Spike of Bensonhurst: Limited Deluxe Edition Site Exclusive – Fun City Editions (4k UHD/Blu-ray Combo)

Theatrical Release Date: USA, 1988
Director: Paul Morrissey
Writers: Alan Bowne, Paul Morrissey
Cast: Sasha Mitchell, Ernest Borgnine, Anne De Salvo, Sylvia Miles, Talisa Soto, Rick Aviles

Release Date: August 11th, 2026
Approximate Running Time: 101 Minutes 12 Seconds
Aspect Ratio: 1.85:1 Widescreen / 2160 Progressive / HEVC / H.265 / HDR10 Dolby Vision
Rating: R
Sound: DTS-HD Mono English
Subtitles: English SDH
Region Coding: Region Free (UHD), Region A (Blu-Ray)
Retail Price: $40.00

"He's a wild, irresponsible two-timing wiseguy from Brooklyn. But you gotta love him. Spike Fumo (Sasha Mitchell) aspires to boxing glory and doesn't want to end up a loser like his dad, who's taking a rap in Sing Sing for local mob boss Baldo Cacetti (Ernest Borgnine). When tough, handsome and not very smart Spike hooks up with the mobster's blonde princess daughter Angel (Maria Pitillo), he angers Cacetti and is banished from Italian Bensonhurst to Puerto Rican Red Hook. How will Spike rebound after being bounced from the only turf he's ever known?" - synopsis provided by the distributor

Video: 5/5 (4K UHD, Blu-ray)

Here’s the information provided about this release's transfer, "New restoration from 4K scan of the original 35mm camera negative."

Spike of Bensonhurst comes on a 66 GB dual layer 4K UHD.

Disc Size: 61.1 GB

Feature: 60.3 GB

The source looks excellent; flesh tones look healthy, colors are nicely saturated, and contrast, black levels, image clarity, and compression are solid, and the image retains an organic appearance.

Spike of Bensonhurst comes on a 50 GB dual layer Blu-ray.

Disc Size: 44.7 GB

Feature: 29.3 GB

This Blu-ray uses the same master that is used for the 4K UHD disc.

Audio: 5/5

This release comes with one audio option, a DTS-HD mono mix in English with removable English SDH. The track is in excellent shape; dialogue always comes through clearly, and everything sounds balanced. The soundtrack and ambient sounds are well-presented range-wise.

Extras:

Extras on the 4K UHD disc include an isolated music track and an audio commentary with William Morris.

Extras on the Blu-ray include an image gallery with music from the film playing in the background (lobby cards/stills/magazine articles), a theatrical trailer for Spike of Bensonhurst (2 minutes 28 seconds, Dolby Digital mono English, no subtitles), a theatrical trailer for Mixed Blood (1 minute 47 seconds, Dolby Digital mono English, no subtitles), a theatrical trailer for Trash (1 minute 40 seconds, Dolby Digital mono English, no subtitles), an archival video interview with writer/director Paul Morrissey (24 minutes 28 seconds, Dolby Digital stereo English, no subtitles), an interview with executive producer Sam Grogg titled Something to See (51 minutes 42 seconds, Dolby Digital stereo English, no subtitles), an interview with casting director Leonard Finger titled A Personal Milestone (17 minutes 38 seconds, Dolby Digital stereo English, no subtitles), an interview with the director of photography Steven Fierberg titled A Very Surprising Film (16 minutes 46 seconds, Dolby Digital stereo English, no subtitles), a 35mm workprint version of Spike of Bensonhurst from archival videocassette (106 minutes 57 seconds, Dolby Digital mono English, no subtitles), an isolated music track, and an audio commentary with William Morris.

The Blu-ray disc has two Easter eggs. The first Easter egg can be accessed on page one of the extras menu when you click on the FCE logo. The first Easter egg is a collection of trailers not coming from Fun City Editions: Fame, Nunzio, Black Roedo, The Cross and the Switchblade, The Education of Sonny Carson, and Taxi Driver. The second Easter egg can be accessed on page two of the extras menu when you click on the FCE logo. The second Easter egg is a Memorix commercial starring Sasha Mitchell.

Other extras include a reversible cover art, a slipcover (this strictly limited deluxe set is exclusive to the FCE website), and a 12-page booklet (limited to the first pressing) with an essay titled All in the Family: Paul Morrissey Takes on the Mob in Spike of Bensonhurst written by Margaret Barton-Fumo and cast & crew information.

Summary:

Spike of Bensonhurst was co-written and directed by Paul Morrissey, who’s most known for his collaborations with Andy Warhol, notably Flesh, Trash, and Heat. Other notable films he directed are Flesh for Frankenstein and Blood for Dracula.

A trouble-making Italian youth won't let anyone crush his dream of being a boxer. He tries to use his father's mob connections to call in a favor; instead, the mob boss offers him opportunities, none connected with boxing.

Spike of Bensonhurst is a film that fell victim to a delayed release. Spike of Bensonhurst often gets compared to another mafia comedy, Married to the Mob. Although Spike of Bensonhurst premiered a month after Married to the Mob, it was completed a year before and held back for release. That said, Spike of Bensonhurst is a film that digs deep in its exploration of racism and stereotypes, while Married to the Mob is strictly played for laughs.

While Spike is a charismatic character who overshadows anyone else, he’s surrounded by a cast of colorful characters. Paul Morrissey was a filmmaker who often worked with non-actors because of the authenticity they could bring to a role. The cast for Spike of Bensonhurst is a perfect balance of non-actors and veterans. Cast in the role of Spike is Sasha Mitchell (Kickboxer 2), who had only been in one film and a few TV episodes. Even at this early stage of his career, his knack for delivering humor is a massive asset. Another performance of note is Ernest Borgnine (Marty), who portrays a mob boss named "Baldo" Cacetti.

While Spike of Bensonhurst leans heavily into stereotypes, and its use of racial slurs may surprise some viewers, it ultimately conveys a message that is never exploitative in its use of these two elements. The opening setup does a superb job drawing you into the world that Spike lives in, and from there the narrative is full of surprises that hold you attention. The most surprising aspect of Spike of Bensonhurst is its soundtrack and the choice to use only Italian pop songs. The inspired choice of music and Paul Morrissey’s solid direction both contribute greatly to enhancing the mood. Ultimately, Spike of Bensonhurst is a highly entertaining melodrama that surpasses the individual elements that make it up.

Fun City Editions gives Spike of Bensonhurst a definitive release. Highly recommended.

Note about the 4K screenshots: It is not possible to make Dolby Vision or HDR10 screenshots that faithfully match the experience of watching a film in motion on a TV. Instead of not having any screenshots, all of the 4K screenshots are m2ts taken with a MPC-HC player and lossless PNGs.

Written by Michael Den Boer