Assignment Skybolt Blu-ray Movie

Rating summary

Movie		3.0
Video		4.0
Audio		3.5
Extras		0.5
Overall		3.5

Assignment Skybolt Blu-ray Movie Review

Reviewed by Dr. Svet Atanasov July 21, 2024

Gregg Tallas' "Operation Skybolt" (1968) arrives on Blu-ray courtesy of Dark Force Entertainment. The only bonus feature on the release is a galley of trailers. In English, without optional English SDH subtitles for the main feature. Region-Free.

Have you heard of the Turkish superhero films? In the 1960s, Turkish directors began shooting low-budget superhero films that became so incredibly popular with local audiences that by the 1970s several of them acquired cult status. But it was not because these films were surprisingly good. It was because they were unusually bad. Understandably, their producers and distributors did not care that they were bad films. They cared about profits, which turned out great, and this is the only reason Turkish directors kept making them. They are still making them. The modern Turkish superhero films do not have the charm of their predecessors, but they are just as bad, often even worse.

I have seen a few of these Turkish superhero films and I would profile them differently. They are much closer to the various Eurospy films that Ken Clark appeared in during the same period, and several of the latter ones clearly imitate the style of Danger: Diabolik. So, are they Eurospy films? I would not say so because they do not look or behave like European genre films either, which means that it is time for someone to invent a proper genre category for them.

So, what do these Turkish films have to do with Gregg Tallas’ Assignment Skybolt?

Before I explain, I must confess that my first viewing of Assignment Skybolt occurred two nights ago, and last year, when Dark Force Entertainment announced its upcoming release, was the first time I heard of its existence. I do not know anything about Tallas or the actors who appear in Assignment Skybolt either.

Tallas, who lived and worked in Athens, Greece, wrote and directed Assignment Skybolt at the same time the Turkish directors were making noise with their superhero films, and I would say that they have a lot in common. To be clear, Assignment Skybolt is not a superhero film, it is a political action thriller, but it carries the same goofy genes that are found in the Turkish films, so it offers pretty much the same type of entertainment.

But two crucial differences make Assignment Skybolt a legit Eurospy film, which the Turkish films are not. Before I tell you what they are, here is a summation of its plot:

In Athens, American spy Dan Holland (Nikos Kourkoulos) begins tracking down a shadow figure linked to the disappearance of a hydrogen bomb from a NATO base in Turkey. At a popular striptease club, Holland identifies a businessman dealing with spies from the other side of the Iron Curtain and befriends a sexy singer who reluctantly becomes his partner, but as he begins to gather crucial information his twin brother, previously presumed dead, reappears, and shortly after while improvising to stay alive, all hell breaks loose.

Like the Turkish films, Assignment Skybolt is a hybrid project that throws everything at the wall to see what sticks, but does so with the attitude of a small European film that desires to be an American film. It is why virtually all of its Greek stars utter their lines in English and are overdubbed in English. The Turkish films were shot in Turkish, and many juggle unique Turkish subjects, which is why sometimes their humor remains elusive.

Assignment Skybolt takes itself seriously, while all of the Turkish films I have seen do not. It is still an unrealistic B-film, but there is material in it that would have never made it in the Turkish films. For example, before Holland becomes partners with the singer from the striptease club, he tames her in a light S&M scene that could have been used in Trans-Europ Express.

I do not know if Assignment Skybolt has ever had a proper North American home video release. If it did, I missed it. It is a small but refreshingly strange film that can be quite entertaining if seen in the wee hours of the night. Needless to say, I am glad that it was remastered and made available on Blu-ray.

Assignment Skybolt Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

Presented in an aspect ratio of 1.67:1, encoded with MPEG-4 AVC and granted a 1080p transfer, Assignment Skybolt arrives on Blu-ray courtesy of Dark Force Entertainment.

The back cover of this release states that it is sourced from a brand new 4K master struck from the original uncut camera negative. On my system, the entire film had a very attractive organic appearance. In some areas, some surface imperfections remain, so the film has not been fully restored, but I still liked what I saw a lot. I was particularly impressed with the color grading job because color balance is very good in nighttime and daylight footage. There are no traces of problematic digital corrections. Some density fluctuations are noticeable, but they are clearly inherited. Image stability is very good. So, even though there is room for meaningful cosmetic work, this release offers a very natural and attractive presentation of Operation Skybolt. My score is 3.75/5.00. (Note: This is a Region-Free Blu-ray release. Therefore, you will be able to play it on your player regardless of your geographical location).

Assignment Skybolt Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

There is only one standard audio track on this Blu-ray release: English DTS-HD Master Audio 2.0. Optional English SDH subtitles are not provided for the main feature.

While I was able to follow all exchanges, I think that some viewers would have appreciated optional English SDH subtitles. The audio is often flat and uneven, so from time to time it is not very easy to hear and understand what is said. Dynamic balance is average at best, which is precisely what I expected given the low-budget nature of the production.

Assignment Skybolt Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

• Vault Trailers - a collection of trailers for other Dark Force Entertainment releases.

Assignment Skybolt Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

Assignment Skybolt should appeal to folks that have a soft spot for small Eurospy films like the ones Ken Clark made. However, it is a bit like the notoriously bad Turkish superhero films, too. It throws everything at the wall to see what sticks and produces some truly strange material, most of which is difficult to describe as entertaining. I enjoyed it because it was too chaotic for me to figure out where it wants to go. Dark Force Entertainment's release is sourced from a rough but nice exclusive new 4K master struck from the film's original camera negative. RECOMMENDED.