Rating summary

Movie		3.5
Video		4.0
Audio		3.5
Extras		3.5
Overall		3.5

Deadly Weapons Blu-ray Movie Review

Reviewed by Brian Orndorf June 26, 2022

Director Doris Wishman had a dream, and after the death of her husband in 1958, she decided to pursue a career in filmmaking, focusing on sexploitation entertainment, hoping to reach an audience with lusty tales of revenge and love. 1973’s “Deadly Weapons” is part of her colorful oeuvre, with Wishman presenting actress Chesty Morgan to the world (billed here as Zsa Zsa), offering the exotic dancer a chance to carry a movie. “Deadly Weapons” does make the most of what Morgan is known for, keeping pressure off her thespian skills to move ahead as a campy tale of relationship devotion and vengeance, with Wishman working to build an exciting, titillating tale of a busty woman and her thirst to destroy the men who ruined her life.

Crystal (Chesty Morgan) lives with Larry (Greg Reynolds), a mob enforcer who’s secretly taken control of an address book he’s using to blackmail a businessman. Larry’s scam doesn’t last for long, with fellow goons Tony (Harry Reems) and Captain Hook (Mitchell Fredericks) ordered to murder him and find the book. Crystal is the only one who knows where it is, and in her grief, she decides to take out Tony and Captain Hook, traveling to Las Vegas and Miami to finish the job.

Wishman understands what Chesty Morgan is all about, devoting most of the run time to shots of the topless actress, celebrating her reported 73- inch bust. And the helmer elects to bring this asset into play, as Crystal uses her physical appearance to score employment as a stripper in Las Vegas, also making a mess of Tony’s love life in Miami. The “Deadly Weapons” of the title refer to her breasts, which she uses to smother her victims, bringing genuine laughs to a movie that’s surprisingly stern for the most part, dealing with mob violence and tough guys.

Wishman clearly struggles to fill “Deadly Weapons” with incident, turning to real-time events to pad the run time, and there’s plenty of footage highlighting Morgan in various stages of undress, including extended dancing sequences. The thriller aspects of the picture never quite gel, but Wishman remains determined to tell something of a story, arranging Crystal’s elaborate acts of sabotage, and the endeavor has some sense of scope, selling the visual of multi-city travel for the character and her quest to make morons pay for taking away her man.

Deadly Weapons Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

The AVC encoded image (1.85:1 aspect ratio) presentation is listed as a 2K restoration from the original 35mm camera negatives. AGFA and Something Weird endeavor to refresh the picture for a new distribution life, and they deliver a decently detailed viewing experience. There's ample skin and '70s hair to study, and most textures are preserved, along with the polyester-ness of it all on costuming. Decoration is clear as hotel rooms and living spaces are visited. And dimension remains as the adventure visits the outdoors. Color is alert, supporting period design and fashion choices, with bright primaries. Skintones are natural. Delineation is satisfactory. Grain is heavy and film-like. Source has some wear and tear, including jumpy frames and rough reel changes.

Deadly Weapons Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

The 2.0 DTS-HD MA mix offers a clear understanding of dialogue exchanges, which get a little too busy at times, hitting a few moments of shrillness. The electric guitar-driven score is also a bit intense on the high-end, but clarity isn't threatened.

Deadly Weapons Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

• Commentary #1 features Doris Wishman biographer Michael Bowen.

• Commentary #2 features film historians Annie Choi and Joseph A. Ziemba.

• And a Trailer (3:00, SD) is included.

Deadly Weapons Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

Morgan isn't much of an actress, but that's not the point of her casting in "Deadly Weapons." She's here to add something unique to the project, and Wishman celebrates her special look, selling Morgan's extremity as a way to boost the marketplace appeal of the endeavor. "Deadly Weapons" isn't a nail-biter, but it's engaging, riding a line between silliness and severity (including an unexpectedly grim ending) with a certain amount of filmmaking confidence.