Rating summary

Movie		3.0
Video		3.5
Audio		3.5
Extras		5.0
Overall		4.5

Thundercrack! Blu-ray Movie Review

Reviewed by Brian Orndorf January 12, 2016

The underground movie scene of the 1960s and ‘70s provided a Wild West experience for its participants. Free of studio control, often constructing pictures with hopes and dreams instead of money, the filmmakers were cleared to explore their imagination to the fullest, dissecting the world around them with bizarre creations steeped in provocative imagery and interpretational screenwriting. For some, pure insanity was the goal, with 1975’s “Thundercrack!” a prime example of a feature that’s primarily driven by curiosity and impulse, trying to disrupt expectation in every way imaginable. Directed by Curt McDowell and scripted by George Kuchar (who also appears in a supporting role), “Thundercrack!” is a wild viewing experience out to merge melodrama with hardcore pornography, leaving little to the imagination as feels around in the dark for a story to back up all the absurdity.

Plot is minimal in the movie, primarily concentrating on an especially charged evening of personal interactions amongst a group of strangers arriving at a remote Nebraskan house inhabited by a thoroughly drunk, heavily painted woman. Some are seeking shelter from a raging storm, others are more opportunistic. One man is simply trying to calm a truck filled with circus animals, including a gorilla who wants to marry him. There are secrets inside the house, a few tied to the discovery of sex toys, but a question mark involving a locked room keeps the group on edge as they engage in sexual gamesmanship during a long night of discovery and carnal therapy.

While “Thundercrack!” seems like a disposable viewing experience, McDowell and Kuchar manage to expand the feature to a 159 minute run time (a ten minute intermission is included), destroying any type of breezy viewing experience. The production is committed to the madness, using substantial screen time to identify repressed sexuality and experimentation, secretive acts, and power plays amongst the visitors, working with a mild mystery setting in a spooky house during a thunderstorm that often plays like a theatrical presentation. Kuchar amplifies everything he brings to the effort, treating the enterprise with the utmost sincerity even while he details the antics of a character entertaining a relationship with a gorilla. It’s a commitment that’s endearing in a way, with “Thundercrack!” never flinching when inspecting every drop of trauma that flows through the picture, but, let’s be real here, 2 1/2 hours of screamed antics is mighty hard on the senses.

“Thundercrack!” is primarily a madhouse story, decorated with characters sampling insanity, but it’s an adult movie as well. There’s graphic sexuality scattered around the film, sharing intimacies between characters as they use their bodies to entice, pacify, and extort, with spilled semen a particular McDowell obsession. There’s nothing even remotely sensual about the parade of flesh presented here, especially when it comes after scenes of vomiting and argumentative behavior, but “Thundercrack!” is certainly game to celebrate solo events and couplings, with all bedroom interests satisfied, often in extreme close-up. It’s not especially clear if McDowell was ever interested in creating heat with the effort, but, as amorous as it gets, the picture is always more curious about anatomy than sexuality.

Thundercrack! Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

The AVC encoded image (1.33:1 aspect ratio) presentation is the result of an extensive restoration operation to bring "Thundercrack!" to the HD realm without access to the original negative, which is thought to be lost. Using available 16mm elements, Synapse has done an impressive job with limited resources, piecing together an original cut of the black and white movie, working to tame its difficult imagery. Delineation is mostly secure, permitting viewers a chance to survey the dark frame, while balance remains approachable with periodically bloomy whites. Some mild artifacting is present, and source damage is almost unavoidable considering the obscurity of the title, but nothing distracts. Detail battles softer cinematography and source limitations, but textures are there for study, including graphic sexuality and cartoonish make up.

Thundercrack! Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

The 2.0 DTS-HD MA sound mix for "Thundercrack!" battles inherent sound issues, with range limitation easily identified throughout the listening experience. Again, Synapse is working uphill here, and they manage to create a satisfactory soundscape for a difficult picture, making sure dialogue (which almost sounds intentionally muted at times) is available, following the collection of bickering and moaning as far as it can go. Fuzziness remains, along with hiss and pops, but overall stability is agreeable, just never remarkable. Scoring isn't defined, but it blends into the cacophony with ease, while sound effects retain their bluntly naturalistic and animalistic intentions.

Thundercrack! Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

On Blu-ray:

• Booklet contains a few pages that describe the source materials found to create the Blu-ray presentation.

• Audio Interview is a 1972 chat with director Curt McDowell.

• "It Came from Kuchar!" (86:29, SD) is a 2009 documentary on George and Mike Kuchar, the filmmaking brothers who devoted their lives to the creation of underground movies. While Mike is featured throughout, the picture mostly concentrates on George, who cranked out productions that highlighted intense drama and unusual encounters. A discussion of creative origins is offered, born from a severe religious upbringing, along with big screen influences and George's fondness for exaggerated eyebrows. "Thundercrack!" is covered in some detail, but the most engaging parts of the documentary arrive with outside appreciation, watching John Waters, Buck Henry, and Atom Egoyan share their delight with the Kuchars. Newcomers to "Thundercrack!" should actually start here, as the feature provides background information valuable to any enjoyment or simple understanding of the X-rated effort.

On DVD:

• Interview (10:24) with George Kuchar is a 2004 chat with the filmmaker about the genesis and execution of "Thundercrack!", breaking up the conversation with changes in color, random edits, and special effects.

• Interview (5:38) with Marion Eaton (also from 2004) is conducted inside a nature preserve, where the actress shares her thoughts on "Thundercrack!" via a pre-written "e-mail" she reads from.

• Interview (8:24) with composer and sound effects artist Mark Ellinger (again, from 2004) covers his experience with McDowell and Kuchar, along with the process of scoring "Thundercrack!" with limited technology.

• "San Francisco Bay Area Filmmakers" (23:04) is a 1976 episode of a local showcase for burgeoning talent. With guests McDowell and Eaton, the program explores the X-rated content of "Thundercrack!" and the director's thematic and visual interests.

• Outtakes and Behind-the-Scenes Footage (29:46) is obviously interesting for the glimpse into the creative process it provides, but more compelling is an opportunity to hear raw takes without all the aural noise muting performances.

• Sex Scene Outtakes (17:29) deliver extra, unbroken takes of intercourse and masturbation, presenting a sense of production life as McDowell's voice is heard putting the pieces together.

• Audition Footage (8:38) collects early images of the cast and aspiring actors showcasing themselves for McDowell. There's also plenty of nudity offered here, as the production wasn't simply looking for actors who could remember their lines.

• Curt McDowell Short Films include "Confessions" (11:00), "Naughty Words" (2:12), "Loads" (19:28), "Boggy Depot" (16:49), and "Siamese Twin Pinheads" (3:57).

• And a Theatrical Trailer (3:28) is included.

Thundercrack! Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

"Thundercrack!" is tedious, but it's artful as well, with McDowell pursuing a few silent film techniques, and there's clever use of exaggerated 2-D backgrounds to help establish dreamscape visits and flashbacks. There's plenty of creativity to enjoy in the feature, and performances, as amateurish as a few are, remain passionate, completely engaged with the material's excess. "Thundercrack!" isn't a defining example of the underground movie movement, but it remains a valuable one, with startling directorial and screenwriting ambition that helps to cover problematic areas where the production misfires wildly. And for those who hold any deep-seated sexual fantasies about gorillas, this is a must-buy.