Rating summary

Movie		3.0
Video		4.5
Audio		3.5
Extras		5.0
Overall		4.0

East End Hustle 4K Blu-ray Movie Review

Reviewed by Brian Orndorf November 2, 2023

Co-writer/director Frank Vitale looks to get ugly with 1976’s “East End Hustle,” which is his take on the sordid ways of Canadian crime and punishment. It’s a rough study of characters hunting for some type of liberation, focusing on the actions of prostitutes who’ve had enough of their abusive pimp, looking to make a break to preserve what’s left of their sanity. Vitale and co-writer/actor Allan Moyle (who would go on to direct “Pump Up the Volume” and “Empire Records”) has something sleazy in mind with “East End Hustle,” but they don’t have the instincts for exploitation cinema, remaining static with material that should always be on the move, and vicious activity is mostly dispiriting when the production is clearly aiming to provide something more thrilling.

In the big city, Cindy (Andree Pelletier) is looking to break away from crime boss Dan (Miguel Fernandes), a man who specializes in brutality, using his team of enforcers to do the dirty work. Dan’s recently set his sights on Marianne (Anne-Marie Provencher), a young woman about to enter a life of prostitution to help make ends meet, but Cindy gets in the way of recruitment, running away with the woman, with the pair taking off into the night, figuring out their next move. Dan won’t stand for such insubordination, organizing a plan to find his property, with his goons trained to be rough on those protecting the runaways. Cindy decides to create a safe haven for those trapped in the criminal cycle, working with Peter (Allan Moyle) to establish a home base for sex workers, with hopes to prevent any needless deaths as Dan escalates his violent rampage to punish Cindy.

Marianne is being groomed for exploitation in “East End Hustle,” with the oddly distant woman entering a world she won’t be able to escape from, led into the darkness by Dan, a composed man of violence who has no regard for women. Cindy is a seasoned sex worker, fully aware of what’s going to happen to Marianne, finally working up the energy to break away from such control, which launches a potentially compelling tale of escape for Vitale to explore. But “East End Hustle” isn’t that kind of character study, offering a clunkier understanding of warring sides, with Cindy looking to make an escape before considering her options, while Dan sends his stooges into action, with employees making their way around the city to find the missing women. Along the way, strange encounters develop, including Cindy’s approach to dealing with predatory men, who are everywhere in the movie, while her idea to relocate other working girls achieves urgency when one of the doomed finds her way to a nasty drug habit.

Ugliness is a common sight in “East End Hustle,” as the female characters are subjected to torture and sexual assault. Vitale doesn’t have a Big Idea to work with, so he lingers on nastiness, also dabbling in softcore activity as Cindy finds a friend in Peter, inserting a sex scene that carries on for far too long. The plot, what little there is of it, takes extended breaks in “East End Hustle,” which largely leans on mood to carry the viewing experience, throttling pace.

East End Hustle 4K Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

Screencaps are taken from the Blu-ray.

After years on DVD, "East End Hustle" comes to UHD, listed as "newly scanned and restored in 4K from the 35mm original camera negative by Canadian International Pictures." Those who've lived with the movie on DVD should find a major upgrade in clarity, with textured skin particulars throughout the viewing experience, along with an understanding of stringy, wispy hair. Interiors are open for inspection, exploring decorative additions and the dilapidated surroundings of Cindy's hiding spot. Exteriors remain dimensional. Colors are compelling, with a cooler sense of hues befitting the setting. Primaries are a bit more potent with style choices, with club interiors delivering rich reds. Skin tones are natural. Delineation is satisfactory. Highlights are tasteful, with some lighting running a bit hot at times. Grain is acceptably resolved. Source is in good condition.

East End Hustle 4K Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

The 2.0 DTS-HD MA mix offers "sound transferred from the original 35mm optical track." "East End Hustle" is already fighting an uphill battle with technology, and age doesn't help the cause. Unintelligibility isn't an issue, but there's no real sharpness here, offering slightly muddled dialogue exchanges. Scoring isn't crisp, but funkier beats and instrumentation are appreciable.

East End Hustle 4K Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

• Booklet (six pages) includes an essay by Alexandra Heller-Nicholas.

• Commentary features film historians Paul Corupe and Jason Pichonsky.

• "The Art Bug" (8:28, HD) is an interview with co-writer/director Frank Vitale, who details his early years, eager to escape Jacksonville, Florida, ending up at McGill University in Canada. Making his way to New York City, Vitale found entrance into the movie industry, returning to Canada to make short films. The interviewee explores his relationship with co-writer Allan Moyle, and his initial interests in storytelling, dealing with his own sexuality, focusing on the completion of 1974's "Montreal Main," which he also acted in.

• "East End Director" (17:37, HD) returns to co-writer/director Frank Vitale to examine the next step in his career, which involved the creation of "East End Hustle," an exploitation feature made by a man who didn't understand what exploitation cinema was all about. After the release of "Montreal Main," Vitale found himself with a little money from Cinepix, getting started on casting, which included the hiring of co- writer Allan Moyle in a supporting role. The interviewee shares his feelings about sex scenes in the picture, and offers some stories from production, including working with violence. The release of "East End Hustle" is tracked, with Vitale viewing it as a "failed exploitation film." He closes with an assessment of his post-B-movie life.

• "East End Troma" (13:56, HD) is a video conference interview with Troma Entertainment honcho Lloyd Kaufman (wearing a Tupac jacket, natch), who tracks his early time with Frank Vitale on the set of "Joe," developing their relationship on "Silent Night, Bloody Night." Kaufman shares some terrific stories about his time in the film industry, and offers a brief anecdote about his interaction with a frozen van. Unlike Vitale, Kaufman has no problem questioning the helmer's creative choices, including the pedophile-adjacent story of "Montreal Main." "East End Hustle" eventually ended up at Troma, with the interviewee describing the company's efforts to sell the movie as something more exciting than it really was. Vitali also worked on a few Charlie Kaufman productions, helping out Lloyd's brother.

• "Kaufman's Canada" (4:39, HD) returns to Lloyd Kaufman, who offers memories of his moviemaking time in the Great White North, including "Seizure," "Feeling Up," and his relationship with Cinepix.

• "Renegade Films" (10:32, HD) is a video conference interview with Bill Brownstein, who explores the days of Cinepix and company co-founder John Dunning.

• Audio Interview (15:22) is a conversation with composer Len Blum.

• And a Theatrical Trailer is included.

East End Hustle 4K Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

Tonal changes may cause whiplash in "East End Hustle," which, at one point, goes from the pains of a drug overdose to a joys of skinny dipping in a local lake. There's more to Cindy's experience in the world of establishing a safe zone, but Vitale doesn't have a firm enough grasp on dramatic events, eventually going somewhat cartoonish with new threats from New York City, and his concept for an ending leaves much to be desired. "East End Hustle" certainly has grit and a few harrowing moments of survival and revenge, but it's far from consistent, with Vitale caught between his desire to go semi- European with the endeavor, and his hope to compete in a marketplace that demands more direct shots of sleaze.