Rating summary

Movie		4.0
Video		4.5
Audio		5.0
Extras		5.0
Overall		5.0

Vigilante 4K Blu-ray Movie Review

Reviewed by Dr. Svet Atanasov November 27, 2020

Bill Lustig's "Vigilante" (1982) arrives on Blu-ray courtesy of Blue Underground. The supplemental features on the disc include vintage promotional production materials; new audio commentary by critics Troy Howarth and Nathaniel Thompson; new interview with composer Jay Chattaway; new program with director/co-producer Bill Lustig, writer Richard Vitere, producer Randy Jorgensen, Rutanya Alda, and Frank Pesce; and more. In English, with optional English SDH, Spanish, French, and Portuguese subtitles for the main feature. Region-Free.

We hit them hard

A blue-collar Death Wish. According to Richard Vetere, this is precisely how Bill Lustig described Vigilante when years ago the two met and he tried to get him interested in the project. When later on Vetere began working on the screenplay for Vigilante, the simple description became its core piece.

Anyone assuming that Vigilante is some sort of a low-budget copycat rehashing the best of Death Wish, however, will be seriously disappointed. Yes, the film oozes unbridled anger that feels familiar, but there is a different, very personal type of frustration that runs through it. Vetere talks about it in a new program that is included on this release and at one point actually confirms the unmissable, which is that the frustration is essentially the story. Naturally, once you realize that it is so the connection between Death Wish and Vigilante instantly becomes irrelevant and the latter acquires a unique identity.

The bulk of the events in Vigilante are seen through the eyes of Eddie Marino (Robert Forster), a blue-color worker from New York City who is trying to provide for his family as best as he can. Eddie is informed that members of a local gang have assaulted his wife (Rutanya Alda) and son at their house and when later on they are identified he decides to go through the legal process to seek justice. But when a corrupt attorney (Joe Spinell) negotiates a deal that allows the gangsters to walk away, Eddie loses his cool before the judge that has ruled on his case and ends up in prison. Surrounded by rapists and murderers, Eddie nearly gets killed for disrespecting the prison’s unwritten rules, but with the help of a sympathetic inmate (Woody Strode) gradually toughens up and eventually returns to civilian life determined to wipe out the gang that has turned his life upside down. His good friend Nick (Fred Williamson) and the members of his vigilante group then agree to assist him.

Lustig, Vetere, and associate producer Randy Jurgensen share a lot of interesting information about the production history of Vigilante and they all agree that it was done guerrilla-style. This particular concept of filmmaking, together with the personal frustration that gives the story a structure and then replaces it, is why Vigilante does not look like Death Wish. Simply put, Vigilante isn’t too interested in the development of conventional characters and relationships; rather, it seeks to capture as best as it can the destructive energy that unleashes the drama that is chronicled in it.

In the ‘70s and ‘80s, on the other side of the Atlantic Italian directors used a very similar concept and style of filmmaking to produce a wave of extremely violent crime thrillers known as poliziotteschi. While shot on location in New York City, Vigilante frequently looks and behaves like a poliziotteschi. It even uses an original soundtrack by Jay Chattaway that basically imitates the contemporary western harmonies that Italian composers routinely incorporated into the poliziotteschi.

Lustig used the services of cinematographer James Lemmo, who had previously assisted Abel Ferrara on the equally violent revenge thriller Ms. 45.

*Blue Underground’s release is sourced from an exclusive 16-bit 4K restoration of the film that was struck from the original camera negative. It is dedicated to Robert Forster, who passed away while it was being produced in 2019.

Vigilante 4K Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

4K BLU-RAY DISC

The release is sourced from a brand new 16-bit 4K restoration that is an absolute stunner. I liked it so much that at the moment I am actually willing to argue it is the best 4K presentation in Blue Underground's catalog. On my system, clarity, sharpens, and depth were simply exceptional, and the visuals were truly some of the very best that I have seen in native 4K. It did not matter whether the footage was darker (like the apartment execution with the black/purple lights) or with plenty of natural light where nuances are typically easier to recognize -- the quality of the visuals remained enormously impressive, boasting depth and finer details that are simply impossible to capture in 1080p. The color scheme is terrific as well. In fact, I have to mention that in 1080p there are actually some primaries that look quite different because the saturation levels and nuances cannot be properly reproduced. In native 4K, with HDR or Dolby Vision enabled, the wide spectrum of colors is simply breathtaking. There are no traces of problematic digital work. Image stability is superb. All in all, this is a phenomenal presentation of Vigilante that will close its home video cycle.

BLU-RAY DISC

Obviously, the film still looks very healthy in 1080p. Also, clarity, sharpness, and depth remain very pleasing. However, in some darker areas smaller nuances begin to disappear, and when they do depth isn't as impressive as it is in native 4K. I noticed some pretty obvious discrepancies in the color spectrum as well. For example, in 1080p quite a few of the blues actually begin to merge with greenish/cyan nuances, so color separation and balance isn't quite as convincing as it is in 4K. Obviously, there are no traces of problematic digital work. Image stability is still really good. So, the film looks very good in 1080p as well, but in native 4K the everything is simply far better balanced. (Note: This is a Region-Free Blu-ray release. Therefore, you will be able to play it on your player regardless of your geographical location).

Vigilante 4K Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

There are five standard audio tracks on this Blu-ray release: English: Dolby Atmos, English: DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1, English: DTS-HD Master Audio 2.0, French: Dolby Digital 2.0, Italian: Dolby Digital 2.0, German: Dolby Digital 2.0. Optional English SDH, French, Portuguese, and Spanish subtitles are provided for the main feature.

I did not view the film with the Dolby Atmos track. I chose the DTS-HD Master Audio 2.0 track and later on did only some select comparisons. The quality of the lossless 2.0 is excellent. The dialog was crystal-clear, sharp, and stable. In the upper register I did not detect any signs of ageing either. The cool soundtrack also sounded great on my system. The Dolby Atmos soundtrack seems to be adding a greater punch to sequences where there are sudden spikes of dynamic activity, such as the elevator attack. The music is great on it as well, but I could not hear a significant difference to mention in our review.

Vigilante 4K Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

4K BLU-RAY DISC

• Blue Collar Death Wish - in this new program, director/co-producer Bill Lustig, writer Richard Vitere, producer Randy Jorgensen, Rutanya Alda, and Frank Pesce discuss the production of Vigilante, the era in which the film was conceived, and its reception. Also, the interviewees share plenty of hilarious stories and remember what it was like to work on a budget. In English. (25 min).

• Urban Western - in this new video program, composer Jay Chattaway discusses his background and career as well as his involvement with Vigilante and the quality of the soundtrack he produced for it. In English. (26 min).

• Commentary One - in this archival audio commentary, Bill Lustig and co-producer Andrew Garroni discuss in great detail what it was like to shoot Vigilante guerrilla-style, how the film was promoted and sold to foreign distributors while still in (pre)production, the casting choices, the locations in New York where different parts of the film were shot, the soundtrack and important role music has for the energy of the film, the financial hurdles that impacted production, etc.

• Commentary Two - in this archival audio commentary, Bill Lustig and stars Robert Forster, Fred Williamson and Frank Pesce go down memory lane and remember what it was like to collaborate on Vigilante, how the film was received, how the beatings were shot, etc. It is an informative but also absolutely hilarious commentary.

• Commentary Three - in this new audio commentary, critics Troy Howarth and Nathaniel Thompson discuss the stylistic identity of Vigilante, its tone and attitude, the era in which the film emerged, the soundtrack, some trends in '70s and '80s cinema, the Death Wish films, etc.

• Trailers - trailers for Vigilante. In multiple languages.
  
  1. U.S. Trailer/4K Restoration
  2. International Trailer
  3. British Trailer One
  4. British Trailer Two
  5. German Trailer
  6. Italian Trailer
  7. French Trailer
  

• TV Spots - four vintage TV spots for Vigilante. In English, not subtitled. (2 min).

• Radio Spots - vintage radio spots for Vigilante. In English, not subtitled. (1 min).

• Promotional Reel - early promotional reel for Vigilante. In English, not subtitled. (4 min).

• Galleries - vintage promotional and production materials for Vigilante.
  
  1. Poster and Still Gallery One
  2. Poster and Still Gallery Two

BLU-RAY DISC

• Blue Collar Death Wish - in this new program, director/co-producer Bill Lustig, writer Richard Vitere, producer Randy Jorgensen, Rutanya Alda, and Frank Pesce discuss the production of Vigilante, the era in which the film was conceived, and its reception. Also, the interviewees share plenty of hilarious stories and remember what it was like to work on a budget. In English. (25 min).

• Urban Western - in this new video program, composer Jay Chattaway discusses his background and career as well as his involvement with Vigilante and the quality of the soundtrack he produced for it. In English. (26 min).

• Commentary One - in this archival audio commentary, Bill Lustig and co-producer Andrew Garroni discuss in great detail what it was like to shoot Vigilante guerrilla-style, how the film was promoted and sold to foreign distributors while still in (pre)production, the casting choices, the locations in New York where different parts of the film were shot, the soundtrack and important role music has for the energy of the film, the financial hurdles that impacted production, etc.

• Commentary Two - in this archival audio commentary, Bill Lustig and stars Robert Forster, Fred Williamson and Frank Pesce go down memory lane and remember what it was like to collaborate on Vigilante, how the film was received, how the beatings were shot, etc. It is an informative but also absolutely hilarious commentary.

• Commentary Three - in this new audio commentary, critics Troy Howarth and Nathaniel Thompson discuss the stylistic identity of Vigilante, its tone and attitude, the era in which the film emerged, the soundtrack, some trends in '70s and '80s cinema, the Death Wish films, etc.

• Trailers - trailers for Vigilante. In multiple languages.
  
  1. U.S. Trailer/4K Restoration
  2. International Trailer
  3. British Trailer One
  4. British Trailer Two
  5. German Trailer
  6. Italian Trailer
  7. French Trailer
  

• TV Spots - four vintage TV spots for Vigilante. In English, not subtitled. (2 min).

• Radio Spots - vintage radio spots for Vigilante. In English, not subtitled. (1 min).

• Promotional Reel - early promotional reel for Vigilante. In English, not subtitled. (4 min).

• Galleries - vintage promotional and production materials for Vigilante.
  
  1. Poster and Still Gallery One
  2. Poster and Still Gallery Two

ADDITIONAL CONTENT

• Cover - reversible cover with vintage poster art.

• Booklet - 20-page illustrated booklet featuring Michael Gingold's essay "Doing Justice to Vigilante" and technical credits.

Vigilante 4K Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

Vigilante might have been a struggle to make, but the end result is as good as it could have been. I like that it is rough around the edges and oozing pure frustration because it is the only way in which it could look legit. It is my favorite Bill Lustig film. This upcoming release is sourced from another first-class 4K restoration, which might be the best in Blue Underground's catalog. It is too bad that Robert Forster is no longer with us to see it. VERY HIGHLY RECOMMENDED.