Dirty O'Neil Blu-ray Movie

Rating summary

Movie		2.5
Video		3.0
Audio		4.0
Extras		1.0
Overall		3.0

Dirty O'Neil Blu-ray Movie Review

Reviewed by Brian Orndorf April 19, 2022

Lewis Teague is credited as the co-director of “Dirty O’Neil,” making his professional debut with a low-budget sexploitation/thriller offering before embarking on a career that included work on “Alligator,” “Cujo,” and “The Jewel of the Nile.” People have to start somewhere, and Teague is tasked (joined by co-helmer Leon Capetanos) to create something similar to a romp about a small-town cop who enjoys dealing with criminals and local women during his daily rounds. “Dirty O’Neil” is drive-in fodder, with barely a plot and the thinnest of characterization, offering an episodic exploration of bad behavior with a few detours into supercop cinema. It’s all fun and games until the production grows incredibly dark, which is the wrong creative decision to make when the material is basically shapeless, adding disturbing severity to a simplistic weekend distraction.

Jimmy O’Neil (Morgan Paull) is the new cop in Newhall, California, and he’s getting used to his surroundings. A single man on the prowl, Jimmy uses his time on the job to sleep with as many women as possible, but he falls in love with Lizzie (Pat Anderson), a local nurse who isn’t ready to trust him. Partnered with Lassiter (Art Metrano), Jimmy tries to maintain law and order in Newhall, but his power is challenged by the arrival of three thugs who have little respect for the police, out to challenge the cop by brazenly committing crimes against the community.

More intense police action is saved for the conclusion of “Dirty O’Neil,” with the first two acts of the movie reserved for the character’s understanding of vulnerable situations. Jimmy isn’t a class act, but he’s often the only act in town, working with his status to bed numerous females, including a hitchhiker, a prostitute, and a stripper who’s nearly torn apart by partygoers after popping out of a cake. Jimmy isn’t the discerning type, even teasing danger by sleeping with a local judge’s wife, but he only has eyes, kind of, for Lizzie, a nurse who isn’t sure what his deal is. There’s no romantic side to “Dirty O’Neil,” with Lizzie simply used to give Jimmy a goal in a largely plotless endeavor, and one that’s primarily created to showcase large amounts of nudity. A deep take on Jimmy’s motivations and his psychology as a police officer isn’t presented here, just his lustfulness, with the material showcasing his cop instinct in the climax.

Dirty O'Neil Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

The AVC encoded image (1.85:1 aspect ratio) presentation for "Dirty O'Neil" is listed as a "brand new 2K transfer." Colors are alert during the viewing experience, with bright blues skies and deep reds on costuming and signage. Ample skintones are natural, and greenery is distinct. Detail is soft, with mild textures on facial particulars and period costuming. Town tours are passably dimensional, and only some interior decoration is open for study. Delineation is satisfactory. Grain is chunkier. Source is in decent condition, with speckling present and some mild wobble.

Dirty O'Neil Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

The 2.0 DTS-HD MA mix secures dialogue exchanges, keeping things reasonably intelligible while the production deals with the sounds of passing cars and airplanes. Scoring ranges from some orchestral additions to thin synth, offering decent support throughout. Sound effects are blunt.

Dirty O'Neil Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

• A Theatrical Trailer (1:46, HD) is included.

Dirty O'Neil Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

"Dirty O'Neil" is relatively light for the first hour, possibly considered as a slight update of "Tom Jones," but the production isn't comfortable being casual for long. Teague and Capetanos break the wandering mood of the movie with a six-minute-long sexual assault sequence involving the visiting hoodlums, introducing distinct nastiness to a picture previously fine with the mere suggestion of ugliness. Supercop antics are cranked up for the final minutes of the effort, presenting more direct acts of violence and pursuit, which confuses the overall atmosphere of the feature. It begins with ogling and a man in a gorilla suit, and it ends with prolonged suffering and gunplay. "Dirty O'Neil" is certainly something at times, but not a cohesive endeavor in the least, offering a whiplash-inducing viewing experience.