The Scavengers Blu-ray Movie

Rating summary

Movie		2.5
Video		4.0
Audio		3.5
Extras		2.0
Overall		2.5

The Scavengers Blu-ray Movie Review

Reviewed by Jeffrey Kauffman April 26, 2024

1968's Hot Spur and the film currently under discussion are a matched pair of sorts, both in the so-called "roughie" genre, and both the handiwork (?) of producer Bob Cresse and director Lee Frost. While once again this film, like its predecessor, might be thought of as a kinda sorta western, kind of interestingly this 1969 effort seemed to want to catch the cultural zeitgeist the way then either very recent films like Uptight or television series like The Outcasts had. That offers the film at least a passing allusion or two to "race relations", albeit here supposedly in the context of the Civil War filtered through the civil rights sensibility of the late sixties. Anyone thinking that Cresse and Frost were not going to, well, exploit "race relations", especially considering the general Civil War era setting and the team's emphasis on sleaze and sex had best think again.

A Confederate captain named Steve Harris (Jonathon Bliss) is in charge of a small brigade whom Harris has decided don't really need to be told about a "little" things like Appomattox and the cessation of hostilities. Harris has intelligence that a Union caravan due in their region soon may be carrying a huge amount of gold, and so a decision is made to surprise the northerners and take their booty. What ensues is an hour and a half of a town being held hostage by the Confederates, with a rather alarming number of sexual assaults and despicable actions toward black women in particular. There's an undeniably smarmy undertone to virtually all of the proceedings, but that doesn't mean The Scavengers doesn't offer a disturbingly visceral viewing experience. Bliss is kind of off the charts as the increasingly addled Harris, but he's arguably one of the more consistent performers in this low budget enterprise. That budget leads to some downright hilarity at times (the climax featuring Harris and his horse really deserves a Mystery Science Theater 3000 "analysis"), but perhaps unexpectedly other production design elements like costumes in particular are rather well handled.

The Scavengers Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

The Scavengers 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 disc "includes the R Rated and Unrated Versions both fully restored for the first time ever", while also offering the further data point that the transfer was "scanned in 4K from the original camera negative recently discovered in Paris lab". This is another surprisingly strong looking presentation, much as with Hot Spur, though both versions of the film on this disc probably have just a bit more noticeable age related wear and tear than Hot Spur. The palette is really beautifully suffused for the most part, though some of the day for night gradings can be a bit on the blue side. Detail levels are generally commendable throughout, though that aforementioned day for night footage can deplete fine detail levels at times. Grain resolves organically throughout.

The Scavengers Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

The Scavengers features a DTS-HD Master Audio 2.0 Mono that can be just slightly brash in the higher frequencies, leading to some overly bright moments in the score by Lee Frost and Paul Hunt, and revealing just some slight sibilance in "s"'s as well as some passing background hiss in the few quiet relatively quiet moments of the film. All of this said, there's nothing really debilitating about this presentation, and all dialogue is rendered cleanly and clearly throughout. Optional English subtitles are available.

The Scavengers Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

• Unrated Version (1:44:21) and R Rated Version (1:34:20) are accessible from the boot up menu.


• Audio Commentary with Vinegar Syndrome's Joe Rubin, Severin Films' Andrew Furtado and Temple of Schlock's Chris Poggiali is available on the Unrated Version.


• Theatrical Trailer (HD; 6:56)


• Theatrical Trailer (Hot Version) (HD; 6:56)

Severin also provides an especially nice insert booklet which seems to be a miniature reproduction of the exhibitor's campaign pressbook.

The Scavengers Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

Cresse and Frost knew how to provide exploitation material with a certain amount of flair, and for those who like the "roughie" (sub?) genre, The Scavengers should certainly fill the bill handily, and it would make for an especially disturbing double feature with Hot Spur. As with that previous Frost-Cresse outing, the fact that this disc also features a commentary by supposed home video "competitors" may suggest the cult appeal of this title. Technical merits are generally solid, and the commentary very enjoyable, for anyone who may be considering making a purchase.