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S E A R C H    D V D B e a v e r

 

directed by Danny Steinmann
USA 1984

 

When Brenda (Linda Blair, CHAINED HEAT), leader of the high school girl gang The Satins, decides to teach Jake (Robert Dryer, THE BORROWER), leader of the druggie gang The Scars, a lesson for nearly running-over her mute sister Heather (Linnea Quigley, RETURN OF THE LIVING DEAD), she steals the gang's convertible and trashes it. They retaliate by beating and attacking Heather, who ends up in the hospital clinging to life. As if that weren't enough to rile Brenda, they kill pregnant Satin member Francine (Lisa Freeman, FRIDAY THE THIRTEENTH: THE FINAL CHAPTER). Brenda finds out that The Scars are responsible from guilt-ridden member Vinnie (Johnny Venocur, LORD OF ILLUSIONS) and arms herself with a crossbow, switchblade, and bear traps and goes after the gang one-by-one. John Vernon (who appeared with Blair in CHAINED HEAT the previous year), Sal Landi (COPS AND ROBBERSON), Debra Blee (THE MALIBU BIKINI SHOP), and Marcia Karr (KILLER WORKOUT) co-star.

Director/co-writer Danny Steinman (THE UNSEEN, FRIDAY THE 13TH: A NEW BEGINNING) replaced Tom DeSimone (who previously directed Blair in HELL NIGHT) and extensively rewrote the script in a short time (the script was rewritten extensively again when producer John Strong replaced original producer Billy Fine). The film starts out nicely with a well-written first fifty minutes or so, but the revenge is not really the "gang war of the sexes" suggested by the posters since Brenda goes it solo (Brenda and Francine are the only members of the gang afforded the opportunity to show how tough they are). The section of the film devoted to her hunting down The Scars is a bit too short and swift (although Blair gets some great lines while tormenting her prey) and the particularly odious Jake's ultimate fate is not quite so thrilling due to obvious stunt doubling and protective wear (or, at least, the editor's inability to better conceal it). Nevertheless, SAVAGE STREETS is R-rated fun that delivers nudity, some vicious violence, and more badass Linda Blair (it would probably make a better double feature with Blair's
CHAINED HEAT than her other WIP film RED HEAT), who replaced The Runaways' singer Cherrie Currie a few days into production. Dryer, Landi, and Scott Mayer are distinct in their vileness, while Venocur is good as the thug who gains a conscience way too late for Brenda's (and our) sympathy. As the unsympathetic school principal, Vernon has less scenery to chew (other than staring down Jake) than he did in CHAINED HEAT and disappear after suspending Brenda. Australian rocker John Farnham provides four strong vocals - including main title song "Nothing's Gonna Stand in Our Way" and "Justice for One" for Blair's getting-ready-for-battle montage - for the film's soundtrack (which was released on LP by MCA Records).

Eric Cotenas

Posters

Theatrical Release: 5 October 1984 (USA)

Reviews                                                                                          More Reviews                                                                                    DVD Reviews

 

Comparison:

Arrow Video - Region 0 - PAL vs. Scorpion Releasing (Kat Scratch Cinema) - Region 1 - NTSC vs. Code Red - Region 'A' - Blu-ray

Big thanks to Eric Cotenas for all the Screen Caps!

1) Arrow Video - Region 0 - PAL - LEFT

2) Scorpion Releasing (Kat Scratch Cinema) - Region 1 - NTSC - MIDDLE

3) Code Red - Region 'A' - Blu-ray RIGHT

 

Box Covers

 

 

 

 

 

Distribution

Arrow Video

Region 0 - PAL

Scorpion Releasing
Region 1 - NTSC
Code Red
Region 'A' -
Blu-ray
Runtime 1:32:42 1:32:33 1:32:44.517
Video

1.84:1 Original Aspect Ratio

16X9 enhanced
Average Bitrate: 5.73 mb/s
PAL 720x576 25.00 f/s

1.78:1 Original Aspect Ratio

16X9 enhanced
Average Bitrate: 8.7 mb/s
NTSC 720x480 29.97 f/s

1080P Dual-layered Blu-ray

Disc Size: 35,013,091,433 bytes

Feature: 28,230,205,440 bytes

Video Bitrate: 33.99 Mbps

Codec: MPEG-4 AVC Video

NOTE: The Vertical axis represents the bits transferred per second. The Horizontal is the time in minutes.

Bitrate:

Arrow Video

 

Bitrate:

Scorpion Releasing (Kat Scratch Cinema)

 

Bitrate:

Code Red
Region 'A' -
Blu-ray

 

Audio English Dolby Digital 2.0 mono

English Dolby Digital 2.0 mono

DTS-HD Master Audio English 1559 kbps 2.0 / 48 kHz / 1559 kbps / 16-bit (DTS Core: 2.0 / 48 kHz / 1509 kbps / 16-bit)
Dolby Digital Audio English 192 kbps 2.0 / 48 kHz / 192 kbps
DTS-HD Master Audio English 2025 kbps 5.1 / 48 kHz / 2025 kbps / 16-bit (DTS Core: 5.1 / 48 kHz / 1509 kbps / 16-bit)
Commentaries:

Dolby Digital Audio English 160 kbps 2.0 / 48 kHz / 160 kbps
Dolby Digital Audio English 160 kbps 2.0 / 48 kHz / 160 kbps
Dolby Digital Audio English 160 kbps 2.0 / 48 kHz / 160 kbps

Subtitles none none None
Features Release Information:
Studio: Arrow Video

Aspect Ratio:
Widescreen anamorphic - 1.84:1

Edition Details:
• Audio Commentary with director Danny Steinmann
• Audio Commentary with producer John Strong and actors Robert Dryer and Johnny Venocour
• Audio Commentary with cinematographer Stephen Posey and actors Robert Dryer and Sal Landi
• Confessions of a Teenage Vigilante: interview with Linda Blair (16:9; 17:02)
• Heather Speaks: interview with Linnea Quigley (16:9; 10:45)
• Producer John Strong interview (4:3; 14:04)
• Actor Johnny Venocur interview (4:3; 14:15)
• Actor Robert Dryer interview (4:3; 5:54)
• Theatrical Trailer (16:9; 3:21)
• Collector s booklet featuring new writing on SAVAGE STREETS by Kier-la Janisse
• Reversible Sleeve
• Double-sided fold-out poster

DVD Release Date: 20 June 2011
 

Chapters 12

Release Information:
Studio: Scorpion Releasing

Aspect Ratio:
Widescreen anamorphic - 1.78:1

Edition Details:
• DISC ONE:
• Audio Commentary with director Danny Steinmann
• Audio Commentary with producer John Strong and actors Robert Dryer and Johnny Venocour
• Audio Commentary with cinematographer Stephen Posey and actors Robert Dryer and Sal Landi
• Vintage interviews with actor Robert Dryer (4:3; 5:53), producer John Strong (4:3; 14:02), and actor
• Theatrical Trailer (16:9; 3:20)
• Trailers for KILL AND KILL AGAIN, DEATH SHIP, JOYSTICKS, and ALLEY CAT
• DISC TWO:
• Interview with actor Robert Dryer (16:9; 22:02)
• Interview with producer John Strong (16:9; 12:41)
• Interview with actor Sal Landi (16:9; 9:18)
• Interview with actor Scott Mayers (16:9; 12:24)
• Interview with actor Johnny Venocur (16:9; 9:31)
• Confessions of a Teenage Vigilante: interview with Linda Blair (16:9; 17:02)
• Heather Speaks: interview with Linnea Quigley (16:9; 10:44)

 

DVD Release Date: 18 September 2012
Amaray

Chapters 12

Release Information:
Studio: Code Red

 

1080P Dual-layered Blu-ray

Disc Size: 35,013,091,433 bytes

Feature: 28,230,205,440 bytes

Video Bitrate: 33.99 Mbps

Codec: MPEG-4 AVC Video

 

Edition Details:
• 3 Audio Commentaries
- Robert Dryer, Johnny Vanocur and producer John Strong
- Sal Landi, Robert Dryer and Steven Posey
- Danny Steinmann
• Vintage interviews with the cast and crew - Robert Dryer (5:55), Johnny Vanocur (14:16) and producer John Strong (14:04)
• Interviews with Linda Blair (17:04), Linnea Quigley (10:46), Scott Mayer (12:25), Sal Landi (9:19), Robert Dryer (22:04), Johnny Vanocur (9:33) and producer John Strong (12:43),
• Watch in "Kat Skratch Cinema" mode (3:59 / 1:15)
• Theatrical Trailer (3:31)
• Reversible Cover
• Isolated Music Only Tracks
 

Blu-ray Release Date: November, 2018
Transparent Blu-ray case

Chapters 13

 

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

ADDITION: Code Red Blu-ray - November 18':  Code Red's Blu-ray of "Savage Streets" is a brand new restoration from the film's original inter-positive. The film is housed on a dual-layered Blu-ray with a very high bitrate. The feature is shown in the 1.78:1 aspect ratio. There is an obvious upgrade over SD looking a little tighter but the color scheme is the same. It has the usual benefits of the higher resolution. .

There are 6 audio options - three of which are commentaries. We get the default as a DTS-HD Master 2.0 channel at 16-bits, an Isolated Music only option is included in a lossy Dolby 2.0 channel transfer. You can also hear the film in a new DTS-HD Master 5.1 mix created from the original 3 track mag (also 16-bit). The score, very much of its time, is credited to John D'Andrea and Michael Lloyd. There are no subtitles offered on the Region 'A'
Blu-ray.

There are three separate audio commentaries for Savage Streets; the first with Robert Dryer, Johnny Vanocur and producer John Strong, the second with Sal Landi, Robert Dryer and DoP Steven Posey and the last by director. They all have different things to offer, plenty of laughs, but it may be overkill for the casual fan of the film. There are 3 vintage interviews with the cast and crew - Robert Dryer, Johnny Vanocur and producer John Strong lasting about 1/2 in total. There are new interviews with Linda Blair entitled 'Confessions of a Teenage Vigilante' for 17-minutes - and she is buffed with some imposing 'pipes' ala Linda Hamilton. There is 10-minutes with scream-queen, Linnea Quigley entitled 'Heather Speaks', a dozen minutes with Scott Mayer plus interviews with Sal Landi, Robert Dryer, Johnny Vanocur and producer John Strong. You can watch the film in "Kat Skratch Cinema" mode with a four minutes opening and minute after the film ends. There is a theatrical trailer and the package offers a reversible cover sleeve (see bottom).

A unique revenge flic with the stalwart Linda Blair kicking ass. The 80's fashions and look give the film some bona-fide nostalgia. Fans will want this in their Blu-ray library.

 - Gary Tooze

ON THE DVDs: Like their release of FINAL EXAM (another Motion Picture Marketing release), Scorpion Releasing's dual-layer, progressive, anamorphic transfer features a brand new high definition transfer that significantly improves upon the previous master released by BCI (out of print and commanding high prices before the Scorpion release). The image is brighter and more colorful (the 1.78:1 framing also reveals a sliver more information on the top and bottom of the frame). Arrow Video's UK release featured an NTSC-PAL conversion of the earlier master with the usual artifacts.

Both releases feature three audio commentary tracks. Danny Steinman is interviewed by Michael Felsher on the first track. There are quite a few silent passages during the talk, which has just as much info about Steinmann's directing career as the film at hand (he feels that his first film - an adult film titled HIGH RISE - is his most satisfying as it is his least compromised). Filmmaker David DeCoteau moderates the second commentary track with actors Robert Dryer and Johnny Venocur and producer John Strong. Strong came onto the production after it had commenced shooting and had temporarily shut down. Dryer returns on the third commentary track with cinematographer Stephen Posey (SLUMBER PARTY MASSACRE) and actor Sal Landi (moderated by Marc Edward Hueck). Posey discusses the location shoots while - as on the other track - the actors largely have fun watching the film. Like the BCI release, Scorpion has eliminated comments by two unofficial moderators that were thought to be in bad taste on one of the tracks (as well as their introductions and all additional comments). Arrow's version of the track features the introduction of the two commentators, but the specific comments have also been removed.

Interviews with Linda Blair, Linnea Quigley, John Strong, Robert Dryer, and Johnny Venocur have been carried over from the old releases onto both discs, but Scorpion features an interview with actor Sal Landi that was produced for the BCI release but missplaced during production. Also included are new interviews with Strong, Dryer, Venocur, and Scott Mayers (who could not be found at the time of the original BCI release). The interviews and commentary tracks tell a very tangled story of who is responsible for the final product and who is to blame for the unevenness of the script and plot turns (Strong's original interview and commentary seem to have been recorded before hearing the Steinmann track, as he was restrained in his remarks on the director in the original interview and holds nothing back on the new track).

Scorpion's release features an optional "Kat Scratch Cinema" playback mode with an introduction and post-script by hostess Katarina Leigh Waters highlighting the credits of key cast and crew members and some trivia.

 - Eric Cotenas

 


DVD Menus
(
Arrow Video - Region 0 - PAL - LEFT vs. Scorpion Releasing (Kat Scratch Cinema) - Region 1 - NTSC - RIGHT)
 

 

 

Code Red - Region 'A' - Blu-ray

 


CLICK EACH BLU-RAY CAPTURE TO SEE ALL IMAGES IN FULL 1920X1080 RESOLUTION

     

Screen Captures

 

1) Arrow Video - Region 0 - PAL - TOP

2) Scorpion Releasing (Kat Scratch Cinema) - Region 1 - NTSC - MIDDLE

3) Code Red - Region 'A' - Blu-ray BOTTOM

 


1) Arrow Video - Region 0 - PAL - TOP

2) Scorpion Releasing (Kat Scratch Cinema) - Region 1 - NTSC - MIDDLE

3) Code Red - Region 'A' - Blu-ray BOTTOM

 


1) Arrow Video - Region 0 - PAL - TOP

2) Scorpion Releasing (Kat Scratch Cinema) - Region 1 - NTSC - MIDDLE

3) Code Red - Region 'A' - Blu-ray BOTTOM

 


1) Arrow Video - Region 0 - PAL - TOP

2) Scorpion Releasing (Kat Scratch Cinema) - Region 1 - NTSC - MIDDLE

3) Code Red - Region 'A' - Blu-ray BOTTOM

 


1) Arrow Video - Region 0 - PAL - TOP

2) Scorpion Releasing (Kat Scratch Cinema) - Region 1 - NTSC - MIDDLE

3) Code Red - Region 'A' - Blu-ray BOTTOM

 


1) Arrow Video - Region 0 - PAL - TOP

2) Scorpion Releasing (Kat Scratch Cinema) - Region 1 - NTSC - MIDDLE

3) Code Red - Region 'A' - Blu-ray BOTTOM

 


1) Arrow Video - Region 0 - PAL - TOP

2) Scorpion Releasing (Kat Scratch Cinema) - Region 1 - NTSC - MIDDLE

3) Code Red - Region 'A' - Blu-ray BOTTOM

 

Code Red - Region 'A' - Blu-ray


 

Report Card:

 

Image:

Blu-ray

Sound:

Blu-ray

Extras: Blu-ray

 
Box Covers

 

 

 

 

 

Distribution

Arrow Video

Region 0 - PAL

Scorpion Releasing
Region 1 - NTSC
Code Red
Region 'A' -
Blu-ray


 

 




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