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Released by: Subversive Cinema
Released on: October 31, 2006.
Director: Ronald W. Moore
Cast: Edwin Neal, Marilyn Burns, Gabriele Folse, Wade Reese, Barton Faulks
Year: 1985
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The Movie:
The video store that my family frequented during my formative years seemed to always have Future-Kill in stock. It's impossible to say if they had multiple copies or if it was just that no one ever rented it but everytime this kid went in there that H. R. Giger painting on the box art would burn its way into the back of his brain. Two decades after the fact and the film is now coming to DVD in a fairly stacked special edition thanks to Subversive Cinema but does the 'Chainsaw Reunion' film hold up in this day and age?
A bunch of dumb frat boys get in hot water for doing the types of things that dumb frat boys do and to make amends they have to head into the scary neighborhood on the other side of town and kidnap the leader of a gang of cyber-punks known as the Anti-Nuke Mutants. The dumb frat boys launch into action but before you know it a guy in a bad metal suit with a claw on his hand named Splatter (Edwin Neal of The Texas Chainsaw Massacre and Murder Set Pieces) kills their intended victim to usurp control of the gang.
Of course, the gang members all figure that the dumb frat boys killed their pal and so the dumb frat boys find themselves having to get out of the danger zone before the Anti-Nuke Mutants take care of them, street justice style. To make matters worse, Splatter is running around killing things and getting it on with some blonde chick. Good thing the dumb frat boys meet a Mutant named Julie who is willing to help them get out with their lives.
If this movie sounds a lot like The Warriors, that's because it is except for one big difference - The Warriors didn't suck. Future-Kill is a really horrible film with really horrible dialogue, really horrible wardrobe, equally horrible cinematography and completely horrible lighting. It doesn't look good nor does it sound good and it rather blatantly rips off Walter Hill's masterpiece. Edwin Neal hams his way through the movie and althrough Marilyn Burns (also of The Texas Chainsaw Massacre) is all over the copy and advertising for this movie she's really only in it for about ten minutes. The dumb frat boys are, well, dumb and you'll find yourself hoping that Splatter catches up with them sooner rather than later so that you can turn this one off and put something better on, something like a Don 'The Dragon' Wilson movie.
That being said, Future-Kill has its fans and given the fact that the film is so very much a low budget eighties horror time capsule it's easy to understand why. The music and the clothes and the dialogue that were so much a part of the decade are definitely a large part of this movie's atmosphere and motif. Splatter does have a few fun lines even if he does look like a reject from a Mad Max film.
Video/Audio/Extras:
While Future-Kill looks miles above any previous home video release, the film is still a dark and dirty looking affair and despite the fact that it was in fact shot on 35mm it looks more like a 16mm production thanks to some heavy grain and a certain softness to the image. Some scenes look a little on the dark side and there's some specks here and there but everything is at least quite watchable here and seeing the movie in its original aspect ratio definitely helps things as well.
The audio isn't going to blow anyone's speakers or melt anyone's ears but it gets the job done without any major problems. Range is limited and sometimes things sound a little on the tinny side but as with the video, it's been cleaned up quite a bit and those who are familiar with how it has sounded in the past should be pleasantly surprised.
First up is a commentary track from Edwin Neal and Ronald Moore that moves at a good pace and which is actually as amusing as it is informatived. These two don't have any false pretenses when it comes to talking about this film and they're as apt to point out the good as they are the bad. Moore covers the more technical side of things while Neal is his usual energetic self, covering his performance and filling in the quiter moments with odd little anecdotes and stories about the movie. It was all shot with a very low budget but the two men seem to enjoy looking back on the project and talking it over with one another.
Neal appears again for an on camera interview that runs almost a half an hour in length. Here he talks about his work as an actor, the lasting impact that The Texas Chainsaw Massacre has had on his career and how H. R. Giger came on board to do the now famous poster artwork for the film. Neal is once again really energetic and all over the place here, going into different character voices and generally goofing off a lot and hamming it up for the camera.
Rounding out the extra features is the original trailer for the feature as well as trailers for a few other Subversive DVD releases, text biographies for Neal, Burns and Moore, and an interesting Easter Egg. Animated menus are included as is a chapter selection menu for the feature.
The Final Word:
A truly bad movie, Future-Kill receives a slick DVD debut from Subversive Cinema. Those who are fans of the film should enjoy seeing it in its proper aspect ratio and in nice quality. The movie still looks rough but it's miles above the VHS release and the extra features give make this one a lot more interesting than it would be otherwise.