Delivery Boys Blu-ray Movie

Rating summary

Movie		2.0
Video		3.5
Audio		3.5
Extras		2.0
Overall		3.0

Delivery Boys Blu-ray Movie Review

Reviewed by Brian Orndorf December 14, 2019

Sold as a breakdance movie in 1985, “Delivery Boys” isn’t exactly the next cinematic step after the two “Breakin’” features from 1984. It’s a much weirder concoction from writer/director Ken Handler, who’s best known as the inspiration for the Ken doll. Perhaps out to make a breezy good time with slick moves and hot music from the era, Handler ends up with something far more laborious instead, joining forces with co-producer Chuck Vincent, an adult film helmer. Merging the electricity of youth and the production vibe of pornography, Handler gets awfully confused with “Delivery Boys,” ending up with a sluggish non-comedy filled with amateur actors doing their best to generate a homoerotic vibe for the primarily heterosexual teen horndog subgenre. Where’s Turbo and Ozone when you need them?

On the streets of New York City, the Delivery Boys are a breakdance crew gearing up for the Brooklyn Bridge Breakdance Contest, facing their rivals, the Devil Dogs, managed by voodoo priest Spider (Marion Van Peebles). Hoping to cheat his way to victory, Spider intimidates a pizzeria owner into compliance, sending her team of young men on delivery misadventures to prevent them from appearing at the showdown.

Outside of Van Peebles, there’s only a cast of unknown actors in “Delivery Boys,” and most of them seem like they’ve never been in front of a camera before. Granted, there’s no thespian challenge here, but the overall absence of professional effort is painful to watch. Also troubling is the level of comedy in “Delivery Boys,” which follows the pizza guys as they encounter a seductress with a P.A. system in her apartment, an experimental lab specializing in an erectile dysfunction shot (for some reason, this leads to a musical number), and art gallery home to a fragile stature worth a fortune, soon broken by one of the teens, who elects to paint himself white and act as a replacement. There’s also a situation involving a horny old man, a glory hole, and a hungry dog. I swear, I thought this movie was about breakdancing.

Delivery Boys Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

The AVC encoded image (1.78:1 aspect ratio) presentation is sourced from an older master, which provides a level of softness to the viewing experience. It's a fairly grungy movie to begin with, but detail is acceptable, capturing urban tours with the characters as they travel around streets, hang out in slums, and work in the pizzeria. Interiors are open for study, with period decoration always interesting, and extreme costuming has some fibrous qualities. Close-ups handle acceptably, but never sharply. Colors are appealing, delivering a feel for NYC in 1984, with various signs and outfits adding potency. Skintones are natural. Delineation is acceptable. Source is in decent shape, but a few strange video-like "ripples" briefly occur during the runtime. Judder is also detected.

Delivery Boys Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

The 2.0 DTS-HD MA mix delivers an appropriate track for "Delivery Boys," which doesn't offer advanced sound. Soundtrack selections are acceptable, with decent instrumentation and position, keeping the beat as the dancers work out their practices and battles. Dialogue exchanges are at a disadvantage, as the cast's inability to act often prevents any understanding of their lines, but the essentials are passable, dealing comfortably with heavy accents. Atmospherics are mild.

Delivery Boys Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

• Interview (18:24, SD) with cinematographer Larry Revene does provide some needed clarity concerning the "Delivery Boys" production experience. Describing the movie as a vanity project for writer/director Ken Handler, Revene explores the influence of producer Chuck Vincent, who brought over his adult film associates to participate in the feature. Looking back on the 10-day shoot, Revene provides memories of daily work and the strange casting found in the picture, and he seems surprised "Delivery Boys" is still of interest to some today.

• A Theatrical Trailer has not been included.

Delivery Boys Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

Handler likes to keep his cast shirtless and dancing, focusing on male bodies for most of "Delivery Boys." This is actually preferable to any sort of funny business, which consistently dies on impact. Of course, there should be wall-to-wall breakdancing in "Delivery Boys," and what little there is here is most engaging, giving the feature a time capsule appeal. Such focus eludes the production, which really doesn't know what it wants or what it's doing, finding Handler hunting for filler when the basic glory of spinning moves from the heart of the decade is right there for the taking.