Mutant Hunt – Vinegar Syndrome (Blu-ray)

Theatrical Release Date: USA, 1987
Director: Tim Kincaid
Writer: Tim Kincaid
Cast: Rick Gianasi, Mary Fahey, Ron Reynaldi, Taunie Vrenon, Bill Peterson, Mark Umile, Stormy Spill, Doug Devos

Release Date: September 27th, 2022
Approximate Running Time: 77 Minutes
Aspect Ratio: 1.33:1 Aspect Ratio / 1080 Progressive / MPEG-4 AVC
Rating: NR
Sound: DTS-HD Mono English
Subtitles: English SDH
Region Coding: Region A
Retail Price: $42.98

"In the near future of 1992, robots have become a facet of everyday life. Dr. Z, the diabolical head of one of the country's top robotics firms, has developed a solution named "Euphoron" which, when injected into his cyborgs, transforms them from man's servant into impossibly strong and powerful killing machines in an attempt by Dr. Z to take absolute power. Realizing the implications of Z's actions, chief robotics engineer Paul Haynes attempts to stop the robot takeover, only to be kidnapped along with his sister, Darla. After achieving a dangerous escape, Darla then enlists the help of tough-as-grit bounty hunter Matt Riker and the two begin a quest to destroy the murderous machines." - synopsis provided by the distributor

Video: 4.25/5

Here’s the information provided about this release's transfer, "Newly scanned & restored in 4K from its 35mm original camera negative."

Buried Alive comes on a 50 GB dual layer Blu-ray.

Disc Size: 32 GB

Feature: 24.8 GB

The source used for this transfer is in great shape. Colors and flesh tones look correct, image clarity, black levels, and compression are strong, and the image retains an organic look.

Audio: 4/5

This release comes with one audio option, a DTS-HD mono mix in English, and included with this release are removable English SDH subtitles. The audio sounds clean, clear, and balanced. Range wise, this track sounds good considering the limitations of its source.

Extras:

Extras for this release include an interview with actor Mark Legan titled Long Arm of the Hunt (24 minutes 17 seconds, Dolby Digital stereo English with removable English SDH subtitles), an interview with actor Dr. J. Buzz Von Ornsteiner titled If You Want Me To Box With A Kangaroo… (55 minutes 41 seconds, Dolby Digital stereo English with removable English SDH subtitles), an interview with special makeup effects artist Ed French titled Mutant Maker (18 minutes 21 seconds, Dolby Digital stereo English with removable English SDH subtitles), an audio commentary with film historian Elizabeth Purchell, reversible cover art, and an embossed and spot gloss slipcover limited to 5,000 units.

Summary:

Mutant Hunt was written and directed by Tim Kincaid (Bad Girls Dormitory). Mutant Hunt is one of three sci-fi/post-apocalyptic films directed by Tim Kincaid; the other two are Breeders and Robot Holocaust.

From its opening moments, it is clear that what's about to unfold is going to be a wild ride. Mutant Hunt’s wild premise about bloodthirsty cyborgs is superbly realized. The narrative is filled with outrageous moments, like a scene where one character in nothing but their tighty-whities does hand-to-hand combat with a cyborg. That said, this is not a film that you watch because of exposition; it is all about spectacle.

From a production standpoint, everything about Mutant Hunt embodies low, low, low budget filmmaking. Fortunately, Mutant Hunt is not hindered by a lack of resources. In fact, it works in its favor. Instead of trying to make a futuristic world, Mutant Hunt takes the low-fi sci-fi approach of merging modern with futuristic elements. The most surprising aspects of Mutant Hunt are the special effects and just how well they hold up. Ultimately, Mutant Hunt is a delirious Z-grade cinematic experience, and fans of campy cinema are this film’s target audience.

Mutant Hunt gets an excellent release from Vinegar Syndrome that comes with a strong audio/video presentation and a wealth of informative extras, highly recommended.

Written by Michael Den Boer