Dead Boyz Can't Fly Blu-ray Movie

Rating summary

Movie		1.5
Video		4.5
Audio		4.0
Extras		5.0
Overall		4.5

Dead Boyz Can't Fly Blu-ray Movie Review

Reviewed by Brian Orndorf March 23, 2026

An office building has been taken over by madmen, and the only hope anyone’s got…isn’t John McClane. Would you settle for a janitor with severe PTSD and behavioral issues? 1992’s “Dead Boyz Can’t Fly” isn’t a “Die Hard” knockoff (the action classic was actually in release during production), but it’s in the same neighborhood at times, putting director Howard Winters (a.k.a. adult film vet Cecil Howard) to work creating screen tension as an unlikely hero summons the courage to take on armed punks looking to steal a fortune. The central idea is there, but “Dead Boyz Can’t Fly” isn’t focused on conflict. Winters aims strictly for chaos with this endeavor, fully investing in grimy acts of viciousness and screamed performances, seemingly hoping to address America’s issue with aggression by submitting a loosely defined understanding of hostility that’s mostly out to test viewer patience.

John (David John) is a Vietnam vet attempting to share his combat experiences in writing, focusing on his pain at night while working as an office building janitor during the day. As he commences his daily shift, trouble arrives with Goose (Brad Friedman), a psychotic punk desperate to steal drugs from a doctor’s office, using a tip from pal Buzz (Jason Stein) to target the building and its many tenants, joined by enforcer Jo Jo (Daniel J. Johnson). As the trio begin their reign of terror, Goose goes especially mad, killing anyone who dares to challenge him, creating a bloodbath as the villains visit various offices, trying to take anything of value off frightened people. Recognizing the danger, John struggles to work up the courage to interrupt the tour of death, faced with Goose’s unhinged ways.

The screenplay for “Dead Boyz Can’t Fly” makes some effort to focus on characterization. There’s a lot of time spent with the players, getting to understand their individual issues, with Goose a maniac living to torment others, while John struggles with war memories, desperate to connect with others about his Vietnam experience. Buzz is a master with the yo-yo, and he doesn’t take rejection lightly, which feeds into Winters’s need to reinforce humanity’s awfulness, taking time to detail a sexual assault where Buzz confronts a Marilyn Monroe-type in an elevator. Even a lawyer in the building gets a moment to share his woes, along with a security guard.

Ugliness is the name of the game in “Dead Boyz Can’t Fly,” but Winters doesn’t portion out his madness. The picture is pretty much all hostility, attempting to offer a transgressive viewing experience that primarily follows Goose and the gang as they terrorize people with their weapons and hostile attitudes. They go from office to office, taking lives and sniffing around for drugs, arguing the entire way, which isn’t nearly as compelling to watch as Winters believes, leaving the feature a slog of overacting in desperate need of actual editing to help shape a more defined understanding of mental illness. What’s here is merely noisy and horrifically long at 103 minutes, with little story to keep things interesting.

Dead Boyz Can't Fly Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

The image presentation (1.85:1 aspect ratio) for "Dead Boyz Can't Fly" is listed as "newly scanned and restored in 4K from its 35mm original camera negative." Detail is excellent throughout the viewing experience, exploring textured skin particulars on the cast, along with fine hairs, beads of sweat, and drops of blood. Costuming remains fibrous, ranging from business attire to punker leather. Office visits are dimensional, preserving decorative additions. New York City exteriors go deep, maintaining a look at urban activity and signage. Color is vivid, with sharp primaries throughout, including red blood. Makeup designs and clothing choices provide more varied hues, and concrete coolness is preserved. Skin tones are natural. Delineation is satisfactory. Grain is fine and film-like. Source is in good condition.

Dead Boyz Can't Fly Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

The 2.0 DTS-HD MA mix runs into some issues with sibilance, but clarity is generally acceptable with dialogue exchanges. Most of the performances are shouted, but behavioral extremes aren't rough. Scoring favors simple synth support, which registers as intended. Soundtrack selections provide a more metal edge, with appreciable instrumentation. Sound effects are blunt.

Dead Boyz Can't Fly Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

• "Family Business" (19:56, HD) is an interview with second assistant director Scott Buckwald, who began his career as a production assistant, taking advantage of family connections to enter the film industry in the 1980s. Joining "Dead Boyz Can't Fly," Buckwald was involved in most production jobs, getting to understand how different departments worked, receiving a major education. He also acquired a life partner, meeting wife Marina in the makeup department. Interested in the script, which is described as "Clockwork Orange" meets "Die Hard," the interviewee tracks the effort to bring the movie to life, managing challenging New York City locations. Memories of director Cecil Howard are provided, responding the helmer's punk rock attitude, and anecdotes from the shoot are provided, dealing with stunt work and co-stars.

• "Babylon Red" (26:42, HD) is an interview with Bradley Winters, son of director Cecil Howard, who shares his parent's career growth, working his way into more production responsibilities as he entered the adult film business. Bradley eventually joined his father in moviemaking adventures, experiencing the decline of theater attendance and the rise of home video, finding great success with 1984's "Firestorm." Taking a chance to develop his career, Howard elected to develop "Dead Boyz Can't Fly," spending the summer of 1988 making the picture around New York City. Winters revisited the feature before the interview, and he offers his thoughts "Dead Boyz Can't Fly," deconstructing creative choices while sharing a few anecdotes from the making of the endeavor. Post-production woes are identified but Winters doesn't have enough information to offer, instead focusing on distribution efforts as the offering was released four years after it was competed.

• "Fear City" (24:05, HD) is an interview with writer Straw Weisman, who declares he was "born to be in the film business." Exiting school, Weisman traveled to New York City, eventually finding work with a film booker, learning the business from an independent angle. Making some waves with 1977's "Fight for Your Life," the interviewee moved on to the creation of "Dead Boyz Can't Fly," using the general horrors of NYC to inspire a thriller. The creative development of the picture is tracked, with the material handed to director Cecil Howard, who pushed Weisman out of the process, making the feature with writer Anne Randall instead. The interviewee describes script changes and missed opportunities, and he enjoys celebrating his moviemaking skills, spending plenty of time sharing news about his talents with the camera.

• "On the Fly" (20:16, HD) is an interview with actor Brad Friedman, who doesn't have any memory of how he connected to "Dead Boyz Don't Fly," but he was happy to accept work. Characterization is analyzed, putting the thespian to work finding a personality to play, even if the feature doesn't make much sense. Memories of the shoot as provided, recalling director Cecil Howard's commitment to the work, and the general panic of production as it tried to pack in an entire movie in a short schedule. The interviewee explore character appearance, with the look of Goose patterned off of "Blade Runner." He also identifies technical challenges and scrambling to cover mistakes, reinforcing the fun he had while making the endeavor, but admitting the offering is a mess.

• Image Gallery (5:38) collects marketing art, press information, publicity shots, news articles, casting information, BTS snaps, and film stills.

• And a Trailer (1:50, SD) is included.

Dead Boyz Can't Fly Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

"Dead Boyz Can't Fly" is basically a Troma Entertainment production without a pass at humor. Winters takes the whole thing somewhat seriously, and his Cecil Howard past as an adult film director takes over the sleazy movie too many times, favoring exploitation elements instead of action. It's an aggressive picture, and not in a thrilling manner, out to punish viewers with its overkill, buttoned with a deadly serious message about the plague of American violence that becomes the only laugh in the feature.