The Mad Bomber Blu-ray Movie

Rating summary

Movie		2.5
Video		3.5
Audio		4.0
Extras		4.0
Overall		3.0

The Mad Bomber Blu-ray Movie Review

Reviewed by Jeffrey Kauffman October 28, 2024

Bert I. Gordon will forever be remembered by a certain class of film fan for efforts like The Amazing Colossal Man, Earth vs. the Spider and Attack of the Puppet People , but beginning in the mid sixties, Gordon started to "branch out", thematically speaking, at least in fits and starts. While he would return to his prime metier, namely special effects suffused sci-fi tinged efforts, in such outings as The Food of the Gods and Empire of the Ants, there are at least a few other productions starting with 1966's Picture Mommy Dead, where Gordon attempted to delve into other areas of quasi- exploitation films. 1972 saw Gordon attempt to traffic in Dirty Harry territory, albeit with maybe just a dash of Targets thrown in, with The Mad Bomber, a film which has a probably hilarious set of alternate titles, including The Police Connection (the title card offered here, and also the title of the film in a previously released and now out of print Code Red Blu-ray) and Geronimo, as evidenced by some of the trailers included on this disc as supplements.

If notable for nothing else, The Mad Bomber under any of its "assumed names" at least offers Ben Casey chasing both The Rifleman and one of the Texas Rangers from Laredo, as the ludicrously named policeman Geronimo Minelli (Vince Edwards) tries to apprehend (at least occasional) titular mad bomber William Dorn (Chuck Connors) and rapist George Fromley (Neville Brand). Already those acquainted with some of Bert I. Gordon's earlier work will realize this is a noticeably grittier and at times kind of shocking story from a filmmaker who tended to indulge in less weightier material.

The basic plot here is, well, basic, with Dorn attempting to avenge the death of his daughter and end of his marriage through a series of bombings, all while rapist Fromley is on the hunt for available female prey, including at a local mental institution. Fromley and one of Fromley's victims may be able to identify Dorn, and Minelli uses that "insider" information to help track down the killer. It's all kind of silly, ultimately, and way overwrought most of the time, but it does offer Connors a rather unusual role, one which he arguably may not have brought enough feral intensity to, instead often relying on kind of comically wide open eyes to convey insanity.

The Mad Bomber Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

The Mad Bomber is presented on Blu-ray courtesy of Severin Films with an AVC encoded 1080p transfer in 1.85:1. The back cover of this release states this was "scanned in 4K from the internegative for the first time ever". Simply comparing the look of this transfer to the TV Cut also included on this disc reveals a massive improvement in overall image quality, but that said, there are definitely some variances on display here. The palette is generally well suffused, but it can interstitially look a bit on the blue side, aside and apart from some pretty clumsy day for night sequences which are almost slathered in blue tones. Grain also shows some pretty wide variances in thickness and resolution, as can perhaps be gleaned by some of the screenshots I've uploaded to accompany this review. Some darker scenes can look a bit on the noisy side. There's some minor but observable age related wear and tear that has made it through whatever restoration gauntlet was employed.

The Mad Bomber Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

The Mad Bomber offers DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 and DTS-HD Master Audio 2.0 Mono options. The surround track probably offers a bit more "oomph" in the low end for scenes like the early explosion in a high school, but surround activity tends to be intermittent and relegated mostly to scoring and ambient environmental effects. The mono track may suffice perfectly well for many listeners, and it provides a good accounting of effects, score and dialogue, all of which are rendered without any major issues. Optional English subtitles are available.

The Mad Bomber Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

• Audio Commentary by House of Psychotic Women Author Kier-la Janisse with Retired Bomb Squad Detective Mike Rigby


• Isolated Score is presented in DTS-HD Master Audio 2.0.


• Audio Interview with Director Bert I. Gordon Conducted by David Del Valle plays as a kind of alternate commentary track to the film.


• Patricia Gordon Remembers Her Father Bert I. Gordon (HD; 26:59) is an audio interview that plays to a behind the scenes still from the film.


• To Be in the Moment (HD; 11:03) is an interview with actress Cynthia MacAdams.


• On the Trail of the Mad Bomber (HD; 10:17) is a fun tour of locations utilized in the film with "then and now" comparisons.


• The Mad Bomber TV Cut (HD; 1:27:31)


• TV Spots (HD; 00:28 and 00:33)

Additionally, Severin (rather unusually for the label) offers a nicely appointed insert booklet with some good writing by Andy Turner. Packaging features a slipcover.

The Mad Bomber Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

As I've mentioned in some other reviews, and a now long ago interview I did for the site with Dena Kaye (Danny's daughter), I was privileged to call the late Susan Gordon a friend, and was privy to some fun anecdotes she shared about her famous parents, though I have to say, this particular film was never mentioned to me, at least that I can recall. This is a very odd entry in Bert I. Gordon's filmography, but it may be of interest for that very fact. If the film itself is kind of hit or miss, the supplements on this disc are especially interesting for anyone who may be considering making a purchase.