Fear City – Shout! Factory (Blu-ray)

Theatrical Release Date: USA, 1984
Director: Abel Ferrara
Writer: Nicholas St. John
Cast: Tom Berenger, Billy Dee Williams, Jack Scalia, Melanie Griffith, Rossano Brazzi, Rae Dawn Chong, Joe Santos, Michael V. Gazzo, Jan Murray, Maria Conchita Alonso, Ola Ray

Release Date: July 7th, 2026
Approximate Running Times: 94 Minutes 42 Seconds (Theatrical Version), 97 Minutes 8 Seconds (Unrated Version)
Aspect Ratio: 1.85:1 Widescreen / 1080 Progressive / MPEG-4 AVC (Both Versions)
Rating: R (Theatrical Version), NR (Unrated Version)
Sound: DTS-HD Stereo English (Both Versions)
Subtitles: English SDH (Both Versions)
Region Coding: Region A
Retail Price: $26.98

"There's a psychopath on the loose in Manhattan who is stalking and mutilating beautiful strippers employed by booking agents Matt Rossi (Tom Berenger) and Nicky Parzeno (Jack Scalia). But when the madman targets Matt's ex-girlfriend, Loretta (Melanie Griffith), he must confront his own violent past to stop the sadistic killer. Welcome to Fear City, where thrills are cheap, and human life is even cheaper." - synopsis provided by the distributor

Video: 4.25/5 (Both Versions)

Here’s the information given about the transfers, "new 2K scan of the 35mm interpositive."

Fear City comes on a 50 GB dual layer Blu-ray.

Disc Size: 42.1 GB

Feature: 20.6 GB (Theatrical Version), 21.3 GB (Unrated Version)

The source looks excellent. Flesh tones and colors look correct, and image clarity and black levels are strong. There are no issues with compression and the image retains an organic appearance.

Audio: 4.25/5 (Both Audio Tracks)

Each version comes with one audio option, a DTS-HD stereo mix in English with removable English SDH. Both tracks sound clean, clear, and balanced, and ambient sounds are well-represented.

Extras:

There are no extras.

Summary:

Abel Ferrara directed Fear City. He’s known for The Driller Killer, Ms. 45, King of New York, Bad Lieutenant, The Addiction, and The Funeral.

A psychopath is stalking and maiming strippers. When the police are unable to capture the psychopath, two managers wanting to project their talent take matters into their hands.

Abel Ferrara’s film throughout the 1980s and 1990s had a common thread: New York City. While there were other films from this time frame that showed less attractive areas of New York City, Abel Ferrara’s films always managed to locate the grimiest locations, places only a true New Yorker would know. This brings us to Abel Ferrara’s Fear City, set in a New York City that is at the height of its decay.

The opening setup does a solid job of fleshing out characters, and once the first woman is attacked, the narrative hits its stride. The narrative is very effective at creating tense moments that build upon each other, and there are a few surprises along the way that go against your typical crime film. Another strength of the narrative is how well it weaves multiple storylines, which come together for the finale. While some may find Abel Ferrara’s narrative tangents jarring, for those who are familiar with his films, it will not be a problem.

Where Driller Killer and Ms. 45 were made on a modest budget with mostly unknown casts, Fear City offered Abel Ferrara a substantial amount of resources. The biggest of these was an impressive cast, which features Tom Berenger (Platoon), Billy Dee Williams (Nighthawks), Melanie Griffith (Body Double), and Maria Conchita Alonso (Colors). The most interesting character is Matt Rossi (portrayed by Tom Berenger), a former boxer who now works as a talent manager. Rossi killed a man during his last fight, and since then he’s been searching for redemption. The most memorable performance is John Foster, who portrays a psychopath who’s carving up strippers.

While the look of Fear City is firmly rooted in Neo-noir, the vibe is a down-in-the-guerrilla exploitation film. Not surprising that there are many exposed breasts, since the narrative prominently features strippers. The scenes where the killer attacks women are unflinching in their brutality, giving them an intensity that heightens them. Ultimately, Fear City is a well-crafted crime drama that fans of Neo-noir should thoroughly enjoy.

Shout! Factory’s Fear City comes with two versions of the film and a strong audio/video presentation. Recommended.

Written by Michael Den Boer