6.9 | / 10 |
Users | 0.0 | |
Reviewer | 3.0 | |
Overall | 3.0 |
One day, three farm boys come upon a wounded outlaw named Harry Spikes. They take him to one of the boys' barn, nurse him back to health, shield him from a sheriff's posse, and let him go on his way. Later, to escape the tyrannical discipline of their parents, the three boys run away from home in search of adventure and excitement. In the first town they come to, they bungle a bank robbery, and shoot and kill a state senator by accident. Then, with the law in hot pursuit, they flee across the Texas border into Mexico.
Starring: Lee Marvin, Gary Grimes, Ron Howard, Charles Martin Smith, Arthur HunnicuttWestern | 100% |
Video codec: MPEG-4 AVC
Video resolution: 1080p
Aspect ratio: 1.85:1
Original aspect ratio: 1.85:1
English: DTS-HD Master Audio 2.0
English
25GB Blu-ray Disc
Single disc (1 BD)
Region A (locked)
Movie | 3.0 | |
Video | 3.5 | |
Audio | 3.5 | |
Extras | 1.0 | |
Overall | 3.0 |
1974’s “The Spikes Gang” is a bit of a roller coaster ride when it comes to tone. It’s a western that charts the corruption of innocence, following three young men (Ron Howard, Charlie Martin Smith, and Gary Grimes) as they leave home to experience the world on their own terms, only to find bitter realities of poverty and desperation greeting them at every turn. Lee Marvin stars as the titular bandit out to gift the boys a bad education on bank robbing, but his presence isn’t welcomed as salvation, but more of a warning, with the screenplay creating an interesting collision of youthful exuberance and seasoned menace.
The AVC encoded image (1.85:1 aspect ratio) presentation offers a stable look at the limited vistas of "The Spikes Gang," which sticks closely to western hues, favoring browns and grays. Greenery adds some life, along with costuming, while skintones register as intended, with some pinkish extremes. The viewing experience is filmic, and detail is generally successful, working with leathery faces and period decoration. Close-ups tend to emerge most profoundly. Delineation is comfortable, without trouble spots. Source displays some debris and mild scratching, but no overt damage was detected.
The 2.0 DTS-HD MA sound mix doesn't supply a sophisticated listening experience, but the basics come through with clarity. Dialogue exchanges are secure, with clean voices and pronounced dramatics. Scoring is presented a little more bluntly, but it keeps a comfortable balance with the performances. Western touches such as shoot-outs and chases carry intended chaos without slipping into troubling shrillness. Pronounced hiss isn't detected.
"The Spikes Gang" perks up midway through, finding a focal point in the planning of a bank robbery, while Marvin graduates from cameo to co-lead, creating some tension between generations and temperaments. It's not enough to energize "The Spikes Gang" to full attention, but the increase in activity is welcome, leading to a surprisingly grim third act, securing the picture's vague "crime doesn't pay" theme.
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