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

Kino have given us a brand new 4-k transfer of Verhoeven's "Spetters", and it looks fantastic. The 1080p image is housed on a dual-layered disc with a maxed out bitrate. There are certain frames with tiny flecks of damage but the instances of debris are heavy, with no visible scratches or lines. Grain and detail is outstanding, giving the film a nice texture. Colors really pop and the contrast levels seem very decent, especially in nighttime scenes.

Kino use a DTS-HD Master 2.0 channel (16-bit_ in the original Dutch language. There are some sporadic effects and a score by Ton Scherpenzeel (his only feature film credit.) Additional music can be found in ABBA's Eagle and Chiquitita tunes sampled in the film. There are optional English subtitles (see sample) on the region 'A'-locked Blu-ray disc.

Kino have given us a feature-length audio commentary with director, Paul Verhoeven. This track is a great listen. I found his original idea for the "measuring" scene even wilder than expressed in the film. He also goes on about the negative press and the formation of a 'National-Anti-Spetters-Committee'. There is also an original theatrical trailer, as well as a trailer for Verhoeven's "Flesh + Blood" and an animated image gallery.

Spetters is a unique film, showcasing a director exploding with style. Though Verhoeven would later exercise more restraint in his later American films, there are a lot of interesting themes at play here, however explicit they are. Viewers should be warned that this film contains very troubling scenes (including gang rape) as well as pretty explicit sex scenes, with full frontal-male nudity. Despite the rough material, it is a worthy film to explore for fans of Verhoeven.

Colin Zavitz