Rating summary

Movie		4.0
Video		5.0
Audio		4.5
Extras		3.5
Overall		4.5

Death Promise Blu-ray Movie Review

Reviewed by Brian Orndorf April 26, 2021

1977’s “Death Promise” is a martial arts-infused revenge story that might come across as very familiar to anyone who happens to be a fan of Quentin Tarantino’s “Kill Bill.” Perhaps the feature was a direct influence on the 2003 action bonanza, offering a similar tale of vengeance featuring an episodic climb to justice and a to-do list of targets, with the bad guys connected in a secretive chain of evildoing. It’s easy to see how Tarantino improved on the idea, but “Death Promise” has a unique perspective of its own, examining the frustrations of life in New York City tenement buildings, where the poor live in squalor while rich landlords toy with the properties and the inhabitants. It’s a terrific foundation for a ferocious thriller, and while the production can’t exactly wind up all the way due to lack of filmmaking finesse and a lean budget, it does reasonably well as a B-movie offering of karate authority and inventive kills, giving the whole shebang some interesting enthusiasm.

Charley (Charles Bonet) is a devoted student of karate and a guy growing tired of living in his tenement apartment, where he’s subjected to the torturous whims of the landlord, who often cuts power and water to agitate the renters. He has a friend in Speedy (Speedy Leacock), a fellow karate enthusiast, and a loving father in Louis (Bob O’Connell), who’s even more incensed about the living situation, fighting to defend the building. Alden (Vincent Van Lyn) is the man behind recent neighborhood issues, creating a landlord syndicate with Albano (Tony De Caprio), Mirsky (Thom Kendall), Enstrom (David Kirk), and Jackson (Abe Hendy), with the property owners looking to drive out tenants and cash in on major real estate sales. When Louis is murdered after refusing to take payoff money from Alden, Charley is enraged, planning to kill anyone associated with the crime. However, kindly Shibata (Thompson Kao King) orders Charley to travel out of the country to train with Master Ying (Tony Liu), helping the angry young man to relearn his moves and sharpen his senses, preparing him for his return to New York City, joining Speedy on his path of revenge against the ruthless fat cats who ruined his life.

“Death Promise” opens with a bit of voiceover explaining the tenement situation, establishing the powerlessness of tenants as they deal with absent landlords who refuse to improve any areas of their properties. For Charley, apartment life has grown steadily worse, with water and power cut to make things miserable, and hired goons are soon caught in the hallway trying to dump a box of rats into the building. A little later in the feature, more boobs are hired to set fire to the place, and trash is dumped on the front steps. While everyone complains about the treatment, only Louis, an ex-boxer, seems to know what’s going on, railing against the landlord and refusing to be silenced by a stack of cash. He receives a bullet as a reward for his protest, which inspires Charley to seek revenge against the landlord Legion of Doom, which is secretly puppeted by a mystery character who enjoys stroking cats (a strange Blofeld-ish choice) while hearing reports on Alden’s progress.

“Death Promise” doesn’t automatically switch over to a revenge story. Charley has some work to do on his anger, sent away to learn a thing or two from Master Ying, who’s looking to refresh the young man on the basics of martial arts. The screenplay (by Norbert Albertson Jr.) attempts to delay the expected with some introspection, allowing the audience to hear Charley’s thoughts as he puts himself back together after his father’s murder, hoping to kill all landlords with a clearer head and more precise karate. What’s different about the picture is the quality of the acting, finding Bonet reaching for young Pacino energy in the lead role, trying to feel every line of dialogue and create thunder with his displays of martial arts. Villainy is also flavorful, and while the cast isn’t Shakespearean trained, they manage to make an impression with their cartoony presence.

Thespian fury certain helps in the second half of “Death Promise,” which details Charley’s “death list five,” electing to take down each landlord one at a time, starting with Albano, a cigar-chomping archery aficionado. His demise is unexpected and somewhat creative, and the screenplay has a few more lively ideas like it, giving the usual run of murder some compelling turns. It’s the little things that keep “Death Promise” different, even while it battles obvious production limitations and stiff direction from Robert Warmflash.

Death Promise Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

The AVC encoded image (1.85:1 aspect ratio) presentation is sourced from a new 2K scan of the original 35mm camera negative. The results deliver impressive clarity to "Death Promise," providing dimensional views of New York City street life and rooftop vistas. Facial surfaces are exact, picking up on aging, fine hairs, and rippling makeup work. Clothing is fibrous. Colors are precise, with period hues most potent, cutting though the concrete jungle with oranges and yellows. Greenery is lively. Skintones are natural. Delineation is satisfactory. Grain is fine and film-like. Some scratches are detected, but this only adds to the viewing experience.

Death Promise Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

The 1.0 DTS-HD MA sound mix secures clear dialogue exchanges, capturing the limited technical precision of the production. Unintelligibility isn't an issue here. Scoring cues deliver a funkier sound, with decent percussion and bass.

Death Promise Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

• "9,000 ft. in 90 Minutes" (16:06, HD) is an interview with editor Jim Markovic, who previously worked in commercials and feature film reediting before getting a shot to cut "Death Promise." The interviewee details the genesis of the production, with two companies looking to cash-in on the martial arts movie craze, and Markovic was almost selected to direct the effort before authority was handed to Robert Warmflash instead. "Death Promise" was pieced together in an unusual way, with scenes completed instead of an overall story, forcing the editor to make sense of material that wasn't always clear. Casting is highlighting and union woes were recalled, and power plays going on behind the scenes are explored, leading to some tension. Markovic closes with his response to the picture and its timeless themes, describing it as a "literary revenge film."

• Still Gallery (1:55) collects poster art, newspaper ads, and BTS snaps.

• And a Theatrical Trailer (3:01, HD) is included, which effectively reveals the entire film.

Death Promise Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

"Death Promise" builds to a somewhat bananas ending that features unholy levels of martial arts screaming and a conclusion that offers a firm payoff for Charley's anger, with the picture adding neat revenge movie punctuation that's superbly over-the-top. The production doesn't have the clearest vision for its commentary on economic disparity and corruption, but little ideas manage to survive in the final cut, and kick-happy karate action has its obvious pleasures. "Death Promise" isn't brave enough to really challenge the system, but at least it makes an effort to shake up the norm for the subgenre, adding some urban concern to the customary allotment of mayhem.