RED SCORPION (Joseph Zito, 1988)

[savagesketch]

THIS is the definitive DVD that fans have been waiting for! The special features are a welcome addition that provide plenty of interesting anecdotes on the entire production. The interview with Dolph is especially fun; he provides info that many of us already know, but he also goes into further detail on the MOTU shoot and his experiences making the film. He's always been a little coy around the subject of MOTU, but here he opens up and discusses the difficulties not only shooting the film, but playing the role of a toy. Well-made.

[Jox]

Here's the sales sheet for retailers:

[Jox]

I love that we live in a time in which a small film distribution company such as Synapse Films can resurrect a movie like Red Scorpion and bring it to us in a glorious high definition. Red Scorpion was given a brand new 2K digital scan, and the audio was remixed as well. There is a commentary track with director Joseph Zito which proves that Zito is a very fun loving and earnest director who is proud of his work without sounding grandiose. And there are even some really interesting interviews and rare behind the scenes video footage from the production. Synapse Films has undoubtedly created the definitive edition of Red Scorpion with this release.

http://live.hollywoodjesus.com/?p=10299

[Jox]

http://upcomingdiscs.com/2012/06/19/red ... n-blu-ray/

I realize that, in 2012, a movie production would be insane to allow its lead actor to perform a stunt where he leaps from a fast-moving motorcycle onto a truck (as Lundgren does in Red Scorpion). Still, there’s an undeniable kick in seeing a film pull off a dangerous trick like that versus something that was obviously done using a green screen and wire work. Like I said before: for better and for worse, they just don’t make them like this anymore.

Video
Red Scorpion is presented in its original aspect ratio of 1.78:1. The 1080p image is arrived at with an AVC MPEG-4 codec at an average of 28 mbps. The transfer for the film — first released in the United States in 1989 — shines brightest during daytime outdoor scenes depicting the incomparable African landscape. (After some delays, much of the filming took place in Namibia.) The color and contrast is strongest during these sequences. Unfortunately, many indoor and nighttime scenes look hopelessly grainy and the black levels are a bit off. A few scenes look nearly as bad as those times when you’d have to walk up to your TV and adjust the antenna to clear the picture.

Audio
The DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 track is a superstar when it comes to sound effects — bullets pinging, trucks exploding, punches landing — during the battle sequences. There is also an impressive amount of ambient noises, a necessity for a movie set almost entirely outdoors. An ever-present Russian Hind gunship, in particular, does a nice job of filling your speakers. The only negative is that the dialogue is not always easy to understand. (Though I’d probably attribute that more to the dueling Russian, Cuban and African accents than the audio track.)

Special Features
The bonus material is easily my favorite part of the Blu-ray and all special features are presented in HD.

Audio commentary with director Joseph Zito and Mondo Digital’s Nathaniel Thompson: An interesting chat that basically plays out with Thompson interviewing Zito while the film just happens to be playing in the background. Zito (Missing in Action) discusses splitting difference between Apocalypse Now and Hot Shots! in making a war movie. (Personally, I think he would’ve benefited from picking a more clearly defined direction instead of trying to go right down the middle.) The director also remembers the production in vivid detail and talks about a lot of the film’s practical stunts and effects.

Hath No Fury — Dolph Lundgren and the Road to Red Scorpion featurette: (24:54) Lundgren discusses his career — physics and math scholarships led him to Australia, where became a martial artist and a bodyguard for Grace Jones, which led to his film debut in A View to a Kill — with a healthy perspective. He also talks about Red Scorpion with both affection and a bit of resignation. (He mentions the troubled production and an ending to the film that was replaced by a more truncated conclusion.)

Assignment: Africa — Video interview with producer Jack Abramoff: (13:26) Yes, that Jack Abramoff! The disgraced lobbyist is actually the guy who came up with the idea for the movie and made it his first film production. Despite being over budget, behind schedule and losing Warner Bros. as a distributor by filming in the South Africa-controlled country of Namibia, Abramoff has fond memories and cheerfully talks about the difficult, exciting experience of making his first movie.

Scorpion Tales — Video interview with make-up effects artist Tom Savini: (10:05) Savini — who was called in to work on the movie at the last minute — talks about his work on the standout torture scene, a gruesome exploding arm effect, and an exploding head effect that was never used in the movie.

Rare original on-set, behind-the-scenes video footage: (9:11) This footage comes courtesy of Savini, who mentioned in the previous special feature that he spent a lot of time just hanging around the set until he was needed. Savini captures Lundgren in action on the battlefield, as well as the filming of his two big makeup effect shots.

Animated still gallery: (6:57) You’ll be amazed by how many different posters this film spawned. Also includes some still shots from the set.

Theatrical trailer (1:55) and TV spots (3:08): Don’t usually comment on trailers or TV spots, but I specifically enjoyed the old-school TV spots if only for taglines like, “Some men go to war, Dolph’s just going to work” and “His looks aren’t the only thing that can kill.”

The Blu-ray also features a reversible cover design and informative liner notes courtesy of French film scholar Jeremie Damoiseau.

Final Thoughts
The Little Richard music notwithstanding (woo!), this movie took itself a little too seriously for my taste. More importantly, this is a case where the story behind the making of a film is infinitely more interesting than what wound up on screen.

Fortunately, the Blu-ray helps bring that fascinating behind-the-scenes story to light. Though the video transfer is only passable, the film is an interesting failure that will delight 1980s action movie junkies and…not too many other people.

http://dvdlateshow.blogspot.fr/2012/06/ ... u-ray.html

Synapse Films' new DVD/Blu-ray combo not only offers a spectacular presentation of this exciting action adventure film, but through extensive supplemental features, places it - and its making - in historical context. It's fascinating stuff.

Although previously released on DVD in edited and pan & scan versions by both Fox and Simitar, this new DVD/Blu-ray combo from Synapse is about as great a presentation of RED SCORPION as we're likely to see, beginning with a gorgeous, 2K 1080p high-definition, restored and remastered transfer, presented at the original theatrical aspect ratio of 1.78:1. (The enclosed DVD features a standard-def, anamorphic transfer from the same source.) It is a damn-near flawless transfer, with bright, stable colors, sharp details, and a pleasingly film-like patina of grain. The audio is also superb, with a robust new Dolby DTS-HD MA 5.1 remix, and a very solid Dolby 2.0 Stereo option.

The extensive supplemental features include an informative (if slightly dry) audio commentary track by director Vito and Mondo Digital's Nathaniel Thompson; "Hell Hath No Fury," a terrific new on-screen interview with Dolph, where he discusses his early career up to and including RED SCORPION; "Assignment Africa," an in-depth video interview with producer Jack Abramoff, discussing the origins of the film and the difficulties of its production; "Scorpion Tales," a video interview with make-up artist Tom Savini; an animated still gallery; the original theatrical trailer and a selection of vintage TV spots. The package also includes an 8-page booklet with extensive liner notes by Jérémie Damoiseau, and reversible cover art.

If you're a fan of 80's action flicks, you'll definitely want to check this disc out. RED SCORPION is a lot of fun, very well-made, and Synapse's presentation is definitive. Highly and enthusiastically recommended.

[Gieferg]

What about covers of UK edition? Is it also two-sided like US edition? I dont like front cover for UK so I wonder if there is another on the other side.

[Jox]

Yes you have the choice between the US, Japanese or French theatrical posters on the UK edition (with fewer but different special features).


EDIT:
Dolph with Kyokushinkai Karate founder master Mas Oyama holding a signed poster of RS

[Jox]

http://www.mediamikes.com/2012/06/blu-r ... d-scorpion

Blu-ray: 4 out of 5 stars
Film: 4 out of 5 stars
Extras: 3.5 out of 5 stars

Synapse Films is the company behind this amazing new Blu-ray release for “Red Scorpion”, the action-packed controversial cult classic. This isn’t just your typical Blu-ray release, it is a very impressive 2K high-definition transfer featuring the uncensored version with new footage never before seen in the US. Dolph Lundgren really nails this performance along with M. Emmet Walsh, who is also great. The action in the film is so over-the-top and contains some amazing gore special effects from Tom Savini. If you are fan of 80′s action, this is a must purchase.

The Blu-ray presentation is incredible. Synapse has not let us down yet with their releases. The 1080p transfer is just amazing and also includes its original aspect ratio of 1.85:1. The audio tracks included are DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 and DTS-HD Master Audio 2.0, which both are very impressive. This release also comes in a two-disc set, which a Blu-ray and a DVD of the film. Also like all Synapse films, there is a great liner notes included on the Making of “Red Scorpion” by Jérémie Damoiseau. There is also a reversible cover included, I had a hard time deciding which I wanted to display.
The special features are also very impressive. There is a fun and informative audio commentary with Director Joseph Zito and Mondo Digital’s Nathaniel Thompson. “Hath No Fury – Dolph Lundgren and the Road to Red Scorpion” is a basic behind-the-scenes featurette, which goes into the film’s production. “Assignment: Africa” is a decent video interview with Producer Jack Abramoff. “Scorpion Tales” is another video interview with Make-Up Effects Artist Tom Savini. There is also some really cool rare On-Set Behind-the-Scenes footage, great insight and trip back in time. There is an animated still gallery included. Lastly there is Theatrical Trailer and TV Spots included.

[Jox]

And here's an article essentially based on my own booklet liner notes!
http://movieline.com/2012/06/21/red-sco ... off-rocky/

How the DVD/Blu Ray Makes the Case for the Film: In his liner note, Damoiseu gives a stirring and comprehensive history of Red Scorpion that reveals how the film's freaky production history helped to make it a memorable role for the charismatic [...] Swede.

[Jox]

This ‘Scorpion’ is king among ’80s action.
http://www.okgazette.com/oklahoma/artic ... rpion.html

Synapse's Blu-ray/DVD combo pack comes predictably well-stocked with extras, including a post-incarceration interview with Abramoff, who comes off more humbled than I expected. But no one's going to purchase this package for Abramoff's thoughts, so the highlight is naturally the half-hour interview with Lundgren, "Hath No Fury," in which he chronicles his right-time/right-place short path from chemical engineer to action hero.

A piece with makeup man Tom Savini, behind-the-scenes footage and the usual trailers round out the set. If you like the movie, give the feature-length commentary by director Joseph Zito (Friday the 13th: The Final Chapter) a listen, because the story of the movie's making is more interesting than the movie itself — one of the great, unheralded, problem-plagued production tales of modern cinema.

Your move, comrade.

[Jox]

UK distributor Arrow will now release their edition on DVD (it was only on Blu) in August under their "Cult Arena" label

(click for high res)
http://www.play.com/DVD/DVD/4-/33340286 ... tails.html

[Jox]

This is a review from a Blu-ray.com member:

Got to take a look at the Synapse release today...and the news is very good ! First off, it must be noted that "Red Scorpion" is one of those films that simply will never be an eye-dazzling visual experience, which is mainly due to how it was shot, and the types of filmstocks used. In comparing it to the strong U.K. Arrow release, I found the two transfers almost identical in terms of clarity, with a slight edge going to the Synapse release, and I do mean ever so "slight"...Whether or not this has anything to do with the film being offered on a VC-1 encoded 50GB disc (with a higher bitrate) on the Synapse version (as compared to the lower bitrate AVC 25GB Arrow release) is something I can't rightly say. All I can say is that they are remarkably similar for the most part, and where the two versions really differ is in the excellent extra work that Synapse put into the removal of dirt and print damage (which is noticeably more evident on the Arrow release). Usually this is a cause for concern amongst purists (as it often equates to the use of heavy digital scrubbing by the studio), but the great news here is that Synapse did it the proper way, leaving the general grain structure, and in turn, the fine detail of the film, intact. In fact, I'd go so far as to say that this is most likely "reference" quality for "Red Scorpion," and it's a beautiful presentation at that!

As for the audio, pretty much even across the board between the two releases. The newly remastered DTS 5.1 track of the Synapse release is strong all things considered, but as a purist, what was most important to me, was how well the DTS 2.0 track of the Synapse version matched up with the PCM 2.0 track of the Arrow release. They both sound wonderful, and while the PCM audio of the Arrow release may may have an ever so slight edge over the Synapse DTS 2.0 track (sorry to keep using that phrase, but that's how close these two releases really are), they're literally so close that my ears had a hard time differentiating between the two most of the time.

Where the Synapse version really eclipses the Arrow release is in the extras department, however, I should mention that I certainly don't want this to be misinterpreted though, because the Arrow version itself offers some mighty-fine exclusive extras that aren't available on the Synapse release. I haven't had a chance to watch them all yet, but browsing through them, I'm amazed at how much effort was put into producing some high quality extras for this cult-classic film. I enjoyed watching the interview with Jack Abramoff, and despite his past mistakes, I must admit he seemed very professional and quite interested in sharing his thoughts and experiences on the film.

All in all, I must admit that I wish every cult-film got this type of Home Entertainment attention, and the fact of the matter is that there are so many other great classics out there (many of which are far better than "Red Scorpion") that have never, nor will ever, receive this caliber of overall treatment. As far as which version to buy...Well, it all depends on how much of a fan of the film you are. Die-hard fans will want both, if anything, for the varying extras between the two releases. However, the more casual viewer will do fine with either, and since both are region-free, price may be the deciding factor. For those who have neither version and can only purchase one, I'd have to slightly recommend the Synapse release, if anything because of it's larger offering in terms of bonus content.

Bottom line, two very strong releases for a somewhat obscure cult-classic. Both will probably make fans want to...as my favorite character Dewey Ferguson would say:

"Take it off! Take it ALL off!"

[Jox]

And another great review for Synapse!
http://digitalchumps.com/movie-reviews/ ... eview.html

Synapse has done an excellent job bringing Red Scorpion to Blu-ray. The Blu-ray/DVD combo pack includes a new 2K HD restoration of the uncensored cut. Image quality is mostly superb throughout, except for some color banding in the darker scenes. These are noticeable, but not too distracting, especially when moments later the view shifts to outdoor daylight, where most of the movie takes place. The views here -- thanks to the African mountains and sands -- are really pretty, and the clarity provided on this disc is quite good. Clearly some effort was put into this restoration as when you take the transfer at it's best, it can stand its own against much more modern HD movies. That Synapse took this effort rather than simple throw the film on BD and call it a day (as some other 80s/90s action movies have been treated) is something fans will appreciate and it makes a big difference in the quality of this release. The 5.1 Surround, with English subs, compliments the video nicely.

We've all seen a lot of releases of older B or niche movies that would stop here -- maybe throw in a trailer or some art, but no more. Fortunately, you get a lot more with Red Scorpion. The extra features include:

-Audio Commentary with Director Joseph Zito and Mondo Digital's Nathaniel Thompson.
-Hath No Fury: Dolph Lundgren And The Road To Red Scorpion (25m, HD) - A very recent interview with Dolph where he talks about his life starting when he was a Swedish engineering student. Almost overnight, he was starring in Rocky IV and things just snowballed from there. It's a very candid and interesting interview.
-Assignment: Africa (13m, HD) - Producer Jack Abramoff reminisces about the project.
-Scorpion Tales (10m, HD) - Another good interview, this time with make-up effects artist Tom Savini. The background to this interview is really cool, there are a bunch of busts of various ghouls and zombies and things. Anyway, Tom talks about his memories of Red Scorpion, including what went into making the dismembered arm of Argenziano's character at the end of the film. Some vintage behind the scenes stills and footage is shown, too.
-Rare Original On-Set Behind the Scenes Footage (9m) - This is a bit of raw production footage from filming.
-Animated Still Gallery (7m) - A series of stills, mostly of movie posters from around the world.
-Linear Notes on the Making of Red Scorpion by Jeremie Damoiseau - A booklet within the case contains a well written article about the making of Red Scorpion.
-Trailer (2m)
-TV Spots (3m)
-Reversible Cover - A neat feature that I would like to see more often; you can literally flip the box or cover art of this release to show an alternate design.

With that, let's get to the summary...

Red Scorpion

Synapse did a great job bringing this action classic to Blu-ray.

The Film/Show
This is one of the highlights of the 80s/90s action genre as far as I'm concerned. Not only does it have solid action sequences, but multiple characters are very interesting and the film has a high replay value, all these years later.
Presentation
It looks and sounds great for the most part; fans will not be disappointed.
Extra Features
The expect trailers and still images, but also a nice booklet with article and several new interviews really make this release standout.

[Jox]

Schlockmania Movie review
http://www.schlockmania.com/red-scorpion/

Blu-ray review
http://www.schlockmania.com/ds-red-scorpion/

One of the most inter­est­ing devel­op­ments in recent Synapse Films his­tory is the rela­tion­ship they devel­oped with James Glickenhaus. This has led to Synapse han­dling films that Glickenhaus directed, most notably The Exterminator, as well as films he dis­trib­uted through his Shapiro Glickenhaus com­pany, like Maniac Cop and Frankenhooker. Synapse has done superla­tive work with those titles and their quality-work streak con­tin­ues with one of the crown jew­els in Shapiro Glickenhaus library, Red Scorpion.

Oft over­looked in its time, this under­rated action flick has got­ten the spe­cial edi­tion it deserves in a new blu-ray/DVD combo pack. The blu-ray is what was viewed for this review and it’s a gem, offer­ing a crisp, high-definition anamor­phic trans­fer that han­dles the sweep­ing African vis­tas and the fre­quent night pho­tog­ra­phy with equal aplomb. Colors come through beau­ti­fully — look at how those fre­quent explo­sions pop on the screen — and you’ll have a hard time find­ing flaws in the ele­ments used here. In terms of audio, you get the orig­i­nal 2.0 stereo mix plus a newly remixed 5.1 stereo option. The lat­ter was used for this review and deliv­ers plenty of punch and sur­round effects, par­tic­u­larly dur­ing the bat­tle scenes, with­out ever com­ing off as arti­fi­cially enhanced.

There are also an array of new sup­ple­ments for fans to dig into. Red Scorpion had a chal­leng­ing pro­duc­tion his­tory (it was shot in South Africa dur­ing the apartheid era) so there is a gen­uinely inter­est­ing back­story for the extras to cover. The bonus pack­age begins with a new com­men­tary track that pairs direc­tor Joseph Zito with moderator/Mondo Digital hon­cho Nathaniel Thompson. Zito dis­cusses all aspects of his work, cov­er­ing every­thing from how he ended up doing action films to loca­tion chal­lenges to trick­ing his star into doing dan­ger­ous stunts with scor­pi­ons. Thompson does good work as mod­er­a­tor, adding ques­tions as needed and keep­ing Zito primed with­out becom­ing obtrusive.

The info­tain­ment con­tin­ues with a tril­ogy of fea­turettes. First up is an inter­view with Dolph Lundgren. Though it focuses mainly on his Red Scorpion expe­ri­ences, it also cov­ers the begin­ning of his career and how he got roman­ti­cally involved with Grace Jones. The 25-minute run­ning time passes quickly thanks to sharp edit­ing from Daniel Griffith and Lundgren him­self, who proves to be a very artic­u­late and charm­ing racon­teur as he dis­cusses the film and where it fits in the con­text of his career. The only mis­step in the fea­turette comes from a hand­ful of sur­pris­ing typos in the titles used to sep­a­rate its chapters.

The other two fea­turettes were helmed by Michael Felsher and offer inter­views with producer/co-writer Jack Abramoff and fx wiz­ard Tom Savini. The Abramoff inter­view allows the pro­ducer, who is more famous for his con­tro­ver­sial career as a lob­by­ist, to dis­cuss his fond mem­o­ries of the film. Abramoff offers a lot of inter­est­ing details about how hard it was to find an accept­ing loca­tion for the shoot in Africa and how the ulti­mate choice of Namibia (in South Africa) derailed its orig­i­nal dis­tri­b­u­tion agree­ment with Warner Brothers. Savini’s chat focuses mainly on the two big effects that he pro­vided for the film but he also dis­cusses a third effect that was never shot for the film as well as some fun loca­tion sto­ries. Savini also pro­vides nine min­utes’ worth of loca­tion video in a sep­a­rate sup­ple­ment, includ­ing exten­sive cov­er­age of his effects.

The pack­age is rounded out by a set of pro­mo­tional mate­ri­als. The image gallery incor­po­rates stills and can­did on-set shots as well as a vari­ety of pro­mo­tional art. It’s worth not­ing that this is a “motion” gallery, with all the images rolling out over a six-minute run­ning time to the stir­ring strains of Jay Chattaway’s score. The final inclu­sions are an action-packed the­atri­cal trailer and a vari­ety of t.v. spots. The lat­ter are par­tic­u­larly inter­est­ing as they take a vari­ety of tacks to sell the film, includ­ing a fun spot with tes­ti­mo­ni­als from eager movie­go­ers who praise Lundgren (includ­ing a cou­ple of teeny­bop­pers who say he’s bet­ter than Sly Stallone!).

Simply put, this combo-pack of Red Scorpion offers yet another tip-top cat­a­log title trans­fer from Synapse as well as a vari­ety of gen­uinely infor­ma­tive extras that enhance the over­all expe­ri­ence. If you dig ‘80s action, you’ll want to stack this along­side your Seagal and Norris blu-rays.

[Jox]

Review from Twitch
(including a comparison with the UK Arrow edition)
http://twitchfilm.com/reviews/2012/06/b ... -films.php

Synapse Films' Blu-ray edition of Red Scorpion is a wonderful companion piece to the Arrow Video release of the film. In terms of video and audio quality, they are nearly identical. The Synapse may be a tiny bit sharper, due to some additional restoration they did on their end, but overall, this isn't a huge difference. On the audio end, there are some significant differences with Synapse edging out Arrow Video by including not only a DTS-HD MA 5.1 mix, but also encoding the original 2 channel stereo mix in DTS-HD MA rather than LPCM. Again, not a huge difference, but additional options for those who want them.

Here's where it gets crazy. For Red Scorpion fans out there, both editions of the film have completely different sets of bonus material, and both sets are really fantastic. First of all, with this version we get a different director commentary featuring Zito and Mondo Digital's Nathaniel Thompson. I wasn't terribly impressed with Zito on Arrow's commentary, but he seems a bit livelier here. Again we get a lengthy discussion with Lundgren about his past and his career leading up to Red Scorpion. While the Synapse release covers a lot of the same ground as Arrow's, there is enough difference to make it worthwhile.

Synapse Films commissioned two real killer bonus features for this disc that may put it over the top if you have to choose, interviews with Jack Abramoff and Tom Savini. The Abramoff interview is interesting as a document of what producing a film in Africa was like at the time, but the guy is pretty straight laced, and not terribly excitable. The Savini interview, on the other hand, is gold. Red Scorpion isn't the first place that people typically go when talking about Savini's work, but he makes a good case for the film, and has tons of behind the scenes footage to back up his claims. In addition to his interview, there is also a decent length BTS segment with his home videos from the set, and they are really very cool.The set wraps up with informative liner notes, a still gallery, and some trailers, all pretty standard, but they are just the icing on the cake.

If I had to choose one of the Red Scorpion releases, it would probably be this one. As great as Arrow Video's release is, this one has the Savini stuff, which tips it over the edge for me. I'm happy to own both, and if you have the means, I still think that's the way to go. Great stuff from Synapse.

[theRhyse007]

Thanks for Posting all these Reviews! Can't wait till my copy comes in the mail! Now if only Synapse could grab the rights for I Come In Peace and The Punisher. What an awesome Triple Feature of Badassery that'd be.