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Luther the Geek: Tromatic Special Edition – Troma Films (Blu-ray)

Theatrical Release Date: USA, 1989
Director: Carlton J. Albright
Writer: Carlton J. Albright
Cast: Edward Terry, Joan Roth, Stacy Haiduk, Tom Mills, J. Jerome Clark

Release Date: January 20th, 2026
Approximate Running Time: 80 Minutes 19 Seconds
Aspect Ratio: 1.78:1 Widescreen / 1080 Progressive / MPEG-4 AVCC
Rating: NR
Sound: Dolby Digital Mono English
Subtitles: English SDH
Region Coding: Region Free
Retail Price: $19.95

"A young country boy is plunged into the depths of homicidal madness after witnessing the strange exploits of a carnival "geek," a caged drunk so desperate for whisky that he bites the heads off live chickens in front of a freak show audience. Thirty years later, Luther is all grown up and out on parole after spending his childhood behind bars for a series of grisly murders. Armed with only a pair of razor-sharp metal dentures and only able to communicate through chicken clucks, Luther restarts his bloody rampage as he terrorizes the citizens of a small town and takes a young mother and her family hostage in their isolated farmhouse. " - synopsis provided by the distributor

Video: 4.25/5

Luther the Geek comes on a 25 GB single layer Blu-ray.

Disc Size: 31.9 GB

Feature: 17.9 GB

It appears that Troma Films is using the same 2K master that Vinegar Syndrome used for their 2016 Blu-ray/DVD combo. Here’s the information about that transfer: "Newly scanned and restored in 2k from 35mm camera negative." The source is in excellent shape; the flesh tones look healthy, the colors are nicely saturated, the image clarity and black levels are strong, there are no issues with compression, and the image retains an organic look.

Audio: 3.5/5

This release comes with one audio option, a Dolby Digital mono mix in English, and removable English SDH. The audio sounds clean, clear, balanced, and robust when it should.

Extras:

Extras for this release include a theatrical trailer (2 minutes 26 seconds, Dolby Digital mono English, no subtitles), the original DVD intro featuring Lloyd Kaufman (5 minutes 7 seconds, Dolby Digital stereo English, no subtitles), an archival introduction with director Carlton J. Albright (38 seconds, Dolby Digital stereo English, no subtitles), an archival interview with Carlton J. Albright (5 minutes 12 seconds, Dolby Digital stereo English, no subtitles), an archival interview with actor William Albright (2 minutes 40 seconds, Dolby Digital stereo English, no subtitles), an extras titled A Conversation With Carlton (6 minutes 35 seconds, Dolby Digital stereo English, no subtitles), an archival interview with actor Jerry Clarke titled Fowl Play (10 minutes 17 seconds, Dolby Digital stereo English, no subtitles), an archival audio commentary with Carlton J. Albright, and Fowl Takes: Fight Between Luther and the Police Officer (8 minutes 50 seconds, Dolby Digital stereo English, no subtitles), The Old Woman Getting Attacked by Luther (2 minutes 38 seconds, Dolby Digital stereo English, no subtitles), Luther Getting Shot (1 minute 11 seconds, Dolby Digital stereo English, no subtitles), and The Shower Scene (7 minutes 30 seconds, Dolby Digital stereo English, no subtitles).

Other extras include Troma’s Freak Show: The Archery Freak (1 minute 49 seconds, Dolby Digital stereo English, no subtitles), The Man Who Walks on Blades (1 minute 11 seconds, Dolby Digital stereo English, no subtitles), The Sword Swallower (52 seconds, Dolby Digital stereo English, no subtitles), and Tim the Torture King (1 minute 41 seconds, Dolby Digital stereo English, no subtitles), INNARDS! music video (1 minute 50 seconds, Dolby Digital stereo English, no subtitles), Radiation March (54 seconds, Dolby Digital stereo English, no subtitles), and trailers for Shakespeare's Shitstorm, Eating Miss Campbell, Curse of the Weredeer, Sweet Meats, Killy Dolly Kill, The Toxic Avenger, Tromeo & Juliet, Sgt. Kabukiman N.Y.P.D., Class of Nuke 'Em High, and The Children.

Summary:

A psychopathic killer is paroled after spending 25 years in prison, and immediately upon his release he reverts to his homicidal instincts.

Although Troma Films has a distinct brand of cinema recognizable instantly, they actually acquired a large number of films after other filmmakers completed them. While these pickup films have Troma’s core elements, an abundance of gore, and moments that gross you out, the result are films that ultimately lack the Troma Films vibe. Case in point, Luther the Geek, a horror film that never falls into the subversive humor that’s synonymous with Troma Films.

The opening setup does an excellent job establishing who Luther is and why it is not a good idea to let him back into society. A pre-credits sequence set in the past perfectly illustrates why he became the monster he’s become. That said, beyond this moment, no more time is spent fleshing out any of the other characters, and the focus shifts to Luther’s acts of violence.

The most memorable performance is Edward Terry’s portrayal of Luther, a character who speaks by squawking like a chicken and in place of his teeth, he wears razor-sharp dentures. What Luther lacks in words he more than makes up for with his physical presence. When it comes to the rest of the performances, they are merely serviceable.

The narrative is well constructed, and it is filled with tense moments that do an exemplary job building upon them. The focal point of the narrative is its gory moments of carnage, which all hold up extremely well. While exposition takes a backseat to the carnage, the narrative does manage to inject a well-placed moment of T&A. The most surprising aspect of Luther the Geek is Vern Carlson’s score, which does a phenomenal job heightening the mood. Ultimately, Luther the Geek is a well-crafted horror film that often exceeds the sum of its parts.

Luther the Geek gets a solid release from Troma Films that comes with a strong audio/video presentation and informative extras. Recommended.