Violent New Breed: Collector's Edition – Visual Vengeance (Blu-ray)

Release Date: USA, 1997
Director: Todd Sheets
Writer: Todd Sheets
Cast: Mark Glover, Nick Stodden, Rebecca Rose, Jenni Geigel, Becky Stodden, Dave Miller, Jerry Angell, Rudy Ray Moore

Release Date: January 20th, 2026
Approximate Running Time: 104 Minutes 35 Seconds
Aspect Ratio: 1.33:1 Aspect Ratio / 1080 Progressive / MPEG-4 AVC
Rating: NR
Sound: Dolby Digital Stereo English
Subtitles: English SDH
Region Coding: Region Free
Retail Price: $34.95

"A vicious new street drug called Rapture is flooding New York City, and two burned-out cops are sent to trace its source. What they don't know is that the poison was cooked up by an army of demons festering beneath Manhattan—creatures who have also birthed the Antichrist! Now it's a race through sleaze-soaked streets with Satan's spawn in tow, hoping to deliver the hell-baby to the last pastor in the city (blaxploitation legend Rudy Ray Moore) for a baptism before it unleashes hell on earth." - synopsis provided by the distributor

Video: 2.5/5

Here’s the information provided about the transfer, "New director-approved, remastered SD master version from original tape elements."

Violent New Breed comes on a 50 GB dual layer Blu-ray.

Disc Size: 46.2 GB

Feature: 19.8 GB

Flesh tones look correct, colors look very good, the image looks crisp, compression looks good, and there does not appear to be any digital noise reduction. It's worth mentioning that the darker or nighttime scenes, which are quite numerous, do not appear as strong as the daytime or brighter scenes.

Audio: 3/5

This release comes with one audio option, a Dolby Digital stereo mix in English with removable English SDH. Dialog comes through clearly, everything sounds balanced, and range-wise this audio track is serviceable.

Extras:

Extras for this release include Visual Vengeance trailer for Violent New Breed (1 minute 28 seconds, Dolby Digital stereo English, no subtitles), an original trailer for Violent New Breed (1 minute 15 seconds, Dolby Digital stereo English, no subtitles), a short film titled Fistful of the Undead (6 minutes 58 seconds, 2.35:1 aspect ratio, Dolby Digital stereo English, no subtitles), a behind-the-scenes image gallery with music from the film playing in the background, uncut strip club sequence (4 minutes 12 seconds, Dolby Digital stereo English, no subtitles), original local Kansas City news coverage (2 minutes 20 seconds, Dolby Digital stereo English, no subtitles), blooper reel (9 minutes 30 seconds, Dolby Digital stereo English, no subtitles), Nitehawk Cinema screening Q&A from 2023 (25 minutes 30 seconds, Dolby Digital stereo English, no subtitles), a behind the scenes documentary (36 minutes 21 seconds, Dolby Digital stereo English, no subtitles), an interview with director Todd Sheets titled Working with Rudy Ray Moore (5 minutes 5 seconds, Dolby Digital stereo English, no subtitles), an interview with actor Jerry Angell and Todd Sheets (27 minutes 39 seconds, Dolby Digital stereo English, no subtitles), an audio commentary with Tony Strauss of Weng’s Chop magazine recorded for a DVD release version, an audio commentary with Todd Sheets, actress Becky Stodden, actors Nick Stodden and Antwoine Steele recorded for a DVD release version, an audio commentary with Todd Sheets and and Rob Hauschild of Visual Vengeance for 2023 remastered version, alternate original VHS release version of Violent New Breed (115 minites 16 seconds, 1.33:1 aspect ratio, Dolby Digtal stereo English, no subtitles), alternate R-rated version of Violent New Breed as aired on The Movie Channel (93 minites 50 seconds, 1.33:1 aspect ratio, Dolby Digtal stereo English, no subtitles), alternate original DVD version of Violent New Breed (109 minites 55 seconds, 1.33:1 aspect ratio, Dolby Digtal stereo English, no subtitles), reversible cover art featuring original VHS art, 'Stick your own' video store sticker sheet, a folded mini-poster, a 'Birth Announcement' vintage reproduction, a six-page leaflet with a essay titled The Antichrist for Beginners written by Tony Strauss, and a limited-edition slipcover (first pressing only).

Other extras include trailers for Scream Dream, Zombie Rampage, and Goblin.

Summary:

Most low-budget filmmakers only make one or two films. Then there is Todd Sheets, the director of Violent New Breed, who has directed over fifty films and short films in a career that has spanned four decades. He’s known for Zombie Rampage, Goblin, and Moonchild.

A cop going through personal turmoil takes on the dangerous job of going undercover and infiltrating an army of demons led by the antichrist, who is behind a new street drug called Rapture.

Todd Sheets is a low-budget filmmaker in a language all his own; his films are ambitious and they often exceed their limited resources. While many low-budget films typically limit their settings to one or two locations with a small cast, Todd Sheets' cinema consistently strives for an epic scope. That said, Violent New Breed has so many elements at play that it doesn't fully develop everything.

While the narrative has some areas that could be improved, its Psycho-like switch in the protagonist does not benefit the story. Gore and nudity abound, and regarding the gore, the filmmakers execute many moments with brutal intensity. The most entertaining performance is Jerry Angell’s portrayal of Gabriel, an overzealous demon who dresses like a cowboy. Ultimately, Violent New Breed is a film that can be a lot of fun if you're in the right frame of mind.

Violent New Breed is another solid release from Visual Vengeance that comes with a wealth of extras and presents the film in its best possible audio/video presentation.

Written by Michael Den Boer