Redneck Blu-ray Movie

Rating summary

Movie		4.0
Video		3.5
Audio		4.0
Extras		2.0
Overall		3.5

Redneck Blu-ray Movie Review

Reviewed by Dr. Svet Atanasov January 6, 2021

Silvio Narizzano's "Redneck" (1973) arrives on Blu-ray courtesy of Dark Force Entertainment. The supplemental features on the disc include exclusive new video interview with actor Mark Lester and vintage trailers. In English or Italian, with optional English subtitles for the Italian version of the film. Region-Free.

Mosquito

When the opening credits begin rolling on the screen, the heist is already in progress. Mosquito (Franco Nero) and his partner Memphis (Telly Savalas) are heading toward the jewel store, while Maria (Ely Galleany), the former’s girlfriend, is casually scouting the busy street from the getaway car. Then, in a matter of seconds, the group’s perfect plan to get rich quick falls apart when the man behind the counter refuses to cooperate and Memphis shoots him dead. The robbers prematurely exit the store with a couple of big metal cases and drive off as fast as they can, but shortly after crash their car and steal a new one. While screaming at each other, hitting random produce stands and making their way toward the outskirts of the city, they completely miss the little boy hiding under the giant fur coat on the floor.

At a gas station far away from the city, Maria accidentally discovers Lennox (Mark Lester). Further away in the countryside they pull over again and Lennox tries and fails to escape, forcing Memphis to kill another boy who has observed the drama from afar. Soon after, with Lennox’s hands tied and his mouth gagged, they get back on the road and eventually end up at a junkyard, where Memphis forces Mosquito to admit that he has been taken for a ride by some ‘trusted associates’ who were supposed to help them exchange the loot for cash.

While frequently cursing the collapse of their perfect plan, the robbers reach a popular rest stop used by a motley crew of hookers and accidentally make another discovery -- they have been running away with cases full of cutlery rather than expensive jewels. A few rounds of very intense arguing quickly pushes them apart, but then they return calmer and agree that the only option they have left is to reach the border and cross into France.

Lester recorded a short exclusive video interview for this recent release of Silvio Narizzano’s Redneck in which he recalls how the film received unusually harsh criticism from people that were lucky to see it soon after it was completed. (For years, it was shelved because of various financial disputes). Michael Lester, the actor’s father, was one of the co-producers, so a lot of the criticism was specifically linked to him because he did not think that the film was as offensive as claimed. This was rather interesting to hear because the action and drama are in fact quite edgy, and in more than a few ways the film is actually very similar to Mario Bava’s scandalous thriller Rabid Dogs. (Bava’s film was released only a year later, so a seasoned conspiracy theorist can probably find plenty of legit evidence suggesting that Narizzano’s film might have been an inspiration). For example, the particularly nasty character Savalas plays, Memphis, single-handedly pushes the film into exploitation territory where the abuse and violence on display begin to make perfect sense. The ‘problem’ of course is that the kid is completely incompatible with the exploitation material, which is essentially what legitimizes the opinions of the people that critiqued Lester's father. However, there is an even bigger ‘problem’ that pertains to the kid’s behavior after a visit to a remote Italian castle, which effectively cements the film’s ‘bad’ image. Indeed, instead of behaving like a terrified kidnap victim, the kid becomes inspired by his captors and undergoes a very strange transformation which alters the drama in a new way. In other words, viewers with good imagination can see an even wilder film than the one Narizzano most likely had in mind.

Two versions of the film, one in English and one in Italian, are featured on this release and they are edited a bit differently. The English version should be considered the original one because the principal actors all utter their lines in English. It also has the better opening, which rushes the viewer straight into the tense heist. (The Italian version opens up with a short sequence in which Mosquito sleeps with a hooker who wants to be his girlfriend and then leaves her behind fuming). This being said, Lester is entirely correct to point out that with a better editor the film could have been a major international hit. It has tremendous energy, some quite incredible stunt work, and stars displaying terrific chemistry. As it is, it is already a minor cult classic.

Redneck 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, Redneck arrives on Blu-ray courtesy of Dark Force Entertainment.

According to the press materials that were supplied by Dark Force Entertainment, the release is sourced from a new master struck from the only surviving 35mm materials. (In the new video interview he recorded for it, Mark Lester explains how the film was shelved for years because of financial disputes, so I think it is fair to speculate that even if there are better materials somewhere, putting together a better master would be an incredibly time-consuming and expensive project). So, rather predictably, the film has a solid organic appearance but looks rather rough. There are a few missing frames, a couple of shaky transitions, small and larger damage marks, and minor but noticeable density fluctuations that also affect delineation. In other words, there is room for many meaningful cosmetic improvements. But I still like the new master quite a lot because the film looks like aged film. Indeed, there are absolutely no traces of problematic digital tinkering, so even in areas where it is easy to tell that ideally the visuals should be superior there is still a lot that looks right. The color scheme is fine as well, though this is another area where different meaningful adjustments can be made. All in all, by modern standards the presentation is a bit rough, but it has strong organic qualities that ultimately make it quite easy to enjoy the film. My score is 3.25/5.00. (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).

Redneck Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

There are two standard audio tracks on this Blu-ray release: English DTS-HD Master Audio 2.0 and Italian DTS-HD Master Audio 2.0. Optional English subtitles are provided only for the Italian track.

I viewed the film with the English track, which should be considered the original track for the film. Clarity and depth are very good. However, there are quite a few areas with minor pops and occasionally extremely light background hiss. Considering the manner in which the current master for the film was created, this is hardly surprising. The dialog is very easy to follow.

Redneck Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

• Interview with Mark Lester - in this new video interview, actor Mark Lester recalls how he became involved with, what it was like to work with Franco Nero and Telly Savalas, and socio-cultural climates in Italy and England during the '70s. Also, there are some quite interesting comments about the criticism the film received and its fate. In English, not subtitled. (12 min, 1080p).

• Trailers - a collection of trailers for other Dark Force Entertainment releases.

Redneck Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

If you have seen and enjoyed Rabid Dogs and Hitch-Hike, consider picking up Redneck because it delivers the same type of wild entertainment. Mark Lester is correct to point out that with a better editor Redneck could have been a huge international hit, but it is already a very nicely shot and put together thriller with some surprisingly strong performances. Telly Savalas, in particular, undergoes one of his most memorable character transformations. Dark Force Entertainment's release is sourced from a rough but solid organic master. RECOMMENDED.