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

ADDITION: Mediumrare Blu-ray (April 2021): Mediumrare have transferred the four Dean Martin "Matt Helm" features, The Silencers, Murderer's Row, The Ambushers and The Wrecking Crew, to Blu-ray, like the 2005 DVD set calling it "Matt Helm Lounge". It appears to be from the same sources (duplicate marks). They are on their own single-layered Blu-ray disc, and while are far from exemplary, are a significant improvement over the DVDs with more than 5X the bitrate. There is a more information on the top as well as the bottom of the frame giving thee an accurate 1.85:1 aspect ratio. Superiority is seen in the usual areas - contrast, colors become richer and detail although these aren't especially crisp, looking fairly thick - more a function of the sources than the transfer. The Ambushers probably looks the tightest but has some clucky grain in spots. I'd be surprised if we ever see them look better on digital without a restoration - which is unlikely to come.

NOTE: We have added 100 more large resolution Blu-ray captures (in lossless PNG format) for DVDBeaver Patrons HERE

On their Blu-rays, Mediumrare use linear PCM 2.0 channel tracks (16-bit) in the original English language. It is another advancement in the film's audio with a few sci-fi spy-effects gaining depth as well as the scores; The Silencers is by Elmer Bernstein (The Great Escape, From the Terrace, The Hallelujah Trail, The Grifters, Birdman of Alcatraz, Love With the Proper Stranger, The Bride at Remagen, The Comancheros, The World of Henry Orient, Kings of the Sun, Hud, To Kill a Mockingbird, Summer and Smoke) on Murderers Row by Argentinean Lalo Schifrin (The Mission Impossible TV Series, Joe Kidd, Rollercoaster, Charley Varrick, The Nude Bomb, Day of the Animals, Hit!, Man on a Swing, The Manitou, Tango and many other films) by Hugo Montenegro's (Hurry Sundown, The Undefeated) on The Ambushers and The Wrecking Crew. None reach the lofty levels of Jerry Goldsmith's iconic scores in the two "Flint" films but The Wrecking Crew theme was quite pleasing adding some atmosphere. As well as a two dance/song numbers by Cyd Charisse (dubbed by Vikki Carr), there are plenty of Dean Martin songs; Saul Chaplin, Empty Saddles in the Old Corral, If You Knew Susie, I'm in the Dream, On the Sunny Side of the Street, The Last Roundup, South of the Border, Red Sails in the Sunset, Side By Side, The Glory of Love, Everybody Loves Somebody, I'm Not the Marrying Kind, House of 7 Joys, On the Sunny Side of the Street, My Melancholy Baby, The Glory of Love with parody renditions, played on a radio or as inside jokes including Frank Sinatra's Come Fly With Me played to help Matt seduce a new agent as his own phonograph crooning turned her off. Sound is pretty consistent and helps the fun and danger elements. Mediumrare offer optional English subtitles on their four Region FREE Blu-rays.

The Mediumrare Blu-ray has only trailers as extras. These don't really warrant commentaries although Howard S. Berger, Steve Mitchell and Nathaniel Thompson might have been fun. 

There aren't many sixties film-babes not represented in Deano's Matt Helm series including gorgeous ladies like Ann-Margret, Stella Stevens, Daliah Lavi, Cyd Charisse, Camilla Sparv, Senta Berger, Janice Rule, Elke Sommer, Sharon Tate, Nancy Kwan, Tina Louise and Beverly Adams (as Lovey Kravezit). Keep your eyes peeled and you'll see Dean Paul Martin, Desi Arnaz Jr. (both in Murderer's Row) plus Chuck Norris making his film debut in The Wrecking Crew. Notably Noir director Phil Karlson (99 River Street, Kansas City Confidential, 5 Against the House, Tight Spot) starts and closes the series with 1966's The Silencers and 1968's The Wrecking Crew. There is huge nostalgic value with these Bond-parodies. the Mediumrare Blu-ray package is essentially bare-bones but I relish the idea if only seeing more Stella Stevens (The Ballad of Cable Hogue), Daliah Lavi (Some Girls Do It) and Sharon Tate (The Fearless Vampire Killers) in 1080P. Recommended to an appreciative crowd.

Gary Tooze

ON THE DVDs (2005): This package is quite poor - Two transparent - double slim cases inside a cardboard box. All 4 discs are single layered with cowering bitrates and The Silencers is not even progressively transferred (a duplicate of the original release - see last capture for evident 'combing'). The other 3 look suspiciously like Columbia Tri-Star authoring - gaudy yellow removable subtitles include Japanese as an option and are listed on the main menu - only 12 chapter stops and 'previews' as the only extra feature. These DVDs are anamorphic but the picture is very soft and colors (the one attribute that could have saved them) are pale and washed-out. A big disappointment for the fans who perhaps were anticipating a higher quality.   

I guess if you look on the positive they are only about $6 each (purchased in the Boxset), and that is about their realistic value. The Ambushers is not totally unacceptable in appearance but its probably the worst film of the bunch. This set is only recommended for the die-hard Helm fans, who frankly may finds his luster has tarnished severely with age after watching these lackluster DVDs.