Rating summary

Movie		2.0
Video		2.5
Audio		3.0
Extras		3.0
Overall		2.0

The Hooked Generation Blu-ray Movie Review

Reviewed by Jeffrey Kauffman December 26, 2020

Note: This film is available as part of He Came from the Swamp: The William Grefé Collection.

Anyone who thought Arrow Video had already released the mother lode of Florida based exploitation fare with their gigantic The Herschell Gordon Lewis Feast set from a few years ago had best be prepared to realize that the intrepid folks at this label known for catering to (cinematic) cultists of various stripes may have in fact only been offering an appetizer of sorts. It’s kind of amazing in a way to hear Herschell Gordon Lewis himself singing the praises of William Grefé in the feature length documentary They Came From the Swamp included in this new set devoted to Grefé’s work, but Lewis actually makes a point of stating that he was the interloper on territory Grefé had already staked out, and that Grefé couldn’t have been more gracious in welcoming Lewis to the far south fold, so to speak. It may be a little odd, then, that for at least some fans of exploitation cinema Herschell Gordon Lewis’ name may be better remembered than that of William Grefé, something that may seem especially unexpected given the fact that Grefé was at least occasionally able to muster A-list (or formerly A-list) talent like Rita Hayworth for some of his projects, an accomplishment that probably never would have even occurred to Lewis to attempt.

If the first disc in He Came from the Swamp: The William Grefé Collection featured fairly traditional "monster" based horror, the two films on the second disc try to feature another kind of "horror", namely the scourge of drugs that had become front page news courtesy of the so-called "hippie movement" of the mid- to late sixties, and which was probably deemed incredibly au courant when The Hooked Generation was released in 1968. (The Psychedelic Priest was initially shot during this same general era, but encountered a number of issues which prevented its release until decades later.) The Hooked Generation is another Grefé effort that uses some Florida locations rather well, but its story of murderous drug runners attempting to elude the authorities is ultimately kind of silly, hampered by some typically less than artful performances and some kind of wonky editing choices.

Kind of hilariously, at least given general perceptions of "revolutionary" politics, The Hooked Generation seems to suggest that Fidel Castro's Cuba was only too willing to provide enterprising Capitalists in Florida with drugs to sell. Unfortunately for the Cubans in this film, the American drug runners are out and out villains, and the Cubans are just the first of several victims falling prey to the bad guys' machinations. The bulk of the film actually is a kind of cat and mouse game in the wilds of the Everglades as the druggies attempt to outrun some Federal types. The Hooked Generation frankly never really offers an overt "anti drug" message, though considering what happens to the "users" in this film, it's probably distinctly implied that drugs aren't going to lead to anything other than disaster.

The Hooked Generation Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

The Hooked Generation is presented on Blu-ray courtesy of Arrow Video with an AVC encoded 1080p transfer in 1.33:1. Arrow's hardcover insert book has a full page devoted to the transfers of each of the films, starting with some generic overview verbiage and then some brief comments on each film:

All the films included in this collection have been restored from the best available materials. Whilst every effort has been made to offer up the best possible presentations, the results inevitably vary according to the condition of the source materials, some of which were in poor shape. We hope that this does not affect your enjoyment of the films.

Sting of Death was scanned from its original 35mm negative. The audio was sourced from a 35mm optical track negative.

Death Curse of Tartu was scanned from a 16mm print. The audio was also sourced from this print. The 16mm print - presumably a TV print - was found to have been trimmed for gore, so these missing shots were sourced from a lesser copy 35mm print and reinstated.

The Hooked Generation was scanned from a 16mm internegative. The audio was sourced from a 16mm optical track negative.

The Psychedelic Priest (AKA Electric Shades of Grey ) was scanned from a 16mm Ektachrome release print. The audio was also sourced from this print.

The Naked Zoo was scanned from its original 35mm negative, which had been recut to the Barry Mahon version of the film. In order to recreate William Grefé 's original director's cut, the footage unique to that version was sourced from a badly faded and warped 35mm workprint. The audio was sourced from a 35mm double edged track print and a 35mm track negative.

Mako: Jaws of Death was scanned from two 16mm prints, which were composited for best quality sections of each. The audio was also sourced from these prints.

Whiskey Mountain was scanned from a 16mm scope print. The audio was also sourced from this print.

All materials used in these restorations were supplied William Grefé , Lisa Petrucci / Something Weird Video, Vinegar Syndrome, Ed Tucker, and AGFA (American Genre Film Archive).

Considering its smaller format source, The Hooked Generation looks surprisingly good a lot of the time, at least within the context of this set. There are definitely signs of age related wear and tear, and the smaller format means that grain can often look incredibly chunky, often with a kind of clumpy and yellow tinged ambience. Colors look somewhat faded some of the time, with flesh tones verging toward brown, but there's still rather good saturation throughout. There are quite a few scenes on a boat that maybe were meant to be day for night (?) and are just bathed in a blue tint that, when combined with the chunky grain, can definitely deflate fine detail. Otherwise, though, general detail levels are actually quite good, all things considered, with, for example, some of the textures on clothing looking precise.

The Hooked Generation Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

The Hooked Generation features an LPCM Mono track that has some damage like some of the other films in this set, including noticeable hiss, pops and cracks. Fidelity can ebb and flow, especially with regard to some of the location work, notably stuff out in the boat that doesn't sound like it was looped later. The score doesn't have much "oomph" in the low end, something that's especially noticeable in terms of the bass. Dialogue makes it through the gauntlet decently if not perfectly. Optional English subtitles are available.

The Hooked Generation Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

All of the films in this set save for Whiskey Mountain are presented two per disc, and so some supplements are more generalist in nature. This disc has the following supplements:

• Beyond the Movie: That's Drugsploitation! (1080p; 7:51) features Chris Poggiali looking at various so-called "counter culture" films.


• Beyond the Movie: The Ultimate Road Trip (1080p; 8:22) features Poggiali again, here giving some of the truly bizarre background of The Psychedelic Priest, including the absolutely incredible trivia tidbit that Grefe was evidently paid for his work with trading stamps!


• The Hooked Generation Behind the Scenes Footage (1080i; 23:29)


• The Hooked Generation Stills Gallery (1080p; 6:40)


• Archival Audio Commentaries for both films on this disc are provided by William Grefé and filmmaker Frank Henenlotter.


• Introduction to The Hooked Generation by William Grefé (1080p; 2:40) can be accessed under the Play Menu for that film. This is authored to move directly on to the feature after it plays.


• Introduction to The Psychedlic Priest by William Grefé (1080p; 2:15) can be accessed under the Play Menu for that film. This is authored to move directly on to the feature after it plays.

The Hooked Generation Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

The Hooked Generation isn't as much a drug fueled story (though that's what gets the ball rolling) as it is a "criminals on the lam" tale, and in that regard, it uses some Florida locations relatively well. This is another presentation with persistent issues in both video and audio, but the supplements are appealing, for those who are considering a purchase.