Hung Jury Blu-ray Movie

Rating summary

Movie		1.5
Video		2.5
Audio		3.0
Extras		4.0
Overall		3.0

Hung Jury Blu-ray Movie Review

Reviewed by Brian Orndorf June 4, 2023

1994’s “Hung Jury” takes a long time to reach whatever passes for a plot here, and there’s some hope that writer/director Gary Whitson is going to try for an Agatha Christie-type of viewing experience involving a collection of characters and a murderer on the loose. Or perhaps a game of “Clue,” with personalities colliding as danger draws near. The man behind W.A.V.E. Productions, Whitson doesn’t really go for anything distinct with the endeavor, which asks a lot of viewers with an extended run time and only a marginal interest in story. Instead, the W.A.V.E.-iness of the picture dominates, as the helmer is less concerned about building suspenseful points of pressure, instead more interested in the fetish potential of the shot-on-video effort, which is loaded with extended scenes of bondage, suffering, and weirdly tame sexploitation additions, making the 114-minute-long journey punishing for those who aren’t watching this feature for highly specific thrills.

In 1974, Bill (William Erickson Jr.) is a man on the run, refusing to be tied down by the law after spending time in prison on drug charges. He’s on parole, with his handler and mother concerned about his state of mind. Turns out, they’re right to worry, with Bill turning to violence to solve his problems, intentionally drowning a neighbor. He’s sentenced to death for his crime, vowing revenge on those who’ve wronged him. In 1994, a Murder Mystery Party is organized by the mysterious Mr. Jenkins, with assistants Alecia (Christine McNeilly) and Karen (Shelly Deuber) in charge of corralling a list of guests for a trip to a special island that was once a base of operations for a Civil War prison. Joining the festivities are business owner Joseph (Joseph A. Cedatol Jr.), scuba diver Bill (Dave Castiglione), stockbroker Phillip (Tom Beschler), psychiatrist Shannon (Shama Peterson), engineer Nathan (John Peterson), tutor Melissa (Melissa A. Curnew), entertainer Jenna (Sharon Harkins), and the boat captain’s daughter, Tara (Judy Pasternak). As the guests settle into their surroundings, relationships begin to form and sexual adventures commence, but danger is present as well, with a mysterious killer butchering the gang, shadowing their every move as panic sets in.

“Hung Jury” commences with Bill’s mission of menace, with the man unwilling to be rehabilitated, turning to murder to scratch his villainous itch. This involves a lengthy scene where the parolee stalks a neighboring woman, with the pair struggling in a pool before the victim is overwhelmed. W.A.V.E Productions has dedicated themselves to the study of victims in distress, and “Hung Jury” is no different, offering a lengthy sequence where the woman tries to fight off her attacker in the water before drowning, which is one of many real-time events in the endeavor. Bill doesn’t make it far, eventually hanged for his crime, vowing revenge before he meets his maker, which sets up a story of sorts for the picture as it makes a time jump to 1994, picking up with a random assortment of characters all dealing with a new maniac on the loose. Again, with this being W.A.V.E., horror isn’t prioritized, only the long, slow drip of death, with one victim bound, gagged, and locked in a running car, slowly succumbing to carbon monoxide poisoning. Another lady is taken inside her home after trying on a wedding dress (again, in real time), soon bound, gagged, and stuffed in an overflowing tub, with the monster tormenting her with electrocution.

The future bride is about to marry a tough cop, who vows to catch the perpetrator, but this isn’t the story of “Hung Jury.” Instead, a Murder Mystery Party is arranged by an unknown character, bringing together various employees and associates to enjoy themselves on an island. However, this is no tropical destination, but some place off the east coast, with the area filled with old prison cells and passageways, giving the writing a chance to separate the guests, making them targets for the killer. There’s hope that some sort of dramatic focus might arrive in “Hung Jury,” but that’s not the W.A.V.E. way, with Whitson largely ignoring the potential of his murder mystery to deal with the dull players in this game, and their sexual experiences. This includes the caretakers of the island, with the helmer lovingly detailing the stretching routine of a woman about to do some bench pressing in what appears to be the middle of the woods. She has a boyfriend, and they eventually decide to turn workout time into a carnal experience. However, Whitson isn’t all that interested in graphic sexuality or even nudity, preferring to go soft when it comes to amorous activity, more invested in violence, with the bodybuilder eventually beaten by her lover’s severed arm. That’s the kind of material that’s prized here.

Hung Jury Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

The AVC encoded image (1.33:1 aspect ratio) presentation works with shot-on-video limitations. There's no detail here, with an aged looked at the tape-based production. A general understanding of bodies and costuming is present, along with household interiors. Exteriors don't carry depth, but retain a mild sense of the outdoors and prison island areas. Color is expected for this type of endeavor, with a murkier sense of primaries and skin tones.

Hung Jury Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

The 2.0 DTS-HD MA mix works with inherent technical and creative limitations, but dialogue exchanges are acceptable for this type of endeavor. Voices often compete with background noise, but unintelligibility isn't too problematic. Scoring cues are basic, but a mild synth presence remains.

Hung Jury Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

• Booklet (26 pages) contains a forward by writer/director Gary Whitson, various production photos, and essays by Caroline Kopko, Grace Lovera, and Taylor Heider.

• Commentary features writer/director Gary Whitson.

• Alternate Version (119:10, SD) of "Hung Jury" is offered, with optional commentary by film historian Richard Mogg.

• Bonus Movies (SD) present 1992's "The Perils of Penelope" (84:08) and 2008's "The Perils of Penelope: The Hypnotic Gem" (20:08). These are movie serial homages, told in cliffhanger chapters, and feature 99% more bound women writhing in fear than the original inspirations for the production.

• A Trailer has not been included on this release.

Hung Jury Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

"Hung Jury" makes some effort to introduce a batch of suspects for the island experience, but Whitson eventually doesn't care, revealing the killer at the halfway point, which erases any suspense the helmer was seemingly trying to build with the party idea and the old prison location. It's odd to see the feature sabotage itself, with the movie eventually turning into a mush of character interactions around the main house (which has a "RoboCop 2" teaser poster prominently displayed), and more torture sequences are presented, keeping the W.A.V.E. vibe alive for the last hour of the endeavor. It's not that "Hung Jury" had potential to be great, but it certainly has a path toward basic storytelling competence, even if it's all derivative of many other films. There's something here in the setting and the community that could be explored, with a move toward more frightening stalking sequences and interesting characters. Instead, most concentration is placed on the W.A.V.E. brand of fetishization, giving paying customers all the females in distress scenes they crave from this amateurish SOV entertainment. There's a lot of wasted time here, especially for those who aren't interested in the main selling point of these titles.