Rating summary

Movie		1.5
Video		1.5
Audio		3.0
Extras		4.5
Overall		1.5

Whiskey Mountain Blu-ray Movie Review

Reviewed by Jeffrey Kauffman December 26, 2020

Note: This film is available as part of He Came from the Swamp: The William Grefé Collection.

Anyone who thought Arrow Video had already released the mother lode of Florida based exploitation fare with their gigantic The Herschell Gordon Lewis Feast set from a few years ago had best be prepared to realize that the intrepid folks at this label known for catering to (cinematic) cultists of various stripes may have in fact only been offering an appetizer of sorts. It’s kind of amazing in a way to hear Herschell Gordon Lewis himself singing the praises of William Grefé in the feature length documentary They Came From the Swamp included in this new set devoted to Grefé’s work, but Lewis actually makes a point of stating that he was the interloper on territory Grefé had already staked out, and that Grefé couldn’t have been more gracious in welcoming Lewis to the far south fold, so to speak. It may be a little odd, then, that for at least some fans of exploitation cinema Herschell Gordon Lewis’ name may be better remembered than that of William Grefé, something that may seem especially unexpected given the fact that Grefé was at least occasionally able to muster A-list (or formerly A-list) talent like Rita Hayworth for some of his projects, an accomplishment that probably never would have even occurred to Lewis to attempt.

If Mako: The Jaws of Death owed its genesis at least in part to Jaws, Whiskey Mountain probably owes a little (and maybe a lot) to Deliverance, with some "city slickers" having to deal with a bunch of nefarious "country bumpkins" who in this case aren't banjo virtuosos but are in fact maybe more in the league of some of the drug runners seen in Grefé's The Hooked Generation. Not to let just one perceived genre capture his interest, Grefé also makes Whiskey Mountain a bit of a treasure hunt and a motorcycle movie (albeit dirt bikes) as well.

This is another Grefé effort that, like The Naked Zoo, has a little marquee interest courtesy of star Christopher George, here playing a guy named Bill who's on the hunt for some Civil War weaponry supposedly stashed away somewhere on Whiskey Mountain (evidently not a real Whiskey Mountain that's located in Wyoming, and who said you never learn anything from exploitation pictures?). The first part of this film is almost like a weird travelogue combined with lots of scenes of dirt bike racing, but once the Southern Gothic element kicks in, there's actually some decent energy and an increasing sense of menace.

Whiskey Mountain Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

Sting of Death is presented on Blu-ray courtesy of Arrow Video with an AVC encoded 1080p transfer in 2.66:1. Arrow's hardcover insert book has a full page devoted to the transfers of each of the films, starting with some generic overview verbiage and then some brief comments on each film:

All the films included in this collection have been restored from the best available materials. Whilst every effort has been made to offer up the best possible presentations, the results inevitably vary according to the condition of the source materials, some of which were in poor shape. We hope that this does not affect your enjoyment of the films.

Sting of Death was scanned from its original 35mm negative. The audio was sourced from a 35mm optical track negative.

Death Curse of Tartu was scanned from a 16mm print. The audio was also sourced from this print. The 16mm print - presumably a TV print - was found to have been trimmed for gore, so these missing shots were sourced from a lesser copy 35mm print and reinstated.

The Hooked Generation was scanned from a 16mm internegative. The audio was sourced from a 16mm optical track negative.

The Psychedelic Priest (AKA Electric Shades of Grey ) was scanned from a 16mm Ektachrome release print. The audio was also sourced from this print.

The Naked Zoo was scanned from its original 35mm negative, which had been recut to the Barry Mahon version of the film. In order to recreate William Grefé 's original director's cut, the footage unique to that version was sourced from a badly faded and warped 35mm workprint. The audio was sourced from a 35mm double edged track print and a 35mm track negative.

Mako: Jaws of Death was scanned from two 16mm prints, which were composited for best quality sections of each. The audio was also sourced from these prints.

Whiskey Mountain was scanned from a 16mm scope print. The audio was also sourced from this print.

All materials used in these restorations were supplied William Grefé , Lisa Petrucci / Something Weird Video, Vinegar Syndrome, Ed Tucker, and AGFA (American Genre Film Archive).

As should probably be obvious, a "16mm scope print" is not the ideal source for a presentation, and this transfer is further hobbled by the fact that the source is in pretty rough, ragged condition. Numerous signs of age related wear and tear predominate, including shifts in color temperature, large scratches, knicks, dirt and other damage. The print also shows some pretty serious signs of fading, and some of the nighttime scenes, like those in Mako: The Jaws of Death, suffer from crush to the point that it can be hard to make out things. The widescreen framings coupled with a 16mm source can often mean fine detail is minimal. As should be expected from a smaller format source, grain is pretty thick and gritty looking most of the time.

Whiskey Mountain Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

Surprisingly, Whiskey Mountain's LPCM Mono track has withstood the test of time a good deal better than the video element. There are still problems, including a low frequency hum that can be heard on occasion, but the film's kind of jangly score (including a theme song played by The Charlie Daniels Band) actually sounds relatively decent. There are still definitely problems here, including fluctuating amplitude and clarity, but when compared to the video side of things, audio comes off considerably better. Optional English subtitles are available.

Whiskey Mountain Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

• They Came From the Swamp: The Films of William Grefé (1080p; 2:06:50) is a hugely entertaining overview of William Grefé, his life and work, and for those unacquainted with this would be auteur, this is probably the best place to start in this set.


• The Crown Jewels (1080p; 17:24) is another really fun piece focusing on Crown International Pictures.


• Short Film - Bacardi and Coke Bonanza '81 (1080p; 7:29)


• On Location: Grefé in Miami (1080p; 5:26) features William Grefé as a tourguide of sorts looking at various filming sites.


• Whiskey Mountain Trailer and Promo Gallery

  Original Trailer (1080p; 1:16) has the SWV watermark.

  
  

  Original Radio Spot (1080p; 00:33)

  
  

  TV Show Whiskey (1080p; 1:27) features Barbara Walters!

• They Came From the Swamp Deleted Scenes (1080p; 7:07)


• Bonus Trailer Gallery offers more exploitation delights:

  The Weird World of LSD (1967) (1080p; 2:50)

  
  

  Fireball Jungle (1968) (1080p; 00:22)

  
  

  The King of the Jungle (1969) (1080p; 1:18)

  
  

  The Magic Legend of the Juggler (1970) (1080p; 00:32)

  
  

  Bloody Friday (1972) (1080p; 2:09)

  
  

  Super Chick (1973) (1080p; 00:32)

• Whiskey Mountain Audio Commentary features William Grefé.


• Introduction to Whiskey Mountain by William Grefé (1080p; 2:54) can be accessed under the Play Menu for that film. This is authored to move directly on to the feature after it plays.

Whiskey Mountain Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

If Whiskey Mountain had eliminated or at least shortened its weirdly static first section, it might have been one of the more compelling films in this set, as once the "real" plot kicks in, things get suitably disturbing. This features some of the roughest looking video in the set, but audio emerges surprisingly intact. This disc also features some excellent supplements, including the really worthwhile documentary on Grefé.