Rating summary

Movie		2.5
Video		4.5
Audio		3.5
Extras		2.5
Overall		3.5

Def-Con 4 Blu-ray Movie Review

Reviewed by Brian Orndorf September 25, 2020

“Def-Con 4” is not a remarkable film, but it remains memorable due to its home video history. There wasn’t a video store around in 1985/86 that didn’t have a poster for the feature displayed prominently, and what tremendous artwork New World Pictures commissioned for the release. There was the image of a giant spaceship loaded with bombs, a city in ruins in the background, and the gruesome appearance of a skeleton inside an astronaut suit. If you happened to be a kid during these years, it was the stuff of nightmares, and if you happened to be old enough to rent movies, it was a likely choice for a potentially spooky weekend viewing. Of course, the actual “Def-Con 4” isn’t anything near what’s promised on the one-sheet, with the small-time, low-budget Canadian production a happy recipient of the Roger Corman Special: suck them in with glorious art, deal with disappointment later.

High above Earth, NORAD astronauts Howe (Tim Choate), Jordan (Kate Lynch), and Walker (John Walsch) are trying to stay sane and alert as they deal with capsule life after 400 days in space. When they receive word that an American missile has landed in Russia, the trio tries to remain on top of the news, only to be cut off. Orders soon arrive to launch their nuclear defense bombs, watching the planet succumb to massive destruction. When their system is mysteriously hacked by an outside force, the capsule is returned to Earth, with Howe managing to exit the ship and explore the irradiated world. He’s quickly overwhelmed by Vinny (Maury Chaykin), a survivalist aware of the growing threat of Terminals, or diseased cannibals, in the area. While stuck in a troubling situation, Howe is put into greater danger when he encounters Gideon (Kevin King), a cruel gang leader looking to take Howe’s information concerning a potential “clean zone,” creating a race for a possible sailboat escape while a malfunctioning bomb from the capsule remains nearby, commencing a 60 hour countdown to detonation.

The opening 20 minutes of “Def-Con 4” are its most compelling, with writer/director Paul Donovan exploring the crew dynamic inside the capsule, which has rested in space for over a year, leaving the trio unsettled in many ways. Howe studies video transmissions from his wife, who’s growing increasingly despondent about his absence, presuming that his silence means he’s dead. Jordan is a doctor who takes pills to get by, and Walker is the captain of the crew, but he’s blinded by his sexless existence, openly watching pornography while completing his duties. Donovan transforms “Def-Con 4” into a light remake of “Fail Safe” for a few minutes during the first act, finding the crew pushed to their psychological limit as nuclear war breaks out on Earth, challenging their mission to provide defense as Howe hesitates to launch a bomb from space. There’s real tension in a familiar scenario, with the production using clever special effects and nuclear age horror to get the feature up and running as an overview of military actions interpreted by three frightened people.

The promise of “Def-Con 4” is gradually burned off by the rest of the endeavor, which has the capsule returned to Earth without permission, reuniting Howe with a world that’s now choked by radiation, with the poison spreading everywhere, save for a few clean zones. What began in space suddenly switches over to rural Canada, following Howe as he’s captured by Vinny, trying to trade a load of food from the downed capsule for his freedom. This encounter leads to both men being collected by Gideon’s forces, dragged to a dingy fortress where the young leader, still wearing his private school uniform, demands access to the capsule’s computers to help find a clean zone. There’s a ticking clock in the malfunctioning bomb, which is stuck and ready to blow, but the rest of “Def-Con 4” is primarily about Howe’s interactions with Gideon, a sadistic goon, and J.J. (Lenore Zann), a classmate-turned-survivor who’s sympathetic to the weak astronaut’s cause. While it begins with a bang and a low-budget show of force, the feature soon slows to a crawl, becoming a vague mix of “Planet of the Apes” and “Mad Max,” only without any rousing action or heated debates on the state of the nuked world.

Def-Con 4 Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

The AVC encoded image (1.85:1 aspect ratio) presentation for "Def-Con 4" gives a low-budget endeavor some HD life. While cinematographic limits are evident, detail satisfies, surveying the bombed out population as they emerge in various states of distress. Makeup achievements are appreciable, as is set design, offering a reasonably clear view of compounds. Interiors are also open for inspection, surveying space tech in the capsule and homemade filth and metallic additions on Earth. Colors favor a darker palette, with soiled characters plentiful and action set in the autumnal woods. Astronaut activity is brighter, with bolder reds and glowing greens on monitors. Skintones are natural, offering a distinct pink on Howe as he deals with the sick. Delineation is acceptable. Grain is heavy but film-like. Source is in decent condition, with some wear and tear at times, and speckling.

Def-Con 4 Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

The 2.0 DTS-HD MA sound mix secures the limited sonic push of "Def-Con 4," which is never commanding, but the listening experience isn't too problematic. Dialogue exchanges are clear, with decent dramatic emphasis. Levels aren't always consistent, but this appears to be an inherent issue. Scoring provides satisfactory instrumentation, especially with grander themes using percussion instruments. Sound effects are basic, with library bomb blasts and gunfire.

Def-Con 4 Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

• Interview (12:49, HD) with Christopher Young explains that "Def-Con 4" was a pick-up opportunity for New World Pictures, who hired the composer to rescore the feature, trying to give the tiny production some initial sense of orchestral power to delay any disappointment in the film. Dealing with his first post-apocalyptic endeavor, Young was nervous, admitting he lifted some ideas from his hero, Jerry Goldsmith, to help find the sound for "Def-Con 4," and he also explores his intent with the score, trying to recalls his work from such a long time ago. The interviewee praises production executive Tony Randel, who oversaw the project for its American release. Young goes deeper when discussing the growing use of synthesizers during the 1980s, sticking with an orchestral sound due to inexperience, and he offers gratitude to New World, with his next project for the company, "Hellraiser," changing his life.

• And a Theatrical Trailer (1:33, SD) is included. Amusingly, all footage used is from the opening 20 minutes of the movie.

Def-Con 4 Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

Some shootouts and chases are ordered up for the conclusion, but "Def-Con 4" largely remains in one place, with the production trying to sell the end of the world without any real money to do so, filling time with a kangaroo court sequence and prison conversations. This leads to a non-ending, but that's not entirely unexpected, as Donovan seems unprepared to deal with his promising premise in full. At least there's the opening 20 minutes of "Def-Con 4," which offer suspense the rest of the effort lacks, and there's the outstanding poster art, which promises a more epic horror show New World Pictures has no intention of providing.