NOTE: The below Blu-ray captures were taken directly from the Blu-ray disc.

ADDITION: Severin Films Blu-ray (May 2024): Severin Films have transferred Lee Frost's Hot Spur to Blu-ray. It is cited as "scanned uncut in 4K from the recently rediscovered negative". Aside from a few aberrant scratches the 1080P is quite impressive with deep colors, pleasing detail and grain. Lighting and effects on the film are marginal but the overall HD presentation is better than one might have expected for such a low budget effort. See our screen captures below.  

NOTE: We have added 54 more large resolution Blu-ray captures (in lossless PNG format) for DVDBeaver Patrons HERE

On their Blu-ray, Severin Films use a DTS-HD Master 2.0 channel track (24-bit) in the original English language. Hot Spur has many aggressive scenes; beatings, gunshots, screams etc. that come through with uncomfortable intensity. The unremarkable score is credited to Denny Martin (only film credit), running along some of the scenes - often awkwardly. Severin Films offer optional English (SDH) subtitles on their Region FREE Blu-ray.

The Severin Films Blu-ray offers a new commentary by Vinegar Syndrome's Joe Rubin, Severin Films' Andrew Furtado and Bob Cresse's friend and former Something Weird General Manager Tim Lewis. They state that Lee Frost's Hot Spur is not the filmmaker's biggest hit but by far it was the most infamous. They say that it changed the genre. They discuss the cast, production details (cost of $35,000) and the "roughie" genre, crossover with underground films to sexploitation cinema.... The preference seems to be to The Scavengers - also released on Blu-ray by Severin at the same time. There is also an hour 10-minute-long recently discovered audio discussion on Frost / Cresse by David F. Friedman and something weird founder Mike Vraney that plays to the start of the film. Also included is Hollywood's World of Flesh - an early Frost/Cresse 1963 feature running over an hour. It is described on IMDb as "Hilariously bogus "documentary on the film capital of the world" inspired by the Italian mondo movie genre. A look at adult book stores, grindhouses, strip joints, "Figure Model Photography Studios" and midnight pool parties. This is more cynical sexploitation from director Lee Frost and producer Bob Cresse, the loveable hucksters." The Casting Director is a rare 1968 6-minute color short and silent comedy starring Bob Cresse and directed by David F. Friedman. It involves an office cleaner being mistaken for a casting director and witnessing an actress's striptease - before he is discovered. Lastly is a long uncensored trailer introduced by Cresse plus there is a 47-second teaser.

Lee Frost's Hot Spur is a "roughie" - an exploitation feature film combining sex with violence. There are multiple sexual assaults (a saloon girl, a ranch owner's wife and the Mexican stable-boy's sister), in bondage, and repeated flashbacks to 'the sister' - plus shotgun blasts to the face etc.. Hot Spur is also considered a 'western' taking place in 1869 - with horses and cowboys but there isn't much doubt in the exploitation intent. Revenge is a key theme, along with a subtext of racism. The performance of Virginia Gordon (Francis Ford Coppola's Tonight for Sure) is the lone standout. I was really shaking my head through most of it (poor camerawork and editing), as well as being disgusted - but I see the appeal for some when I listened to the commentary. While not by cup-of-tea, I haven't been exposed to a lot of this niche genre. Overall my appreciation of "roughies" is... lacking. Perhaps I will give the, supposedly superior effort, The Scavengers a spin - also by Lee Frost. Boutique label Severin Films have brought another cult film to Blu-ray and it's stacked with a commentary, and more. The image quality is surprisingly strong and Hot Spur's mere existence is a historical cinema curiosity. To each his own.

Gary Tooze