Rating summary

Movie		3.5
Video		4.5
Audio		4.0
Extras		3.5
Overall		4.5

Massage Parlor Murders 4K Blu-ray Movie Review

Reviewed by Brian Orndorf March 21, 2023

“Massage Parlor Murders” opens with a scene that finds a lowly, frugal john negotiating with a comely working girl for special clothes-removing enhancements to his anticipated rubdown (scored to Tchaikovsky’s “The Nutcracker,” natch). The scene has nothing to do with the rest of the picture, yet it’s an apt start to the feature, which continues down a path of incoherence and slapdash filmmaking. Right from the start there’s sleaze, a general reluctance to spend money, and nudity, which sums up the viewing event extraordinarily well. Exploitation cinema with a side serving of New York City travelogue, “Massage Parlor Murders” isn’t much of a movie, but it’s a heck of a viewing experience, packing in enough violence, vague confrontations, and clothing-free actors to satisfy those in the mood for gratuitous, no-budget entertainment.

In the heart of New York City, a madman is touring the town’s massage parlors, murdering young women hoping to make a fast buck in the sex industry. On the case are cops Rizotti (George Spencer) and O’Mara (John Moser), who search for a connection between the crimes while precious time slips away, putting pressure on the case as the killer repeatedly strikes. Falling in love with Gwen (Sandra Peabody), one victim’s roommate and a massage gal herself, O’Mara’s attention is swayed by their affair, which takes them around town visiting movie theaters, nightclubs, and swinger establishments. For Rizotti, the lack of evidence burns him deeply, showing little patience for his wife, desperately trying to connect the dots and prevent more loss of life. As leads are chased and witnesses are grilled, the detectives find themselves scrambling to protect working girls as the murder’s design of torment grows more macabre.

For more information and analysis, please read the 2013 Blu-ray review .

Massage Parlor Murders 4K Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

"Massage Parlor Murders" was originally released on Blu-ray in 2013, and now Vinegar Syndrome returns to the title in 2023, offering a 4K presentation, sourced from its original 35mm camera negative. For a film that's all about limited cinematic reach, Vinegar Syndrome manages to refresh "Massage Parlor Murders" for fans(?), delivering an improved viewing experience with a richer sense of color, including sharp primaries and defined changes from the cooler ways of the street to warmer interiors. Skin tones are natural. Costuming is vivid, with period hues crisp. Blood red is exact. Brightness is managed, toned down from 2013. Detail reaches as far as possible, capturing skin particulars as the production explores all kinds of bodies. Sets are open for inspection, with clear decoration. Exteriors are wonderfully dimensional for this NYC time capsule. Grain is heavy and film-like. Delineation is satisfactory. Source is in good condition.

Massage Parlor Murders 4K Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

The previous Blu-ray featured a 2.0 Dolby Digital track, while this new release upgrades to a 1.0 DTS-HD MA mix. Improvement is noted, with a much clearer handle on dialogue exchanges. Some sections of the movie remain hobbled by technical limitations, but the track maintains a fresher sound. Music also has a great presence, supporting with funky additions and some electro stings.

Massage Parlor Murders 4K Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

UHD

• Commentary features film historian Samm Deighan

Blu-ray

• Commentary features film historian Samm Deighan.

• "Sin City" (11:29, HD) is a tour of "Massage Parlor Murders" locations with host Michael Gingold.

• Outtakes (9:35, HD) present a collection of shots from a two sections of the picture. There's additional pool orgy footage to pore through, revealing surprisingly graphic content to a bizarrely restrained scene of nude celebration. We also witness multiple takes of a greeting between O'Mara and Gwen, thus proving some thought was put into the shooting of the feature. More interesting is a series of shots captured around New York City, where the loving couple wanders through the streets on the hunt for evening entertainment. The glowing marquees and pedestrian personality is interesting to spot, while production "cheats" to sell the multiple stops on this date without spending any money are amusing.

• T.V. Spot (:33, HD) promotes "Massage Parlor Hookers."

• Re-release Trailer (1:57, HD), billed as "Massage Parlor Hookers," attempts to sell the effort as more of a softcore romp, largely avoiding the violent content of the work.

• An Original Trailer (2:13, HD), which loftily compares the picture to "Psycho," is included.

Massage Parlor Murders 4K Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

There's enough classical music presented here to qualify "Massage Parlor Murders" as the "Fantasia" of dead hooker masseuse movies, a liberal use of inner-monologue exposition that predates "Taxi Driver" by a few years, and some Herschell Gordon Lewis-style gore is tossed in to please genre fans looking for cheap thrills. It's all tied up with a sloppy bow and stained gift wrapping, but the essentials of sleaze and T.V. supercop heroism are nicely accounted for in this strange picture, while its snapshot of New York City during its most corroded era keeps the effort fascinating, especially when it wanders off to fill time.