Rating summary

Movie		3.0
Video		3.0
Audio		3.0
Extras		3.0
Overall		3.0

The Peace Killers Blu-ray Movie Review

Reviewed by Brian Orndorf February 11, 2020

It’s Hippies vs. Bikers for 1971’s “The Peace Killers,” with director Douglas Schwartz and screenwriter Michael Berk (the pair would go on to co-create “Baywatch”) trying to locate some sense of moral and philosophical foundation as they detail all sorts of behavioral awfulness. It’s heavy-handed all the way, but interestingly ambitious, watching the production attempt to comment on the futility of violence while indulging it for the drive-in crowds.

The trouble with “The Peace Killers” is how it offers very little between sequences of pursuit and confrontation. Schwartz and Berk deliver a lot of filler for their first endeavor, and it slows the pace down, losing suspense essentials as the material stops multiple times to either preach or lounge with the bikers. “The Peace Killers” comes alive with the central conflict, and the production understands such marketplace appeal, devoting the last act to a rural clash between angry biker gang members and members of a commune (including Michael Ontkean, from “Twin Peaks,” and Jess Walton, from “The Young and the Restless”) who put down the peace sign and pick up weapons to defend their domain. To hammer home the point of such psychological perversion coming for the pacifist mind, Schwartz has one hippie sharpening a metal peace medallion, turning it into a deadly weapon.

The Peace Killers Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

Making use of an older master, Scorpion Releasing brings "The Peace Killers" to Blu-ray with an AVC encoded image (1.85:1 aspect ratio) presentation. Freshness is lacking, but some detail survives consistent softness, handling distances adequately, and rougher costuming for biker gear registers as intended. Colors are a tad muted, but the brightness of the outdoor locations helps to bring greenery to life. Clothing retains period hues, and skintones are natural. Delineation is acceptable. Grain is chunky. Source has some wear and tear, with scratches and speckling detected during the viewing experience.

The Peace Killers Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

The 2.0 DTS-HD MA sound mix deals with inconsistency due to aged elements and production limitations. Hiss is present, and levels dip on occasion. Dialogue exchanges are satisfactory, never hitting lows of unintelligibility, but nothing is especially crisp. Soundtrack selections and scoring are adequate, dealing with basic instrumentation and position. More insistent are the sound effects, with roaring motorcycle engines a top priority for the track.

The Peace Killers Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

• Commentary features director Douglas Schwartz, writer Michael Berk, and star Gary Morgan.

• Interview (9:45, HD) returns to Schwartz and Berk, who explain their relationship as cousins looking to get into movies during the late 1960s. Offered $100,000 to make a biker picture, the partners took the job, banging out a screenplay in a week before throwing it in front of a camera. Schwartz reveals his vision issues, which went undiagnosed for years, now working as the only legally blind member of the DGA. Budget and time management learned during "The Peace Killers" shoot proved to be valuable to the duo during their time on "Baywatch." Casting is highlighted, and the film's San Francisco premiere is recalled.

• A Theatrical Trailer has not been included on the disc.

The Peace Killers Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

"The Peace Killers" isn't made with any subtlety, but it has some thoughts on the ways of rage and the pains of restraint, supplying viewers with a little more than basic conflict between polar opposites. There's ugliness to keep the target demographic interested, as it wouldn't be a movie from the 1970s without some form of sexual assault happening to inspire horror, but the effort doesn't wallow in the muck. Schwartz emphasizes action instead, and when he finally gets around to starting trouble between the bikers and the hippies, he stands "The Peace Killers" upright, locking on the primal divide between those who believe in love and those who thrive in chaos. It's hardly a film to watch for college credits, but as this subgenre goes, there's at least some level of thought put into the screenplay.