RUNNING TIME (1997) (Synapse Films Blu-ray Review)

RUNNING TIME (1997)

Label: Synapse Films
Region Code: Region FREE
Rating: Unrated
Video: 1080p HD Full Frame (1.37:1)
Audio: English DTS-HD MA English 2.0 Original Stereo with Optional English Subtitles
Director: Josh Becker
Cast: Bruce Campbell, Jeremy Roberts, Art LaFleur, Jeremy Roberts, William Stanford Davis, Gordon Jenison Noice

Directed by Josh Becker (Thou Shalt Not Kill... Except) Running Time (1997) is a low-budget heist-gone-wrong caper which was clearly inspired by Alfred Hitchcock's Rope (1948). The black and white film runs a lean 70-minutes and is shot and edited to make it look as if it were shot in a single continuous take without in real-time. It stars  cult-icon Bruce Campbell (Bubba Ho-Tep) as a ex-con named Carl, who at the start of the film is being released from prison after a five-year stint, being seen off by the the warden, (Art LaFleur, The Blob), who offers him a Cuban cigar and kind words about his exemplary behavior while incarcerated. Carl however has no intention of going straight, no sooner has he walked out of the front gate and he and his pal Patrick (Jeremy Roberts, The People Under the Stairs) already have a plan to knock over the prison's corrupt laundry operation within the next hour! The target is a money laundering racket operated by the prison's warden, a place flush with a quarter million dollars of the mafia's cash in a safe. Having worked in the prison's laundry facility for the last five years, Carl has the inside scoop on when and where to hit it, knowing that he and his pals have twenty minutes to get in an out without a hitch. 

Patrick meets him outside the prison in a stolen delivery truck, in the back Carl finds a hooker-with-heart-of-gold named Janie (Anita Barone, The Rosary Murders), a gift to his friend so that he can get his post-incarceration rocks off. It turns out that Janie is an old flame of Carl's from highschool, which results in a potential love interest for the cocksure con.  

After busting his nut and getting her digits they drop her off and proceed pick up the rest of the crew which Patrick has assembled per Carl's instructions, these include a safecracker named Buzz (William Stanford Davis, TV's Snowpiercer) and a drug-addled getaway driver named Donny (Gordon Jenison Noice,  Head of the Family). While Carl is sure this heist is gonna go off without a hitch he is less than thrilled with the team that his pal has assembled to execute it, and rightfully so. Almost from the get-go the caper is fraught with incompetence, beginning with a flat tire and a cagey drug addict in need of a fix. As the plan devolves into complete panicked chaos people are hurt and he ends up on the run from the law, with Carl forced to choose between filthy lucre and the possibility of love. 

Hats off to Synapse for bringing this gem to the masses, I honesty had never even heard of before they announced this Blu-ray, so I was pretty excited to check it out. Not just because Campbell is starring either, director Josh Becker, who is part of Sam Raimi's inner-circle of filmmaker friends, has made a handful of cool indies, like Thou Shalt Not Kill... Except and Lunatics: A Love Story, and this might be his best work, at least of the handful that I've seen so far. What we get is a  micro-budgeted crime caper that is shot in black and white and starring Campbell is a somewhat rare non-horror role, and he kills it! While the lack of budget is evident throughout it is a solid nuts and bolts crime thriller with a simple, straight-forward plot that focuses on character interplay more than plot contrivances to entertain, and on that level it succeeds. It might lack the polish and razzle-dazzle of a big-budget caper but it's got plenty of spunk and delivers the goods. 

Audio/Video: Running Time (1997) arrives on region-free Blu-ray from Synapse Films sourced from a new 2K scan of the original 16mm camera negative. The 1080p black and white  image is framed in the original 1.37:1 full frame presentation, the flick looks near flawless and showcases a well defined layer of medium grain. It's not razor sharp but it resolves fine detail in clothing and facial features very nicely, depth and clarity are fine, and the contrast is solid throughout. The black levels also look great with deep shadows that enhances the noir-ish tendencies of the lensing. 

Audio comes by way of English DTS-HD MA 2.0 stereo with optional English subtitles. We get a clean sounding mix that is dialogue heavy with a score by Joseph DeLuca (Evil Dead). This is advertised as being presented for the first time on home video with the original theatrical 2.0 stereo mix. 

Extras kick-off with an audio commentary with writer/director Josh Becker and star Bruce Campbell that offers plenty of production notes and making-of anecdotes about the film, including the Saul Bass-style opening credits. As they are lifelong friends they have a good rapport, which makes for a solid listen.

We also get the 20-min Run and Gun, a new interview with Bruce Campbell that is shot in full screen, black and white with an opening credit that mimics the movie's title credits, which I thought was a nice touch. The star gets into his life long friendship with director Josh Becker, and what it was like making the film during the ten day shoot.

We also get 20-min of vintage Q&A footage from the Freaky Film Festival Premiere at the University of Illinois back in '97 with Josh Becker and Bruce Campbell. Its an impromptu Q&A that was actually a tactic to stall for time when the film print for the screening failed to show and they had to make other arrangements to view the movie. You really get a feel for guy's friendship, laughing, having a great time cracking wise about Zena: Warrior Proncess . The disc is buttoned-up with a 2-min trailer for the film. 

The single-disc, region-free Blu-ray release arrives in a standard keepcase with a reversible sleeve of artwork featuring art by  artists Wes Benscoter and Gerry Kissell, the disc itself featuring a scene from the film with star Bruce Campbell. 

REVERSIBLE ARTWORK 

Special Features:
- All-New 2K scan and restoration of the original camera negative
- Optional English subtitles for the deaf and hard-of-hearing.
- Presented for the first time on video with the original theatrical stereo mix
- Audio commentary with writer/director Josh Becker and star Bruce Campbell
- “Run and Gun with Bruce Campbell” – All-new interview/featurette (20 min)
- Q&A footage from the Freaky Film Festival Premiere at the University of Illinois (20 min) 
- Original Trailer (2 min) 
- Reversible cover art from artists Wes Benscoter and Gerry Kissell

If you're a Campbell fanatic I think that Running Time (1997) is a no-brainer, this is one of his best dramatic performances and a diamond in the rough among his filmography. I hope this Synapse Blu-ray gives this indie thriller some new life as I think it's one some of you might not know about. I consider myself a huge Bruce Campbell fan and I'd never even heard heard of it, and I know I can't be the only one. 

Screenshots from the Blu-ray: 

Extras: 

LUNATICS: A LOVE STORY (1990) (Umbrella DVD Review)

LUNATICS: A LOVE STORY (1990)

Label: Umbrella Entertainment
Region Code: NTSC Region-FREE
Duration: 83 Minutes 
Rating: M
Audio: English Dolby Digital 2.0
Video: Full Frame (1.33:1) 
Director: Josh Becker
Cast: Deborah Foreman, Ted Raimi, Bruce Campbell

In this quirky love story starring a bunch of Evil Dead alumni we have L.A. weirdo Hank Stone (Ted Raimi, Skinner), an unemployed nut who fancies himself a poet, who it seems has not left his apartment in six months. Inside he is haunted by his own delusions, imagining threatening rap trios and a mad doctor (played by Bruce Campbell, Evil Dead) out to dissect him, while also suffering hallucinations of brain-eating spiders. The walls of his apartment are covered in tin foil, so you know he's one of those foil-nuts you see out in the streets.  

Early on we see him engaged in a phone call with his obviously worried mother, and he's quickly painted as a man who might be a few tacos short of a proper combo platter. Not a bad guy, but a man lost in his own mind, he even imagines making out with the curvy woman on the lingerie billboard he stares at outside his apartment window. 

Across town we meet Nancy (Deborah Foreman, April Fool's Day) a kindhearted L.A. transplant from the Mid West, who after seeing a cute puppy get demolished by a dump truck on the street gets dumped by her scuzzbag boyfriend (also played by Bruce Campbell). On the way out the door to meet-up with his new lady friend he snatches all her cash and she ends up evicted from their shared motel room by a callous manager. On the streets she runs afoul of a group of gang members and winds up hiding out in a payphone at a bus stop. This is where she receives a accidental call from weirdo Hank, who dialed the wrong number while trying to call one of those party love lines that were so popular in the early 90's, or at least they were advertised a lot, not sure if they were actually popular, they always seemed sort of desperate, which I guess is kind of the point. 

As luck would have it Nancy's situation is so dire she takes this stranger up on his offer to come over to his apartment. Arriving she notices that Hank is a bit offbeat to say the least, a bit astonished by his choice of wall coverings, but she goes along with it, even taking him up on his offer of a Japanese bean paste cake. The poor guy really tries to act normal but his neurosis and overpowering hallucinations begin to kick, knocking her out with an unexpected punch to the face. She wakes up suffering from her own concussed delusion and tries to shoot him with a handgun, before wisely running off.

Not wanting to lose the only real human connection he's had in at least six months the headcase Hank wraps himself in tin-foil armor and heads out onto the streets to find her armed with a bat, but first he has to do battle with the imaginary threats in his mind, including a gaggle of homicidal surgeons in the hallway outside his apartment and the Earth ripping opens and swallowing cars in the street.

Lunatics: A Love Story is a quirky indie film, I imagine it would have the most real interest from fans of Sam Raimi's group of film-making friends, this being directed by Josh Becker, his follow-up to Thou Shalt Not Kill... Except (1985). It's a quirky bit of lo-fi film-making, Ted Raimi and Deborah Foreman have a fun chemistry as two people with real emotional problems trying to come together during a very strange night in L.A.. The film is low-budget but has that Raimi-centric indie spirit, with director Josh Becker offering some moody colored lighting, stop-motion animation and use of miniatures to give the indie production a bit of cinematic zest. Of course it's also great to see Bruce Campbell pop-up here is a few roles, he plays the asshole boyfriend very well, I love the slapstick comeuppance he gets right there at the end!   

Audio/Video: Lunatics: A Love Story arrives on region-free DVD from Umbrella Entertainment in full frame 1.33:1 - looking to be sourced from an older looking standard-definition master of some sort. I have no idea if this was originally shot in full frame or widescreen. It at least looks better than a few VHS clips I've seen of it on the Internet, it's never less than watchable, but blacks are anemic and the darker scenes can be pretty murky looking, but colors are fairly decent looking throughout.  Audio comes by way of a Dolby Digital Stereo 2.0 track that's equally serviceable, the highlight being the wonderfully early 90's score from composer Joseph LoDuca (Army of Darkness) that matches the goofiness of the the film. There are no subtitle options for playback.  

This single-disc DVD release comes housed in a standard DVD keepcase with a one-sided sleeve of artwork featuring the original movie poster for the film, the same artwork is used on the disc itself.

Lunatics: A Love Story (1990) is a quirky love story that has largely gone under the radar for years, with only a VHS release from Sony. I don't think it's ever had a legit DVD release until this one right here. It's not the special edition some fans might have wanted, but just having it available on disc for the first time is pretty cool. If you're a die hard fan of cutey Deborah Foreman or the circle of film-making friends who made Evil Dead this will probably be quite a fun discovery for you. 

Blu-ray Review: THOU SHALT NOT KILL... EXCEPT (1985)

THOU SHALT NOT KILL... EXCEPT (1985)

Blu-ray/DVD Combo

Label: Synapse Films
Region: All Regions
Duration: 83 minutes
Rating: Unrated
Video: 16:9 Widescreen (1.66:1)
Audio: English DTS-HD 2.0 Mono, Dolby Digital 2.0 Mono
Director: Josh Becker
Cast: Sam Raimi, Ted Raimi, Scott Spiegel, Brian Schulz
Tagline: When Violence Demands Revenge

Synopsis: Vietnam, 1969. War is Hell. For Marine Sergeant Jack Stryker (Brian Schulz), however, Hell is just the beginning. Trapped outside a Viet Cong village, Stryker takes two bullets to the leg. Sent home from the war, he discovers his ex-girlfriend (Cheryl Hausen) has been kidnapped by a religious cult with a vicious Manson-like leader (played by The Evil Dead and Spider-Man trilogy director, Sam Raimi). Stryker teams up with some marine friends to form an assassination squad and annihilate the gang of crazed killers.

Thou Shalt Not Kill... Except (1985) is a pretty obscure mid-80' low-budget grinder that kicks off in right in the thick of 'Nam '69 where we meet the cigar chompin' Sgt. Jack Stryker (Brian Schulz) and his small band of Marines. With the assistance of some well-placed stock-footage 'Nam inserts the backwoods of Michigan are transformed into a 'Nam jungle, sorta. The visual trickery is not 100% successful but the effort on the part of the filmmakers is appreciated and quite a bit more successful than the plastic rat we catch a glimpse of. The small band of soldiers find themselves miserably outnumbered and are mowed down in a hail of bullets and explosions. It's full-on high energy excitement with lots of fiery explosions and gruesome violence which includes splattery gunshot wounds and a brutal punji trap through the chest. During the assault Sgt. Stryker takes two crippling gunshots to the leg ending his military career. In the ensuing weeks Stryker partially recovers from his injuries and is discharged from the military returning to his small town life in the States and to his rustic cabin in the woods where he eeks out a living with his dog "Whiskey". Picking up the pieces of his civilian life he starts to rekindle a romance with his high school sweetheart Sally (Cheryl Hansen), things are starting to look up for the Vet until Cheryl's kidnapped by a religious cult of bloodthirsty hippies lead by a maniacal nut played with delicious fervor by none other than director Sam Raimi (Evil Dead, Spider-Man).

For me the highlight and star of this exploitation nugget would have to be Raimi as the truly bug-nuts insane cult leader who believes himself to be the rebirth of Jesus Christ. A delirious and obvious riff on Charles Manson - it's just amazing to watch and a ton of fun. He's chewing on the scenery in a way that just suits this lo-fi grinder to perfection, worth the price of admission on it's own.

Stryker is joined in his war on the blood cult by his military buddies; "Love Machine" (Timothy Patrick Quill, the blacksmith from Army of Darkness), Sgt. Jackson (Robert Rickman, a former Mr. T impersonator), Lt. Miller (John Manfredi, Real Steel) who just happen to arrive on scene to visit their  former Lt. and they're a fun bunch of guys. Before they arrive at the cabin they find themselves in the company of a trio of jail bait they pick-up outside a liquor store followed by some sleazy backseat shenanigans and then right into a biker bar where a full-on brawl  spills out to the back alleyway, it's fun stuff and is the perfect b-movie filler to pad out the film until they face off against the bloodthirsty hippies, surely it superfluous but it's entertaining.

The final showdown with the cult in the woods is pretty fantastic, an orgy of bloodletting and shotguns blasts with fun kills that are well-staged and executed with much spilled blood. Highlights include Stryker's beloved dog Whiskey skinned on a spit, some brutal shotgun blasts, impalement's and my personal favorite - death by lawn darts which is amazing!

Blu-ray: Synapse Films offers up Thou Shalt Not Kill... Except with an all-new 2K high-definition transfer from the original negative, painstaking restored and cleaned-up in the best possible way. This 16mm cult classic has never looked better and the restoration leaves the film's grain structure wonderfully intact, this is a grain-lovers paradise and a very fine example of how you restore a film without running it through the Digital Noise Reduction (DNR) wringer. Synapse are transfer pros and cinema devotees who fully appreciate the grain inherent in celluloid. The DTS-HD MA English and Dolby Digital English 2.0 Mono audio options are limited in their fidelity but sound pretty great with special mention to Joe LoDuca's great war-themed score, it's above and beyond what one might expect from a budget-strapped grinder.

Special features for this obscure cult classic are abundant beginning with my personal favorite feature, the original Super 8mm film Stryker's War, an early version of the film featuring none other than Mr. Big Chin himself Bruce Campbell (Army of Darkness) in the role of Jack Stryker, a role created for him but when the opportunity arose for director Josh Becker to film Thou Shalt Not Kill...Except he was unavailable to partake in the project. Definitely a loss for Campbell fans but fear not for we have this fine 8mm document. It's interesting to note that the filmmaker didn't stray to far from the 8mm original when scripting Thou Shalt Not Kill... Except.

Up next is Made In Michigan: The Making of Though Shalt Not Kill... Except (35:16) a mini-doc featuring interviews with director Josh Becker, producer (and director in his own right) Scott Spiegel, actors John Menfredi (Lt. Miller), Tim Quill (LCpl. Ttyler) , Robert Rickman (Sgt. Jackson), production assistant Brian Rae and Production manager David Goodman. Tons of tasty nuggets are discussed including the early super 8mm films, why Bruce Campbell did not return to reprise his role as Sgt. Stryker, the budget and the Joe LoDuca's fantastic score, which is pretty great. Whether your a newcomer to the film or a fan there's a ton to enjoy here.

We also have not one but two Audio Commentaries from director Josh Becker, actor Bruce Campbell and star Brian Schulz, Deleted Scenes, Alternate Title Sequence (1:19), a Theatrical Trailer and an on-camera Interview with Bruce Campbell (8:47) in his backyard discussing the filmmakers early 8mm films and the making of Stryker's War. As special features go this is perhaps above and beyond what this obscure title would demand but that's why I love Synapse; they love cult and exploitation cinema and if it's worth doing it's worth doing right and they do it right every time.

[Reversible Cover Art]

Special Features
•All-New High-Definition 2K Digital Restoration from the Original Negative
•The Original Super 8mm Short film, STRYKER’S WAR Short Film, starring Bruce Campbell! (48:16) 4:3
•Made in Michigan: The Making of THOU SHALT NOT KILL… EXCEPT - Featurette (31:56) 16:9
•Two Audio Commentaries Featuring Director Josh Becker, Bruce Campbell and Star Brian Schulz
•All-New Video Interview with Bruce Campbell (8:47) 16:9
•Deleted Scene with Optional Director’s Commentary (0:45) 16:9
•Alternate Title Sequence (1:19) 16:9
•Original Theatrical Trailer 16:9
•Reversible Cover Artwork

Verdict: Thou Shalt Not Kill...Except is a tasty nugget of amped-up mid-80's exploitation cinema that's a suitably gruesome and gritty affair well-stocked with moments of off-kilter humor pitting 'Nam vets against a bloodthirsty religious cult in the woods, it's just entertaining stuff. Obviously shot on a shoe-string budget but made with the same heart and lo-fi ingenuity we've seen from director Josh Becker's cohorts Sam Raimi (Evil Dead) and Scott Spiegel (Intruder), if you're a fan of either of those cult classics there's gonna be a ton to love with Thou Shalt Not Kill... Except. Great job from Synapse on the great special features and fantastic transfer which shouldn't be a surprise at all. 2.5 outta 5

Exploitation Classic THOU SHALT NOT KILL... EXCEPT coming to Synapse Films DVD/Blu-ray Combo!

SYNAPSE FILMS PRESENTS 

JOSH BECKER'S EXPLOITATION CLASSIC

THOU SHALT NOT KILL... EXCEPT

STARRING ★SAM RAIMI★ AS A MANSON-LIKE HIPPIE CULT LEADER!

THOU SHALT NOT KILL... EXCEPT

[Blu-ray/DVD Combo]

RELEASE DATE: March 13, 2012

REGION CODE: All Regions

DURATION: 83 mins
DIRECTOR: Josh Becker
CAST: Sam Raimi, Ted Raimi, Scott Spiegel, Brian Schul
VIDEO: 16:9 Widescreen (1.66:1)
TAGLINE:When Violence Demands Revenge...

THE EXPLOITATION ACTION CLASSIC FROM THE PEOPLE WHO BROUGHT YOU THE EVIL DEAD AND EVIL DEAD 2!

Vietnam, 1969. War is Hell. For Marine Sergeant Jack Stryker (Brian Schulz), however, Hell is just the beginning. Trapped outside a Viet Cong village, Stryker takes two bullets to the leg. Sent home from the war, he discovers his ex-girlfriend (Cheryl Hausen) has been kidnapped by a religious cult with a vicious Manson-like leader (played by THE EVIL DEAD and SPIDER-MAN trilogy director, Sam Raimi). Stryker teams up with some marine friends to form an assassination squad and annihilate the gang of crazed killers.

Synapse Films is proud to present THOU SHALT NOT KILL… EXCEPT in an all-new 2K high-definition transfer from the original negative. Directed by Josh Becker, this “must-see” (Detroit Free Press) cult classic features many of the people responsible for THE EVIL DEAD, including co-writer Bruce Campbell, writer/producer Scott Spiegel, composer Joseph LoDuca, and actor Ted Raimi.

SPECIAL FEATURES:
• All-New High-Definition 2K Digital Restoration from the Original Negative
• The Original Super 8mm Short film, STRYKER’S WAR, starring Bruce Campbell!
• Made in Michigan: The Making of THOU SHALT NOT KILL… EXCEPT – Featurette
• Two Audio Commentaries featuring Director Josh Becker, Bruce Campbell, and Star Brian Schulz
• All-New Video Interview with Actor/Writer Bruce Campbell
• Deleted Scene with Optional Director's Commentary
• Alternate Title Sequence
• Original Theatrical Trailer
• Reversible Alternate Cover Artwork

Reversible Artwork