Savage Dawn Blu-ray Movie

Rating summary

Movie		4.0
Video		5.0
Audio		4.5
Extras		3.0
Overall		4.5

Savage Dawn Blu-ray Movie Review

Reviewed by Brian Orndorf November 29, 2019

“Savage Dawn” is a production from 1985 that surprisingly doesn’t get much attention in cult film circles. It’s a biker movie mixed with heavy western influences, also granting star Lance Henriksen the rare opportunity to play a heroic role, turning him into an action star for a brief shining moment. That alone is worth a viewing, but director Simon Nuchtern (“Silent Madness,” “The Rejuvenator”) also packs the effort with a strong collection of supporting actors who love to chew the scenery, including George Kennedy, Richard Lynch, Karen Black, and William Forsythe. There’s another reason to take a look at the picture. Also helping “Savage Dawn” is its general nuttiness, with Nuchtern delivering strange violence, broad masculinity, and a cameo by pre-fame Sam Kinison to butter up the exploitation vibe. That should immediately trigger a viewing.

There’s a battle for peace in the southwest, finding Stryker (Lance Henriksen) reconnecting with old pal Tick (George Kennedy), who lives in a dead mining town. Ruining the reunion are the Savages, a biker gage led by Pigiron (William Forsythe), who want to control the community, using violence and access to a local armory to do so.

The screenplay isn’t big on depth, preferring to lead with thick slices of manly business as Stryker begins to understand the danger he and his friends are in. Nuchtern wisely invests in mood and B-movie grunginess, depicting the town in crisis as a deteriorating hell hole most residents want to escape from. Stryker tries to avoid entanglements, but he’s pulled into the madness once Pigiron begins his mission of intimidation, hoping to claim ownership via the community’s fight club. “Savage Dawn” has no shortage of “huh?” moments, but that’s part of its appeal, as the production tends to go wherever it needs to in its quest to make a real film out of a jumble of genres and ideas. Perhaps the strangest is Stryker’s sexual relationship with Tick’s daughter, whom he hasn’t seen since she was a child. And there’s the Kinison appearance, with the famously loud comic using his roots as a preacher to portray a God-fearing barber who sings “Amazing Grace” while trimming beards. Kinison is never offered a close-up, and he’s billed as “Sam Kennison,” making this rare screen appearance quite interesting, but frustratingly brief.

Savage Dawn Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

"Scanned & restored in 2K from the 35mm original camera negative," "Savage Dawn" makes the leap to Blu-ray with real exploitation beauty. The AVC encoded image (1.85:1 aspect ratio) presentation provides a sharp view of frame particulars, with the open air location superbly dimensional, and the tighter confines of the town rich with decoration and background activity. Costuming is textured, along with facial surfaces, which enjoy a range of rough-looking individuals. Colors are marvelous, offering crisp blue skies and varied clothing, from biker gang leathers to townie primaries. Skintones are exact. Delineation is supportive. Source is in great shape, with a few scratches and mild speckling detected.

Savage Dawn Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

The 2.0 DTS-HD MA sound mix offers a wider presence for scoring cues, presenting a deep synth to best support the moods of the feature. Dialogue exchanges are understood in full, clarifying accents and attitudes. Sound effects are direct, with gunshots sharp and explosions reasonably detailed. Atmospherics are compelling, exploring community activity with town visits and biker gang commotion.

Savage Dawn Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

• Commentary features director Simon Nuchtern.

• And a Trailer (3:02, HD) is included.

Savage Dawn Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

"Savage Dawn" has lots of action and overblown performances, and there's even a tank tossed into the mix to create just the right level of super-duper violence, helping to make the Savages a real threat. This is a B-movie with no aspirations to become respectable, with Nuchtern delivering an amusingly ridiculous feature that has a real presence about it, offering a committed cast and general weirdness to achieve its creative goal: to become a tough biker picture for the glossy 1980s. Henriksen certainly enjoys his time with the production, and the feeling is contagious.