ADDITION: Vinegar Syndrome 4K UHD (April 2022): Vinegar Syndrome's are releasing Michael Winner's "Death Wish II" to 4K UHD. It is described as "Newly scanned & restored in 4K from its 35mm original camera negative" and is has HDR (High Dynamic Range.) It is also cited as being the 'uncensored version' with the TV version included, as a bonus, on the second disc Blu-ray. The 2160P looks highly remarkable with the HDR sparingly applied. I can really find no faults at all. It is pristinely clean, has consistent fine grain, deep, rich colors that don't appear overly embellished, there is frequent depth and detail advances upon SD and BD. The image quality is exceptionally strong - without flaw. Let's hope the original Death Wish looks this excellent. While plenty of early 80's films have less resilient stock - "Death Wish II"s appearance is even more impressive.   

It is likely that the monitor you are seeing this review is not an HDR-compatible display (High Dynamic Range) or Dolby Vision, where each pixel can be assigned with a wider and notably granular range of color and light. Our capture software if simulating the HDR (in a uniform manner) for standard monitors. This should make it easier for us to review more 4K UHD titles in the future and give you a decent idea of its attributes on your system. So our captures may not support the exact same colors (coolness of skin tones, brighter or darker hues etc.) as the 4K system at your home. But the framing, detail, grain texture support etc. are, generally, not effected by this simulation representation.

NOTE: 74 more more full resolution (3840 X 2160) 4K UHD captures, in lossless PNG format, for Patrons are available HERE

We have reviewed the following 4K UHD packages to date: The Apartment (no HDR), The Proposition (software uniformly simulated HDR), Nightmare Alley (2021) (software uniformly simulated HDR), Mary Shelley's Frankenstein (software uniformly simulated HDR), The Godfather (software uniformly simulated HDR), Le Crecle Rouge (software uniformly simulated HDR), An American Werewolf in London (software uniformly simulated HDR), A Hard Day's Night (software uniformly simulated HDR), The Piano (software uniformly simulated HDR), The Great Escape (software uniformly simulated HDR), The Red Shoes (software uniformly simulated HDR), Citizen Kane (software uniformly simulated HDR), Unbreakable (software uniformly simulated HDR), Mulholland Dr. (software uniformly simulated HDR), Invasion of the Body Snatchers (software uniformly simulated HDR), The Hills Have Eyes (software uniformly simulated HDR), The Servant (software uniformly simulated HDR), Anatomy of a Murder (software uniformly simulated HDR), Taxi Driver  (software uniformly simulated HDR), The Wolf Man (1941) (software uniformly simulated HDR), Frankenstein (1931) (software uniformly simulated HDR),  Deep Red (software uniformly simulated HDR),  Misery (software uniformly simulated HDR), The Silence of the Lambs (software uniformly simulated HDR), John Carpenter's "The Thing" (software uniformly simulated HDR), The Cat' o'Nine Tails (software uniformly simulated HDR),  The Bird With the Crystal Plumage (software uniformly simulated HDR), Dr. Strangelove or: How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love the Bomb (software uniformly simulated HDR), Perdita Durango (software uniformly simulated HDR),  Django (software uniformly simulated HDR),  Fanny Lye Deliver'd (software uniformly simulated HDR), The Good, the Bad and the Ugly, (NO HDR applied to disc),  Rollerball (software uniformly simulated HDR),  Chernobyl  (software uniformly simulated HDR), Daughters of Darkness (software uniformly simulated HDR), Vigilante (software uniformly simulated HDR), Tremors (software uniformly simulated HDR), Cinema Paradiso (software uniformly simulated HDR), The Bourne Legacy (software uniformly simulated HDR), Full Metal Jacket (software uniformly simulated HDR),  Psycho (software uniformly simulated HDR), The Birds (software uniformly simulated HDR), Rear Window (software uniformly simulated HDR), Vertigo (software uniformly simulated HDR),  Spartacus (software uniformly simulated HDR), Jaws (software uniformly simulated HDR), The Invisible Man, (software uniformly simulated HDR), Steven Spielberg's War of the Worlds (software uniformly simulated HDR), Lucio Fulci's 1979 Zombie  (software uniformly simulated HDR),, 2004's Van Helsing (software uniformly simulated HDR),  The Shallows (software uniformly simulated HDR), The Bridge on the River Kwai (software uniformly simulated HDR), The Deer Hunter (software uniformly simulated HDR),  The Elephant Man (software uniformly simulated HDR), A Quiet Place (software uniformly simulated HDR), Easy Rider (software uniformly simulated HDR), Suspiria (software uniformly simulated HDR), Pan's Labyrinth (software uniformly simulated HDR),  The Wizard of Oz, (software uniformly simulated HDR), The Shining, (software uniformly simulated HDR), Batman Returns (software uniformly simulated HDR), Don't Look Now (software uniformly simulated HDR), The Man Who Killed Killed and then The Bigfoot  (software uniformly simulated HDR),,  Bram Stoker's Dracula (software uniformly simulated HDR), Lucy (software uniformly simulated HDR), They Live (software uniformly simulated HDR), Shutter Island (software uniformly simulated HDR),  The Matrix (software uniformly simulated HDR), Alien (software uniformly simulated HDR), Toy Story (software uniformly simulated HDR),  A Few Good Men (software uniformly simulated HDR),  2001: A Space Odyssey (HDR caps udated), Schindler's List (simulated HDR), The Neon Demon (No HDR), Dawn of the Dead (No HDR), Saving Private Ryan (simulated HDR and 'raw' captures), Suspiria (No HDR), The Texas Chain Saw Massacre (No HDR), The Big Lebowski, and I Am Legend (simulated and 'raw' HDR captures).

The 4K UHD disc's audio gives a DTS-HD Master 2.0 channel track. The film obviously has plenty of gun violence that carries decent depth and impact. The score is famously by Jimmy Page of  iconic Led Zeppelin fame. It has guitar solos, orchestrations (David Sinclair Whittaker) and some creep synthesizer utilized. It sounds supportive via the lossless transfer. All 4K UHD discs are Region 'Free' and this offers optional, yellow, English (SDH) subtitles - see sample below. There is an included Blu-ray, with the film in 1080P and more supplements (see below.) It is region 'A'-locked.

The 4K UHD disc - has the older Paul Talbot (author of Bronson's Loose! The Making of the Death Wish Films and Bronson's Loose Again! On the Set with Charles Bronson) commentary that is highly detailed informing us of many lesser-known facts of the production, Winner's own editing, the cinematographer Thomas Del Ruth quitting over the sexual assault scene - replaced by Richard H. Kline, actor profiles, Jimmy Page's score, how it differs from the original, guns types, The Greek video version, stunt doubles, locations and significantly more - in very specific detail. It is as through and informative as one could expect from a commentary.

Included is a second disc Blu-ray, with the original film with the Talbot commentary, and a 1-hour 35-minute 'Alternate TV version' (restored in 2K from it's 35mm interpositive) with a few superfluous scenes added and the graphic violence removed. There are also four new interviews; with screenwriter David Engelbach entitled "Pass", with actor Robert F. Lyons as "Working with Bronson", "Dark Parts" with actress Robin Sherwood who, at 30, played daughter Carol Kersey", and "Fights in the Theater" - an interview with Todd Roberts, son of executive producer Bobby Roberts. In total they run almost 1/2 hour. There is also a theatrical trailer. The package has a reversible sleeve (see above.)

Michael Winner's "Death Wish II" is a step above much of the rest of the sequels (three through five), or the 2018 version - while holding desirable links to the first Death Wish. I don't think it deserves to be lumped in with what followed. "Death Wish II" remains marred by the unnecessary graphicness of the sexual assaults that are still uncomfortable nay downright disgusting. On the positive it has Bronson in his charismatic, leading-man, prime (almost 60 at the time of filming,) a similar vigilante story to the original, Vincent Gardenia (Det. Frank Ochoa) returns as the, inwardly sympathetic, police investigator covertly following Kersey for his next killing and now, in part II, uses Jill Ireland as a love-interest and the Liberal-minded foil - replacing the son-in-law from the first film. This is not fleshed out much in this sequel either. The first Death Wish had the evolution of Kersey's vigilante status, where in subsequent parts there isn't much internal debate - he's very accepting of the dark, risky areas that he is venturing. There are plenty of scenes blowing away the punks - extending the revenge factor appeal. I find "Death Wish II" watchable - outside of the rapes - and it was decently realized with the rest of the sequels as throwaways. As an aside, I did enjoy The Brave One with Jodie Foster having similarities to this premise. So this Vinegar Syndrome's 4K UHD is excellent with an immaculate video rendering, commentary, new interviews, second disc Blu-ray and box art. Bronson fans craving more than the original should be extremely pleased.

Gary Tooze