Rating summary
| Movie |  | 4.0 |
| Video | | 4.0 |
| Audio | | 4.0 |
| Extras |  | 5.0 |
| Overall |  | 4.5 |
Drive-In Delirium: The Final Conflict Blu-ray Movie Review
Reviewed by Dr. Svet Atanasov July 30, 2021
"Drive-In Delirium: The Final Conflict" (2021) arrives on Blu-ray courtesy of Australian label Umbrella Entertainment. The only bonus feature on the disc is a collection with bonus VHS trailers for a wide variety of smaller genre films. In English, not subtitled. Region-Free.
More trailers? Let's watch, then.
If you have seen any of the previous installments in this terrific series, you should know exactly what to expect from
Drive-In Delirium: The Final Conflict. The format is the same. The quality and quantity of the content is the same as well.
The trailers are placed in three sections --
The Heretic,
The Quest for Peace, and
The Curse of VHS Delirium. In terms of quality, the superior content is in the first two sections, while the third section is reserved for vintage content that is sourced from standard definition masters. (The ‘masters’ must have been all kinds of older DVDs and VHS tapes that featured rare trailers that are either very difficult or impossible to find in decent high-definition quality).
The Heretic emphasizes horror and fantastical content, plus some classic action/adventure content with a crossover appeal. For example, here you will see trailers for huge blockbusters like
Star Wars,
Raiders of the Lost Arc,
Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade,
Close Encounters of the Third Kind,
Star Trek III – The Search for Spock and
Star Trek IV – The Voyage Home. However, there are twice as many trailers for low-budget gems like
Dark Star,
Squirm, and
Remote Control, as well as genre favorites like
The Hitcher,
Re-Animator,
Street Trash. There are quite a few trailers for classic gialli as well, such as
All the Colors of the Dark,
A Lizard in a Woman’s Skin,
Lisa and the Devil, and
A Blade in the Dark. The neo-noir genre is represented with trailers for such classics as
Body Heat and
The Seduction. So, even though there is plenty of diverse content here, virtually all of it is quite dark and intense.
The Quest for Peace has trailers for a wider range of ‘lighter’ mainstream films. Here you will see trailers for classic comedies like
Top Secret,
Spies Like Us,
Meatballs, and
Percy’s Progress, as well as big crowd pleasers like
Ghostbusters,
Beverly Hills Cop,
Smokey and the Bandit, and a few early James Bond films. Also, there is a terrific section of trailers for classic action films from the ‘70s, such as
Rollercoaster,
Juggernaut,
White Line Fever, and
The Tough Ones. If you prefer earlier action films, you will be glad to hear that the collection includes trailers for gems like
Point Blank (a truly groundbreaking film that is rarely talked about),
P.J (another very fine noirish thriller that should be better known), and the original
The Thomas Crown Affair. And if you prefer edgier and more exotic films from the old days, you will be glad to hear that there are trailers for
The Klansman,
Cruising,
Badge 373, and
Bonnie’s Kids.
The Curse of VHS Delirium has a little a bit of everything, which isn’t surprising because this has always been the case with bonus content on the previous installments in the series as well. Obviously, the quality of the trailers here isn’t as good as that of the trailers in the main sections. Prepare to see trailers for such gems as
Bronx Warriors 2,
Starman,
My Stepmother is an Alien,
Creepshow,
Cheech & Chong’s Nice Dreams, and
Things are Tough All Over. Even classic comedies with Bud Spencer and Terrence Hill like
Gambling for High Stakes a.k.a.
Odds and Evens,
Who Finds a Friend Finds a Treasure, and
Watch Out, We’re Mad are highlighted as well.
*The complete list of the trailers that are included on this release can be seen
here.
Drive-In Delirium: The Final Conflict Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality
The trailers in The trailers in Umbrella Entertainment's Drive-In Delirium: The Final Conflict release are presented in various aspect ratios, from 1.78:1 to 1.85:1 to 2.35:1 and 2.39:1. The release is encoded with MPEG-4 and the content in the main sections is presented in 1080p.
The overwhelming majority of the trailers in the main sections are remastered, but their quality varies. I would say that most look either good or very good, though you will see some obvious signs of aging. Colors tend to look good, but saturation and balance are not very consistent. On the other hand, this is hardly surprising because trailers were usually cut and preserved in different ways. Image stability is good, but once again you will see some fluctuations. All in all, if you have seen in the previous installments in the Drive-In Delirium series and were pleased with the technical presentation, you should expect the same type of quality from this release. (Note: This is a Region-Free Blu-ray release. Therefore, you will be able to play it on your player regardless of your geographical location).
Drive-In Delirium: The Final Conflict Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality
There is only one standard audio track on this Blu-ray release: English DTS-HD Master Audio 2.0. Optional English SDH subtitles are not provided.
From time to time the audio does show some signs of aging, but I did not encounter serious deterioration of the type that can affect negatively your viewing experience. As I mentioned elsewhere, a lot of the content is remastered very nicely and the audio is usually solid as well.
Drive-In Delirium: The Final Conflict Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras
- The Curse of VHS Delirium - as it was the case with the previous installments in the Drive-In Delirium series, Umbrella Entertainment has a bonus selection of trailers for a wide variety of genre films that have been sourced from DVDs and VHS tapes. (124 min, 720p).
- Cover - reversible cover.
Drive-In Delirium: The Final Conflict Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation
I will be extremely disappointed if Drive-In Delirium: The Final Conflict turns out to be the last installment in the Drive-In Delirium series.
There is so much great content in these trailer compilations that they can actually be educational. Plus, each of them has been a terrific nostalgia fix. All of them are Region-Free and can be played in different territories. HIGHLY RECOMMENDED.
