http://eurocultav.com/Reviews/Red_Scorp ... rpion.htmlAudio/Video (4.5/5)
Synapse Films have done it again! Red Scorpion has entered the Blu-ray realm with a glorious 1:78:1 AVC encoded 1080p transfer that is filmlike and gorgeous. The level of detail is simply excellent, and the film has a healthy level of grain throughout, while color reproduction is absolute stunning. The black levels are extremely deep, and flesh tones are accurate. This is Red Scorpion looking it's absolute best.
Synapse have presented Red Scorpion with 2 audio options both in English. A DTS-HD Master Audio track Stereo 2.0 track and a DTS-HD 5.1 Master Audio track. Since I tend to watch films as close to their original intended form as possible I stuck to the 2.0 track for much of my viewing, but toggled over to the 5.1 for the purpose of this review. Both tracks are quite solid, with the effects such as explosions, crashes, etc taking center stage and really packing a sonic punch. The dialogue, music, and effects are mixed well with no element overpowering any other in the mix. The dialogue is clean and crisp and audible throughout. Synapse have been awesome enough to include optional English subtitles on Red Scorpion!
Extras (5/5)
Synapse have put together what can only be described as a truly definitive package for Red Scorpion. This release is packed to the brim with awesome extras, for fans of the film new and old, and there is definitely something for everyone. The disc kicks off with an audio commentary with Joseph Zito moderated by Nathaniel Thompson of the website Mondo Digital. Zito is a great listen, and covers pretty much every facet of the production one could want to know about from the production, down to the various edits of the film, and more.
We then get to the featurettes which start with Hath No Fury: The Road to Red Scorpion, a 25 minute interview with Dolph Lundgren which acts as a career overview, how he got his start in acting, and touches on Rocky IV, Masters of the Universe, etc, however most of the discussion time here is obviously on Red Scorpion. We then have what I considered the most surprising extra on the disc a 13 minute interview called Assignment Africa with Red Scorpion producer and infamous lobbyist Jack Abramoff. When Synapse announced the interview I assumed it was show while he was still in prison, it turns out he is already out. Abramoff ends up being quite an interesting interview discussing how the film was put together the difficulty in getting a steady shooting location, and being forced to shoot in an area that was part of apartheid in the 80's. A really interesting interview from the producers perspective that really shows the difficulty in getting this film made. We then have Scorpion Tales, a 10 minute interview Special FX wizard Tom Savini. He discusses the sequences he worked on for the film, having to take his family to Africa for the work, and the hardships they faced because of it, and more. Tom is always a great interview, and this is no exception, the only problem is it is very short, but there is a ton of information and interesting anecdotes packed in to the running time. We then have 9 minutes of Tom Savini's home movies from the set of Red Scorpion, it shows the production of the film from Tom's perspective with a focus on his FX sequences. The disc is rounded off by a 7 minute motion stills gallery, the films trailer in HD, and a few minutes worth of TV spots!
Overall
Not just a Dolph Lundgren movie, but quite possibly THE Dolph Lundgren movie. Red Scorpion comes to Blu-ray in a fantastic looking (and sounding) High Definition transfer from Synapse Films. This disc is loaded with extras, and comes with a spare DVD if you haven't made the upgrade or need some Dolph action cinema whilst on the road. The movie is fun violent 80's action cinema with one of it's greatest action heroes doing what he does best! HIGHLY RECOMMENDED!
http://www.ldnews.com/valleylife/ci_21070138Making 'Red Scorpion' more interesting than film itself
The story behind the making of "Red Scorpion" is easily more interesting than the film itself, so I was tickled that Synapse has included both a booklet (increasingly rare) and a slew of behind-the-scenes bonus features.
Just for starters, the film was the brainchild of Jack Abramoff (yes, that Jack Abramoff), who briefly dabbled in film production before moving on to questionable lobbying practices that led to his conviction for fraud and conspiracy. (In his interview among the extras, Abramoff refers to his post-Hollywood activities as "moved on to other things." The interview, by the way, is either filmed in one heckuva posh slammer or Abramoff is already once again at liberty.)
Filming in Swaziland was on the verge of beginning - sets were built and the actors had arrived - when that country's rulers paranoiacally booted the production out because of a coup in Algeria that was accomplished by rebels posing as BBC journalists. After six weeks (with actors and crew cooling their heels in a Johannesburg hotel) permission to film in Namibia was obtained, but that caused original distributor Warner Bros. to pull out of its contract because of its anti-Apartheid policy. The desert location was problematic and caused shooting to drag on and the budget to double.
The story has Dolph Lundgren as a Soviet "killing machine" whose mission is to infiltrate an African rebel uprising and assassinate its anti-Communist leader. Of course, he comes to realize that he's allied with the wrong side, and there's lots of automatic weapons fire and all sorts of stuff blowing up. It also has some of the most ravishing landscapes ever committed to film.
Lundgren, while no Olivier, is surprisingly good - his interaction with an aged bushman are quite affecting - and it's a shame that the box-office non-performance of "Scorpion" (preceded by unimpressive income for "Masters of the Universe" and followed by the same for "The Punisher") relegated his career to low-budget and direct-to-video fare. Others less talented (and let's face it, far less beautiful) have had far more success in the action-hero field.
That said, the real acting honors here go to M. Emmett Walsh, as a foul-mouthed journalist, who effortlessly steals every scene he's in. The film, of course, isn't even remotely about acting; it's a remarkable late-in-the-day, anti-evil-Russkies tract with uber-violent and often improbably set-pieces.