Rating summary

Movie		3.0
Video		4.0
Audio		4.0
Extras		0.5
Overall		3.0

Gas-s-s-s Blu-ray Movie Review

Reviewed by Dr. Svet Atanasov November 19, 2016

Roger Corman's Gas-s-s-s (1970) arrives on Blu-ray courtesy of independent distributors Olive Films. The only bonus feature on the disc is an original trailer for the film. In English, with optional English SDH subtitles for the main feature. Region-A "locked".

Colorful dreams

I don’t like to speculate, but I will do it here and say that at least some of the people that made Gas-s-s-s with Roger Corman in the early 1970s were likely popping pills. You will know exactly what I mean once you see it. I will also say that Corman was probably very familiar with Richard Lester’s The Bed Sitting Room, which was released approximately a year before his film.

There is an obvious theme that runs through the film but it is up to you to decide how to deconstruct it. I think that it is very possible to come to the conclusion that it carries a prophetic warning – which is exactly what Lester’s film does -- but it also won’t be too difficult to argue that Corman might have been groping in the dark without a relevant message in mind. It is just an incredibly fluid film that instantly heads in a number of different directions and never convincingly creates the impression that it actually cares whether it makes perfect sense.

The chaotic events take place shortly after some kind of lethal gas is accidentally released in the atmosphere and everyone over the age of 25 abruptly dies. In the ensuing social vacuum, a band of hippies decide to travel the country and experience the best of everything the New World has to offer.

A big part of the film channels some of the same paranoia that the Cuban Missile Crisis created during the early 1960s. Obviously, Corman uses a different pretext to justify its existence, but the film embraces it in a very familiar fashion and introduces a vision of the future that is hardly shocking. (During the Nixon/Brezhnev era, the idea that the world was once again just a glitch away from a nuclear holocaust was certainly not considered ludicrous). To be clear, Corman essentially replaces the massive structural devastation from Lester’s film with a complete disintegration of the system of social values that define what America is and then proceeds to show what the end would look like.

If you are willing to accept Corman’s vision of the end it is guaranteed that you will have a terrific time observing the incredible chaos on display, and this is basically what the entire film is about. But if you conclude that the apocalyptic vision of the future is nothing more than a convenient excuse to shoot a motley crew of wacky characters trying to outsmart each other in all sorts of ridiculous ways, then you are likely to be bored to tears. Corman is a master of this type of offbeat entertainment, but even by his standards the film goes seriously overboard with the exotic material and after the final credits roll a hangover feeling is very much a possibility.

*During the DVD era, in the United States Gas-s-s-s was released in a double-feature set with Barry Shear's Wild in the Streets, which is also out on Blu-ray via Olive Films. Shear’s film comes from the same era and carries a message that actually feels incredibly relevant in the current post-election political environment. Similar to Gas-s-s-s, Wild in the Streets sees the country overrun by youngsters and flooded with bizarre political demands.

Gas-s-s-s Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

Presented in its original aspect ratio of 1.85:1, encoded with MPEG-4 AVC and granted a 1080p transfer, Roger Corman's Gas-s-s-s arrives on Blu-ray courtesy of Olive Films.

The entire film has a very pleasing organic appearance. I spotted a couple of very small stains, but there are no digital anomalies to report. Ideally grain should be exposed and resolved a bit better, but you will never be bothered while viewing the film. Depth is pleasing and even some of the darker/nighttime footage looks quite strong despite the fact that shadow definition could be better. The primary colors are stable and appear unmanipulated. I also like the existing range of nuances. Image stability is excellent. All in all, while a fresh scan of the OCN will almost certainly improve density and depth, the current presentation is indeed very pleasing. (Note: This is a Region-A "locked" Blu-ray release. Therefore, you must have a native Region-A or Region-Free player in order to access its content).

Gas-s-s-s 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 provided for the main feature.

There are some sporadic fluctuations that emerge during some of the more chaotic sequences -- and there are quite a few of them -- but such is the film's original sound design. It is easy to tell that a lot of footage was shot in a way that typically documentary filmmakers would opt for -- working without filters or multiple edits. The dialog is always easy to follow. There are no audio dropouts or digital distortions to report.

Gas-s-s-s Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

• Trailer - original trailer for Gas-s-s-s. In English, not subtitled. (3 min).

Gas-s-s-s Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

The concept behind Gas-s-s-s is quite clear, but I think that the end result is a bit too exotic even for someone like Roger Corman. I still think that Gas-s-s-s is worth spending some time with, but a much better film that tackles some similar ideas is Barry Shear's Wild in the Streets. If you view them together, these two films can send you on quite a trip. RECOMMENDED.