Review by Gary Tooze

Production:

Disc:

Video:

Audio:

DTS-HD Master Audio English 1070 kbps 1.0 / 48 kHz / 1070 kbps / 24-bit (DTS Core: 1.0 / 48 kHz / 768 kbps / 24-bit)
Commentary:

Dolby Digital Audio English 192 kbps 2.0 / 48 kHz / 192 kbps / DN -4dB

DVD

Bitrates:

 

 

Description: The beautiful Linnea Quigley stars in two erotic thrillers from filmmaker David DeCoteau.

First, in MURDER WEAPON, two women, who have just been released from an asylum, hold a party to reunite with their old boyfriends. Soon, though, a mysterious black clad killer begins murdering the boys in increasingly gruesome ways. Can the murderer be unmasked before it's too late?

Then, in DEADLY EMBRACE, a lonely and under-sexed housewife hires a studly houseman, only to begin an affair with him. But when his actress girlfriend (Linnea Quigley) comes to visit, as well as her wealthy husband (Jan-Michael Vincent), things start happening that no one would have expected...

Never released theatrically, Vinegar Syndrome is proud to have restored these nudity and blood filled direct to video classics from their long lost 16mm camera negatives and bring them to Blu-ray for the first time.

 

 

 

The Film:

Excerpt from Letterboxd located HERE

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

Murder Weapon / Deadly Embrace come to Blu-ray from Vinegar Syndrome. The transfers are described as "Scanned, restored & preserved in 2k from 16mm original camera negatives". This is dual-layered with a high bitrate for both features. There is thick, consistent, grain - bright colors - and only a few instances of light damage. Image quality of both is about the same - predominantly flat in the 1.78:1 aspect ratio. This Blu-ray image is what it is - and I highly doubt these films will ever look better than this for home theatre consumption.

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

 

Murder Weapon

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Deadly Embrace

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

DTS-HD Master mono tracks at (24-bit) for both films. Like the video - at the mercy of the strong source and production limitations. They sound clean - audible dialogue and a touch of bass response in the poor quality effects. Flat as a pancake which would be authentic. There are optional English subtitles and my Oppo has identified the disc as being a region FREE playable on Blu-ray machines worldwide.

Extras :

 

 

BOTTOM LINE:
Well - don't blame the messenger. These are obviously direct-to-video type productions. Both are unabashedly exploitive with gratuitous nudity and some flashy, if out-of-place, blood gore. Recognizable Jan-Michael Vincent and Jack Carter are in Deadly Embrace for a little more than a cup of coffee. Ditto - and even less - for Lyle Waggoner in Murder Weapon. Linnea Quigley is prancing around in both - and Michelle Bauer shows her body - albeit briefly. So, I think most who might be into these flics - already know what they are getting themselves in for. These aren't 'terrible' but constrained by the effort and time put into them. From that standpoint they are reasonable time-wasters - they are not 'horrible'. The Vinegar Syndrome Blu-ray package continues their vein of grassroots exploitation efforts from the 80s. And they do an excellent job at it (I continue to like the covers!) Recommended to the right crowd! 

Gary Tooze

October 27th, 2016