All-American Murder – Vinegar Syndrome (Blu-ray)

Theatrical Release Date: USA, 1991
Director: Anson Williams
Writer: Barry Sandler
Cast: Christopher Walken, Charlie Schlatter, Josie Bissett, Joanna Cassidy, Richard Kind, Woody Watson, Mitchell Anderson, Amy Moore Davis, J.C. Quinn

Release Date: April 27th, 2021
Approximate Running Time: 93 Minutes 22 Seconds
Aspect Ratio: 1.85:1 Widescreen / 1080 Progressive / MPEG-4 AVC
Rating: R
Sound: DTS-HD Stereo English
Subtitles: English SDH
Region Coding: Region Free
Retail Price: $39.98

"Artie Logan has a history of getting himself in trouble. He’s been kicked out of every school he’s attended and is no friend to the law, which makes matters extra complicated for his wealthy father, who happens to be a judge. Given one last chance, Artie is shipped off to Fairfield College. But when his new fling, and senator’s daughter, Tally, is burned to death by an unknown assailant, suspicion immediately falls on Artie. Adamant of his innocence, he’s granted a 24 hour period in which to unmask the actual culprit. As his hours of freedom dwindle, the killer strikes again and again…" - synopsis provided by the distributor

Video: 5/5

Here’s the information provided about this release's transfer, "Newly scanned & restored in 2k from its 35mm interpositive".

All-American Murder comes on a 50 GB dual layer Blu-ray.

Disc Size: 32 GB

Feature: 27.2 GB

This is another solid transfer from Vinegar Syndrome. Contrast, black levels and image clarity look excellent. 

Audio: 4.5/5

This release comes with two audio options, a DTS-HD stereo mix in English and a Dolby Digital stereo mix in English. The DTS-HD stereo mix sounds great, dialog comes through clearly, everything sounds balanced and ambient sounds are well represented. Included with this release are removable English SDH subtitles. 

Extras:

Extras for this release include reversible cover art, a limited edition slipcover, an interview with actor Charlie Schlatter titled Being on a Team (15 minutes 8 seconds, Dolby Digital stereo English with removable English subtitles), an interview with cinematographer Geoffrey Schaaf titled A Valuable Experience (14 minutes 47 seconds, Dolby Digital stereo English with removable English subtitles) and an audio commentary track with The Hysteria Continues.

Summary:

Christopher Walken is a captivating actor whose mere presence elevates a film. And though his performances are often derivative of the public performance he’s created. Ultimately it's his unpredictability that makes his performances so damn enjoyable. When he’s on, he’s a force of nature that cannot be contained.

Oddly, when I first saw All-American Murder almost thirty-years ago I was not aware of who Christopher Walken was? And though his performance left a lasting impression on me. I have to say watching this film decades later my fondness for All-American Murder, now that I have seen more of Christopher Walken’s films.

Content wise, though All-American Murder has many elements that are synonymous with slasher films. The result is something that is closer to a thriller that has a few inventive murder set pieces. From a production standpoint, the premise, and narrative are well-executed and the ending provides a satisfying conclusion. Another strength of the visuals which far exceed All-American Murder’s direct to video origins. That said, All-American Murder gets a solid audio/video presentation and a trio of insightful extras, recommended.

Written by Michael Den Boer