Spetters Blu-ray Movie

Rating summary

Movie		3.5
Video		4.5
Audio		4.5
Extras		3.0
Overall		4.0

Spetters Blu-ray Movie Review

Reviewed by Brian Orndorf June 4, 2018

Paul Verhoeven is known as a cinematic provocateur. He’s a filmmaker with a defined taste for the extreme, using sex and violence as mere building blocks in his features, which typically amplify the human experience into big screen opera, making a mess of emotions and body parts. 1980’s “Spetters” comes before Verhoeven’s incredible American run of “RoboCop,” “Total Recall,” and “Basic Instinct,” returning to a time when he was a burgeoning Dutch helmer with plenty of spunk to spray on audiences, funneling his enthusiasm for untamed characters into a story of youthful energy, tragedy, and bad behavior. Imagine if Verhoeven directed “Porky’s,” and that’s close to the viewing experience of “Spetters,” which highlights the youth of Rotterdam as they try to make their way in the world, landing on the worst possible personal decisions imaginable along the way. Overkill is a big deal to Verhoeven, and the feature tries to inflate common problems into major incidents of horror, retaining the unmistakable vision of a helmer who excels at creating screen danger, but often doesn’t know when to quit.

Trying to make their way as young people near Rotterdam, Rien (Hans van Tongeren), Eef (Toon Agterberg), and Hans (Maarten Spanjer) have pinned their hopes on motocross racing, taking a special interest in the sport, which is currently owned by the longstanding champion, Gerrit (Rutger Hauer). Eef is a mechanic who endures abuse from his God-fearing parent. Hans has spirit but no real skill, trying to turn himself into a bike-riding legend. And Rien offers a proper challenge to Gerrit’s throne, working his way up the ranks with natural track instinct and support from his girlfriend, Maya (Marianne Boyer). Into the city comes Fientje (Renee Soutendijk) and her brother, bringing a French fry and croquette caravan to special events, slinging fried food to customers. Fientje is also a temptress, targeting Rien and his potential future, cozying up to the rider while offering him business leadership that brings him to the big time. As the year passes, the friends experience separate adventures and shared mischief, with Fientje’s opportunist ways coming up against tragedies and personal discoveries.

Already building his reputation for forceful entertainment with efforts such as “Soldier of Orange” and “Turkish Delight,” Verhoeven isn’t about to apply the brakes with “Spetters.” Instead, the helmer throws his whole body into the work, which offers the simple premise of juvenile delinquency in Rotterdam, with the three main motocross fanatics working very hard to find a way out of their lives. It’s a very patriarchal take on personal awakening, with the young man recognizing the lives their domesticated fathers lead, inspiring them to try something else before the inevitable catches up to them. This liberation is found on a motorcycle, with the motocross circuit calling out to Rien and Hans, while Eef is their trusty mechanic, spending his days working at a gas station, doing his best to avoid his dad’s Biblical lessons on obedience, which involves periodic beatings in the name of God. The lure of racing plays a key role in “Spetters,” with the brass ring embodied by Gerrit, a flashy, arrogant champion who defines success to the boys, inspiring them to one day defeat their hero and absorb his legacy, which is mostly orchestrated by Frans (Jeroen Krabbe), a shady sports reporter.

“Spetters” has elements of teen melodrama, even with slightly older players in the angst game. Verhoeven enjoys the art of disrupting tonal softness as much as possible, giving the picture a raw sense of sexuality marked by graphic nudity. When Rien, Hans, and Eef cook up a plan to use a penis-measuring contest to decide who gets first crack at Fientje, Verhoeven isn’t shy to show it, dipping into a few, brief hardcore sequences as well. It’s this European perspective that gives the movie identity, keeping it away from traditional mope as the characters scramble through shenanigans, coming up against a few critical challenges along the way, including betrayal, confusion, and even paralysis, giving “Spetters” a wide range of incident, with Verhoeven sinking his teeth into every possible moment.

There’s no requirement for “Spetters” to supply endearing characters. However, a single likeable soul would help, finding this collection of broken people constantly in predatory mode, with the exception of Hans, who’s just a halfwit. Rien is awful to Maya, Eef elects to make money by robbing gay hustlers in the shadows of the city, and Fientje is a practiced manipulator, using her pronounced sexuality to find a way out of her dreary life. The screenplay examines the power of religion via the lure of faith healing, remaining cynical about Christianity, and its treatment of homosexuality is pretty grim, finding Eef exploring his own sexuality through violence. “Spetters” isn’t cheery, that’s for sure, but its darkness isn’t alluring. Sure, some of this is chalked up to period-specific attitudes, but there’s some real rage coming through that isn’t examined in full, giving the picture some strange, pointless fixations at times.

For Verhoeven completists, it’s fascinating to watch how much the 1980 picture is mirrored in 1995’s “Showgirls,” finding the helmer’s fascination with menstrual blood and climatic gang rape established here, along with his fondness for desperate people urged into moral ruin just to survive. The movies would make an incredible double feature.

Spetters Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

"Spetters" arrives on Blu-ray boasting a "Brand new 4K restoration," and the results are quite effective for this aged, low-budget endeavor. The AVC encoded image (1.67:1 aspect ratio) presentation is consistently textured and filmic, with fine grain and a hearty sense of primaries. City life is carried by natural hues, peppered with hotter neon, while the racing circuit handles with bright uniforms, amplifying reds and yellows. Costuming is flavorful all around, and greenery is impressive, contributing a vivid look at rural activities. Detail is secure, surveying troubled faces with defined particulars, while more graphic content is clearly displayed, supporting the unrated endeavor in full. Locations retain dimensional distances, and set decoration is easily examined. Delineation maintains frame information. Source is in fine shape, without pronounced points of damage.

Spetters Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

The 2.0 DTS-HD MA sound mix captures the period intensity of "Spetters," offering a clear read of dialogue exchanges, which maintain their hostility and seductiveness. Soundtrack selections are dialed down some, but scoring remains out in front, delivering synth-laden power to the drama, maintaining clear instrumentation, extending to town band performance scenes. Racing sequences maintain their inherent motocross roar, communicating rider position and sheer speed. Atmospherics are acceptable.

Spetters Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

• Commentary features director Paul Verhoeven.

• Image Gallery (4:25) contains a wealth of publicity snaps and a few BTS pictures highlighting Verhoeven on the set.

• And a Theatrical Trailer (2:10, SD) is included.

Spetters Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

"Spetters" is misguided at times, but it never bores thanks to Verhoeven's maniacal directorial vision. He fills the frame with heated confrontation, bluntly seductive encounters, and eager performances. There's the late 1970s as well, with disco playing an important part in the plot, while the soundtrack includes hits from Michael Jackson, ABBA, and Iggy Pop. Couple that with the community aspects of the story and interesting locations, and "Spetters" emerges as an evocative picture. Not a measured one by any means, but memorable for its directness and unusual concentration on ugly behavior.