Rating summary

Movie		4.0
Video		4.0
Audio		5.0
Extras		5.0
Overall		4.5

Savage Streets Blu-ray Movie Review

Reviewed by Dr. Svet Atanasov December 2, 2018

Danny Steinmann's "Savage Streets" (1984) arrives on Blu-ray courtesy of Code Red. The supplemental features on the disc include three audio commentaries with producer John Strong and various cast members; a large collection of vintage cast and crew interviews; original trailer for the film; and a lot more. In English, without optional English SDH subtitles for the main feature. Region-A "locked".

Big sister

Savage Streets was part of a very specific countertrend that peaked during the mid-1980s. At the time there were a number of independent producers that financed a range of teen films that basically headed in the exact opposite direction that the popular teen sex comedies had explored. So instead of silly erotic adventures involving horny young boys and girls these ‘counter’ films promoted violence and brutality of the type that would have been appropriate for the rough crime dramas that the 1970s saw. The smarter producers also figured out that their films will make better business if they had a proper soundtrack with catchy tunes, so they went out and signed material from some very interesting young rock artists that needed the extra exposure. It is probably fair to say now that Savage Streets, Class of 1984 and The New Kids were amongst the best of the bunch, followed closely by Young Warriors and to a lesser extent the Angel films.

Following an unpleasant encounter, a couple of high-school girls steal and trash a fancy car that belongs to The Scars, a gang of vicious punks that have been dealing drugs and wreaking havoc in their neighborhood. Shortly after, in an attempt to retaliate the punks rape the younger deaf and mute sister (Linnea Quigley) of one of the girls, Brenda (Linda Blair). While the victim recovers in a local hospital, the leader of the punks (Robert Dryer) inspires his buddies to go after another girl who is pregnant and getting ready to marry the father of her baby. News about her cold body being found under a giant bridge emerges at the same time Brenda discovers that The Scars are responsible for her sister’s suffering and all hell breaks loose.

What is especially unsettling about Savage Streets is the easiness with which it switches into a hyper-violent mode and then remains comfortable with the nasty material. It is true that this infuses the film with a certain trashy quality, but the end product is anything but kitschy and devoid of authenticity. In fact, exactly the opposite is true -- the nastiest visuals feel borderline dangerous. (In a terrific exclusive interview that is included on this release producer John Strong argues otherwise, but it is not exactly a shocker that initially someone slapped the dreaded X rating on the film because some of the animal behavior is really out there).

The current version of the film apparently emerged after some serious drama involving multiple parties. The original producer, for instance, abandoned the project after only a couple of days of working on it, and then Strong took over, re-wrote the script, and sold it to Orion Pictures. Then once production resumed apparently there was serious tension between director Danny Steinmann and Strong, and the latter reportedly cut and put together the film exactly as he wished, without the former’s input. All of this, if true, is rather remarkable because in its current form the film actually looks as attractive and polished as a project of its kind could.

One other thing that looks just as remarkable now is the impressive supporting cast that was assembled for the film. John Vernon, for instance, is perfect as the straight shooter that runs the local high-school and confronts the punks. The underrated Johnny Venocur plays the one bad guy that has a heart. And of course the prolific Sal Landi was perfectly cast as the deranged owner of the fancy car that the girls trash in the beginning of the film.

The great soundtrack features top tunes by John Farnham (“Justice for All”, “Innocent Hearts”), Micheal Bradley (“In the Night”), 3 Speed (“Cry”), and Real Life ("Exploding Bullets").

Savage Streets Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

Presented in an aspect ratio of 1.78:1, encoded with MPEG-4 AVC and granted a 1080p transfer, Savage Streets arrives on Blu-ray courtesy of Code Red.

The release is sourced from a recent remaster that was struck from an interpositive, and features additional color correction that was performed in 2018 exclusively for it. (Code Red initially released the film on Blu-ray in 2014. You can see our listing of the first release here).

I think that the remaster is very nice. I have only two minor complaints. First, a few white flecks and tiny stains remain, so if funds were available they should have been removed. Second, all of the bonus content should have been placed on a separate disc, just as Ronin Flix did when they produced their release of the remastered Hardware, and then the encoding should have been optimized so that the darker footage looks better in high-definition. As it is there are a couple of segments later into the film -- starting with the decisive clash between Linda Blair and Robert Dryer -- where grain exposure begins to suffer a bit. (I have attached examples in screencaptures #16 and 17). The rest I like quite a lot. It is true that in an ideal world a higher resolution remaster struck from the OCN would produce better density plus a wider range of nuances that will ultimately strengthen delineation and on a large screen the film will look superior, but the current remaster still has a very nice organic appearance. The color grading is also very convincing. There are nice ranges of lovely primaries and the supporting nuances appear equally well-balanced. There are only a few examples where light black crush sneaks in, but it is nothing that will actually impact negatively your viewing experience. There are absolutely no traces of problematic digital tinkering. (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).

Savage Streets Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

There are two standard audio tracks on this Blu-ray release: English DTS-HD Master Audio 2.0 and English DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1. Additionally, an isolated music track, offered as Dolby Digital 2.0, is included. Optional English SDH subtitles are not provided for the main feature.

This film has a first-class AOR soundtrack and hearing the music in lossless audio is quite the treat. I started viewing the film with the 2.0 track but then switched to the 5.1 track, and this is how I finished it. The 5.1 track was apparently recently created from the original 3-track mag, and while the disc does not appear to clarify who did it or where, I have to underscore my satisfaction with it because the mix is indeed excellent. Clarity, depth, and balance on the 2.0 track are also solid. Well done.

Savage Streets Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

• Commentary One - this vintage audio commentary features producer John Strong, and stars Johnny Venocur and Robert Dryer, and director David DeCoteau (Sorority Babes in the Slimeball Bowl-O-Rama). It is a very funny commentary, but also incredibly informative. There is an abundance of information about the difficult production history of the film, the risky rape footage, the unique qualities of the different cast members, the film's terrific soundtrack, etc. The commentary initially appeared on BCI's Special Edition DVD release of Savage Streets.

• Commentary Two - this vintage audio commentary features stars Sal Landi, Robert Dryer, and dierctor of photography Steven Posey. Here there is again plenty of information about the production process, some specific locations that were chosen for the film, the framing and lensing of various sequences, the original script and the one that producer John Strong delivered, the soundtrack (and supposed similarities with the work of legendary rocker Meat Loaf), etc. The commentary was also included on BCI's DVD release.

• Commentary Three - in this vintage audio commentary, director Danny Steinmann recalls how he entered the film business, including his short foray into the adult industry, and discusses in great detail his involvement with Savage Street and its difficult production history. There is a particularly interesting revelation about funding coming in from wiseguys from the East Coast that were reportedly directly involved with the production as well. The commentary was also included on BCI's DVD release.

• Vintage Interviews - presented here are three vintage interviews with stars Robert Dryer, Johnny Venocur, and producer John Strong. The interviewees discuss their contributions to Savage Streets, interactions with other cast and crew members during the production process, and the film's image. In English, not subtitled.
  
  1. Robert Dryer (6 min, 480/60i).
  2. Johnny Venocur (15 min, 480/60i).
  3. John Strong (14 min, 480/60i).

• Recent Interviews - presented here is a more recent selection of interviews with producer John Strong, and stars Sla Landi, Robert Dryer, Scott Mayer, Johnny Venocur, Linda Blair, and Linnea Quigley. The interviewees recall how they were approached and offered to work on Savage Streets, the quality of the production and some of the obstacles that they had to overcome, their interactions with other cast and crew members, the qualities of the main characters, the film's popularity, etc. In English, not subtitled.
  
  1. John Strong (13 min, 480/60i).
  2. Robert Dryer (22 min, 480/60i).
  3. Sal Landi (10 min, 480/60i).
  4. Scott Mayer (13 min, 480/60i).
  5. Johnny Venocur (10 min, 480/60i).
  6. Linda Blair (17 min, 480/60i).
  7. Linnea Quigley (11 min, 480/60i).

• Trailer - a remastered vintage trailer for Savage Streets. In English, not subtitled. (4 min, 1080p).

• Kat Skratch Cinema Format - a video introduction to Savage Streets by Katarina Leigh Waters. In English, not subtitled. (4 min, 480/60i).

• Isolated Music Track - presented as Dolby Digital 2.0.

• Cover - reversible cover with original vintage poster art.

Savage Streets Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

Savage Streets has a legit mean attitude that together with its incredible soundtrack give it an irresistible '80s vibe. It really is quite easy to defend as a cult film. Bill Olsen at Code Red remastered the film and initially released it on Blu-ray in 2014, but this new reissue features additional color enhancements and an incredibly impressive selection of bonus features. The commentaries and especially the interviews with producer John Strong are outstanding. Frankly, it is one of the most elaborate releases of a cult film that I have seen this year, and I hope it is a big success for Code Red. If you reside in a Region-B territory and wish to add it to your collection, please keep in mind that it is Region-A "locked". HIGHLY RECOMMENDED.