe Blank), Ezekiel (Richard Norton, Mad Max: Fury Road), the hulking Lockjaw (Sonny Barnes, Cleopatra Jones), helicopter pilot Willard (Ron Hayden, TV movie Six Against the Rock) and fatale-female Laurie (Pam Huntington, They Call Me Bruce?). To get to the island they arrive under the guise of an entourage accompanying Senator Forrester (Peter MacLean, Squirm), who is an agent himself, but they are quickly outed when Rhee's henchman Carl (Bob Schott, Vamp) recognizes Miller from past encounters. Things get a bit hairy and Cynthia does not want to leave, but when she finds a roomful of dead bodies she realizes the truth, but can they get off the island in one piece?
It's no action classic but this is a fun low-rent action flick with some recognizable named in front and behind the camera, the fight sequences are decent, and the bull-in-the-labyrinth stuff is wild, especially the explosive finale, chef's kiss for that one. Also keep an eye out for Tom Villard from Popcorn as a goofy cultists! Notable behind the camera include cinematographer Gil Hubbs (Flowers in the Attic), composer William Goldstein, Shocker), and produced by Fred Weintraub (The Pack, Enter the Dragon)
Audio/Video: Force: Five (1981) arrives on region-free Blu-ray from MVD Rewind Collection in 1080p HD framed in 1.85:1 widescreen. The source is in terrific shape, it has that early 80s gauzy look to it that always looks somewhat soft, but generally colors are strong, and grain levels look good. Perhaps die to the filtered lensing detail and textures are not overly sharp, but still a solid looking Blu-ray. Audio comes by way of English DTS-HD MA 2.0 dual-mono with optional English subtitles. The track is clean, dialogue sounds fine and the score and fight sound effects of blows landing and gunfire have some nice snap to it.
There are no newly produced extras for this one but we do get a smattering of archival stuff, starting off with the 50-min Archival Interview with actor Joe Lewis, who speaks quite a bit about training under Bruce Lee, plus we get a 9-min Archival Interview with Benny Urquidez wherein he shows proper hands-wrapping techniques, and a 7-min
Archival 'Benny Urquidez Fight' featurette, as well as the Original Theatrical Trailer.
The single-disc release arrives in a clear keepcase with a Reversible Wrap featuring the original illustrated artwork, and inside there is a Collectible Mini-Poster, plus a
Limited Edition Slipcover (First Pressing Only) that looks well-worn and sun-bleached, like it sat in the front window of a VHS store for too long, complete with creases, water and grease stains, and rental stickers, The artwork on the wrap is free of any faux damage with nicely saturated color, and no rental stickers.
Special Features:
- High Definition (1080p) presentation of the main feature in 1.85:1 aspect ratio
- LPCM 2.0 Mono Audio
- Optional English Subtitles
- Archival Interview with actor Joe Lewis (50:08)
- Archival Interview with Benny Urquidez (8:59)
- Archival 'Benny Urquidez Fight' featurette (6:41)
- Original Theatrical Trailer (2:19)
- Reversible Wrap
- Collectible Mini-Poster
- Limited Edition Slipcover (First Pressing Only)
Screenshots from the MVD Rewind Collection Blu-ray:
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