Special Silencers – Mondo Macabro (Blu-ray)

Theatrical Release Date: Indonesia, 1982
Director: Arizal
Writers: Deddy Armand, Djair
Cast: Barry Prima, Eva Arnaz, W.D. Mochtar, Dicky Zulkarnaen, Herman Pero, Enny Beatrice, Darussalam, Malino Djunaedy

Release Date: April 9th, 2024
Approximate running time: 86 Minutes 38 Seconds
Aspect Ratio: 2.35:1 Widescreen / 1080 Progressive / MPEG-4 AVC
Rating: NR
Sound: DTS-HD Mono Indonesian, DTS-HD Mono English
Subtitles: English
Region Coding: Region Free
Retail Price: $29.95

"The plot is simplicity itself. A corrupt politician in rural Indonesia wants to impose himself as the boss of the local territory. To do this he has to eliminate the competition. To do that he uses his “special silencers” – small red pills apparently intended to enhance meditative states. But when taken with food or drink they erupt inside the victim’s stomach and emerge through the flesh like ragged, blood covered tree branches. It literally has to be seen to be believed." - synopsis provided by the distributor

Video: 4/5

Here’s the information provided about this release's transfer, "HD restored feature supplied by Parkit Films."

This disclaimer that plays before the extended version gives more details about the transfer's source, "Special Silencers missing shots:

Mondo Macabro was not involved in the restoration of Special Silencers. The only existing master has some shots missing. The explanation given was excessive damage to the negative.

For the sake of completeness, we have created a complete version of the film including these missing shots.

These were taken from a Dutch VHS, cropped to 4:3, English language with Dutch subtitles."

Special Silencers comes on a 50 GB dual layer Blu-ray.

Disc Size: 46 GB

Feature: 25.4 GB

Though most of the source looks great, there are still source-related imperfections like emulsion stains. Flesh tones look healthy, colors look very good, image clarity and black levels are strong, there are no issues with compression, and there do not appear to be any issues with digital noise reduction.

Audio: 4.25/5 (DTS-HD Mono Indonesian), 3.75/5 (DTS-HD Mono English)

This release comes with two audio options, a DTS-HD mono mix in Indonesian and a DTS-HD mono mix in English. The Indonesian track is noticeably fuller than the English-language track. That said, dialog comes through clearly, everything sounds balanced, and ambient sounds are well represented. Included are removable English subtitles for the Indonesian language track, and there is a second removable English subtitle track for text in Indonesian when watching with the English language track.

Extras:

Extras for this release include a Mondo Macabro promo reel (13 minutes 29 seconds, Dolby Digital stereo), English language title credits (2 minutes 44 seconds, Dolby Digital mono), deleted scenes (4 minutes 28 seconds, Dolby Digital mono English with burnt-in Dutch subtitles), a Mondo Macabro episode on Indonesian cinema titled Fantasy Films from Indonesia (25 minutes 7 seconds, Dolby Digital stereo English and Indonesian with non-removable English subtitles for Indonesian), an extended version of Special Silencers (90 minutes 9 seconds, 2.35:1 aspect ratio, 4:3 for inserts from Dutch VHS, DTS-HD mono English, no subtitles), and an audio commentary with genre expert Andrew Leavold.

Summary:

Directed by Arizal, whose other notable films are Final Score, The Stabilizer, and Lethal Hunter.

The narrative revolves around an ambitious politician who gets rid of his rivals by giving them a pill that will cause a tree to grow and burst from their stomachs.

That brief synopsis gives you a clear idea of how batshit crazy the premise is. And though Indonesian cinema of the 1980s is known for its outlandish plots that are filled with WTF moments, I was still not prepared for what unfolded in Special Silencers, a genre-bending film that will constantly surprise you with each new twist. That said, it is best to not think about what you are watching and just embrace the craziness.

Performance-wise, one would be hard-pressed to fault any of the performances. Barry Prima (The Warrior) is in the cast in the role of Hendra, the hero character. He would dominate 1980s Indonesian cinema by portraying similar characters. Another performance of note is Eva Arnaz (Ferocious Female Freedom Fighters) in the role of Julia, Hendra’s love interest. That said, when it comes to fight scenes, she more than holds her own. The most memorable performance is by W.D. Mochtar (Mystics in Bali) in the role of Gumilar, an ambitious politician who kills anyone who gets in his way. His character is that of a formidable villain who can only be killed by bamboo.

What is not to like about Special Silencers? It's absurd premise is superbly executed, the narrative does a good job building momentum, and everything culminates with a finale that somehow tops everything that preceded it. Other areas where Special Silencers delivers, and then some, are solid fight scenes and crazy stunts. And when it comes to torture scenes, Special Silencers does not hold back. In fact, it is one of the most cruel forms of torture when someone is forced to inhale smelly shoes. Also, the score's main theme is a pulsating track that has the 1980s written all over it. Ultimately, is Special Silencers an action film, a supernatural film, or a romantic film? The answer is all of the above, and most importantly, it is a lot of fun.

Special Silencers gets a solid release from Mondo Macabro that comes with a strong audio/video presentation, two versions of the film, and a pair of insightful extras, highly recommended.

Written by Michael Den Boer