Rating summary

Movie		3.0
Video		4.0
Audio		5.0
Extras		3.5
Overall		3.5

Tuff Turf Blu-ray Movie Review

Reviewed by Dr. Svet Atanasov July 21, 2019

Fritz Kiersch's "Tuff Turf" (1985) arrives on Blu-ray courtesy of Kino Lorber. The supplemental features on the disc include a vintage trailer for the film and an exclusive new audio commentary by director Fritz Kiersch. In English, with optional English subtitles for the main feature. Region-A "locked."

Unexpected attraction

The problem with Tuff Turf is not that it borrows from a whole range of different genre films -- West Side Story, Switchblade Sisters, and The Wanderers are just a few of the obvious ‘donors’ -- but that it is not successful at putting the material together in a way that looks legit. For example, one part of the film takes music and dancing so seriously that you are quickly left with the impression that it is only a matter of time before the whole thing blossoms into a conventional musical. Another part then pulls the film in a completely different direction and does a lot to sell it as a raw crime drama about an outsider trying to fit in a tough neighborhood. Then there is another part where the focus of attention is on the complicated relationship he has with the other members of his family.

The film is set in a working-class LA neighborhood that is slowly falling apart. During the day most of its streets look busy and safe, but at night the place becomes a playground for all kinds of punks and creeps. Unfortunately, it is where Morgan Hiller (James Spader) and his family have moved in and now he has to get used to it.

A day before Morgan begins school, however, fate sends him on a collision course with a local gang run by the dangerous maniac Nick Hauser (Paul Mones) and he instantly becomes a target. Nick and his pals then destroy Morgan’s bike, give him a black eye, and make him realize that for as long as he is in the neighborhood, he will feel miserable. But in the midst of all the drama Morgan approaches Frankie Croyden (Kim Richards), a beautiful and feisty blonde who Nick claims as his girlfriend but treats a lot like a favorite object, and while hanging out with new friend and drummer Jimmy Parker (hilarious Robert Downey Jr.) falls madly in love with her. When Nick learns about Frankie’s betrayal, he vows to permanently crush Morgan in a decisive duel, but the newcomer proves to be a worthy opponent.

Director Fritz Kiersch brought a lot of big guns to either work on or contribute to this film. Bob Banas (West Side Story) was placed in charge with the choreography of the big dance sequences, so it is not exactly surprising that the club footage looks great. Craig Stearns (The Fog) was handed the art direction, while Willy Kurant (Pink Floyd - Live at Pompeii) stepped behind the camera. Marianne Faithful and Jim Carroll also agreed to have some of their music used in the film. At least in the beginning, it probably looked like everything was coming together quite well.

The end product isn’t disappointing, but it is absolutely not the brilliant film that Kiersch undoubtedly wanted to have. It is a bit like an ‘80s cocktail with too many flavors, some of which are incompatible, that was mixed up by an overly enthusiastic bartender. Less would have been better, or to be perfectly clear a lot more convincing.

What works best is the footage from the clubs -- with the only exception being Spader’s ‘romantic’ performance -- where the youngsters get loose and have some serious fun. Here it just feels like the film has the type of energy that it needs to look like a genuinely attractive ‘80s time capsule. The weakest material is the one where the family drama begins producing supposedly thought-provoking statements about life and what it means to be fully in control of it. Also, the late Bill Beyers, who plays Morgan’s ‘good’ and successful older brother, quite simply cannot sell his character.

*Kino Lorber’s Blu-ray release is sourced from a brand new and exclusive 2K remaster of the film that was struck from the original 35mm interpositive.

Tuff Turf Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

Presented in its original aspect ratio of 1.85:1, encoded with MPEG-4 AVC and granted a 1080p transfer, Fritz Kiersch's Tuff Turf arrives on Blu-ray courtesy of Kino Lorber.

The release is sourced from a brand new 2K remaster that was apparently struck from an interpositive. The film definitely has that type of a look -- revealing slightly less convincing density levels and an overall marginally softer appearance. Some of the darker footage also reveals extremely light crushing, and in a few areas the grain appears 'looser' than it should be, perhaps even a tad noisy (see screencaptures #16 and 17). Overall, however, the film has a pleasing organic appearance, and on a larger screen the daylight and well-lit footage actually holds up very well. There are no traces of compromising digital adjustments. The color scheme is great. The primaries are stable, nicely saturated, and healthy, plus there are equally strong and nicely balanced supporting nuances. Image stability is excellent. Finally, there are no large debris, cuts, or damage marks, but some tiny flecks, a few bigger white dots, and even a couple of blemishes occasionally pop up here and there. (Note: This is a Region-A "locked" Blu-ray release. Therefore, you must have a native Region-A or Region-Free player in order to access its content).

Tuff Turf Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

There is only one standard audio track on this Blu-ray release: English DTS-HD Master Audio 2.0. Optional English subtitles are provided for the main feature.

The lossless track is very healthy and sounds great. There is plenty of good depth and dynamic intensity during the car chases, for instance, and the music has that very strong clarity and crispness that it needs to sound impressive. The dialog is stable and easy to follow as well. There are no encoding anomalies to report.

Tuff Turf Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

• Trailer - an original remastered U.S. trailer for Tuff Turf. In English, not subtitled. (3 min, 1080p).

• Commentary - this new audio commentary by director Fritz Kiersch is outstanding. He has a lot of great and very honest observations about the film's production history, the management of color in different parts of the film, the choreography of the club footage, the period vibe of the film and why it has earned a cult status, etc. Indeed, this is a great commentary that is definitely worth listening to in its entirety. It was recorded exclusively for Kino Lorber's release.

• Additional Trailers - additional trailers for the following Kino Lorber releases:
  
  1. The Annihilators
  2. My Bodyguard
  3. Highway to Hell
  4. No Retreat, No Surrender
  5. They're Playing with Fire
  6. Certain Fury

• Cover - reversible cover with vintage poster art.

Tuff Turf Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

Tuff Turf has the right look and certainly the right kind of music to be a legit '80s genre classic. However, I've always felt that there is a part of it that wants to be taken very seriously and, as ironic as it may sound, it is what hurts its credibility the most. It is not a bad film, but given the serious talent that contributed to it the end result is somewhat underwhelming. If you are a fan of Tuff Turf, you will be pleased to hear that Kino Lorber's release is sourced from a nice new 2K remaster and has a fantastic exclusive new commentary by director Fritz Kiersch. RECOMMENDED.