Rating summary

Movie		1.0
Video		3.0
Audio		3.5
Extras		4.0
Overall		4.0

The Flesh Merchant Blu-ray Movie Review

Reviewed by Brian Orndorf April 9, 2023

1993’s “The Flesh Merchant” is a strange blend of a T.V. cop show and fetish video. Director Mike Tristano and screenwriter Steve Jarvis look to make their own version of a police adventure with the picture, which follows the focus of two detectives on the hunt for a human trafficker who’s made things personal, pitting the might of the LAPD against the brutality of goons trying to sell young women around the world. There’s a big “been there, done that” vibe to the shot-on-video feature, with Tristano bringing nothing even remotely new to the supercop experience, content to rely on the same old stuff, found most frequently on network television. What’s slightly different here is violence, as the helmer takes his time with brutality involving female characters, really lingering on suffering and humiliation in a way that suggests Tristano has some gender issues he needs to work out with a therapist. Promoted as exploitation, “The Flesh Merchant” is dreary and inert, in need of a much tighter edit and less focus on extended sequences of misery, which sucks all the potential bottom-shelf fun out of the endeavor.

In the wilds of Los Angeles, trouble is brewing, with violent goons sneaking around the area, kidnapping vulnerable young women. Acting as a dealer for a “white slavery ring,” Valentino (Neil Delama) is a ruthless organizer of the business, working with his team of brutes to collect enough “merchandise” to satisfy picky customers, currently preparing a shipment worthy of acceptance in the Middle East. Valentino lives to torture his captives, making things nice for his boss, Delambre (Don Stroud), but on the case are two supercops looking to shut down the operation, with Mac (James Adam Tucker) and Darleen (Margo Romero) determined to bring Valentino to justice. The investigation gets personal when Darleen’s sister, Jennifer (Elizabeth Chambers), is taken by Valentino’s men, joined by roommate Karen (Twila Wolfe), with the victims pushed through the dehumanization process, fighting their captors to the best of their ability. Captain Jameson (Joe Estevez) tries to keep Mac and Darlene off the case, fearful of their personal involvement, but the partners won’t be refused, embarking on their own plan of infiltration, looking to break the slavery business and save innocent lives.

Danger is introduced during an opening sequence exploring how an average day in the wilderness goes horribly wrong for two women in the woods. Trying to enjoy nature, the campers are soon stalked and collected by large, angry men, stuffed into a van and sent to Los Angeles, where they’re introduced to a compound run by Valentino. Activity inside the building is detailed in the last act of “The Flesh Merchant,” but intimidation is present in Valentino, who runs his operation with an iron fist, making sure his prey isn’t comfortable and his men act on his command.

As villains go, Valentino is a passable menace, with Tristano exploring his malevolent ways and business practices, reporting to Delambre. “The Flesh Merchant” also follows a partnership between Mac and Darlene, with the latter struggling to knock some sense into her sister, as Jennifer believes she has a shot at Hollywood stardom while working in a dive bar around handsy men. A plot emerges in “The Flesh Merchant” when Jennifer is taken by Valentino’s stooges, setting up revenge plans throttled by Captain Jameson, but the writing doesn’t believe in dramatic urgency, instead offering scenes with dull tough guy posturing and crummy dialogue, and investigative efforts aren’t sharp, failing to add intensity to the mission to save Jennifer. What does take up a lot of feature is time inside Valentino’s operation, with Tristano stopping the picture to examine how the victims are stripped nude, tied up, gagged, beaten, whipped, branded, and exploited in dungeon pornography, just leaning on all the anguish he can pull out of moments, turning the viewing experience into its own form of punishment.

The Flesh Merchant Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

The AVC encoded image (1.33:1 aspect ratio) presentation is listed as a "new transfer and HD up-res from the original 1-inch video master." As with all SOV productions, "The Flesh Merchant" is never going to be pretty, but a general appreciation of character appearances and exploitation displays is offered. Colors aren't sharp, but basic primaries are acceptable, working with period fashion choices and interior decoration. Exteriors retain a faint sense of greenery and summery L.A. tours. Source is in decent condition.

The Flesh Merchant Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

The 2.0 DTS-HD MA reaches about as far as possible with clarity, offering acceptable dialogue exchanges. Performances are appreciable, often battling technical limitations, echo-y environments, and background noise. Scoring supports adequately, with a softer synth sound.

The Flesh Merchant Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

• Commentary features director Mike Tristano.

• "Making a Flesh Merchant" (28:58, HD) is an interview with director Mike Tristano, actor Neil Delama, and co-producer Joseph Haggerty. Tristano and Haggerty were looking to create a sellable movie, turning to the trends of the day to come up with "The Flesh Merchant," which was shot in 11 days. Film being too expensive, Tristano turned to high-end video to make his movie, which helped to speed up the shoot. Casting is explored, with the helmer carrying over several actors from his previous endeavor, "Feast," and the trio celebrate contributions from Don Stroud and Michelle Bauer. Production challenges are highlighted, with cast and crew running around Los Angeles to capture a street feel for the picture. Delama tries to articulate his feelings about the effort, and the gang shares their favorite moments from the shoot. Anecdotes about "The Flesh Merchant" and Hollywood life are also shared.

• "Independent Flesh" (19:15, HD) is an interview with actor/co-producer James Adam Tucker, who comes armed with a sheet of questions, trying to answer fan queries about the making of "The Flesh Merchant." Tucker recalls his introduction to the world of director Mike Tristano, and his early career achievements, slowly making his way around the industry, including some time on network television. The interviewee shares his work in production, making his own projects to expand creative control. L.A. memories are explored, as Tucker dealt with distribution and location shooting. For "The Flesh Merchant," time as an actor is explored, working with Joe Estevez, impressed with his co-star. Highlights from the shoot are recalled, with Tucker exposed to many new experiences during the making of the film, including falling asleep before a take. He concludes with final thoughts about the picture and his days in B-movies.

• And a Trailer (3:22, SD) is included.

The Flesh Merchant Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

100-minutes long, "The Flesh Merchant" could easily lose 30 minutes and not lose anything pertaining to story, as Tristano makes very little effort to create a tidy, propulsive cop movie. He lingers on ugliness long after he makes his intended points, ending up with a sloppy, dull endeavor, and one without an ending, preferring to set things up for a sequel that, of course, was never made. "The Flesh Merchant" has all the ingredients and influences to create a least a decent ride with nasty L.A. business and broad heroism, but Tristano can't get this feature off the ground, too caught up in his own obsessions to actually follow through with an exciting film.