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Brute Corps (1971) - Blu-ray

2 beersSo you like westerns and war games, eh?  A regular savage are you?  Well, you better check out the two-for-one bullet methods at the sadistic heart of this group of psycho killers as they move through the golden land of peyote.  Brute Corps kinda sorta maybe delivers on what its title promises; it just fails to kick the bouncing ball into the goal when it matters the most. 

With a grim expression matching each and every line on the horizon, this low-rent exploration of all things Vietnam brings a Central American slant to its viciousness.  We get engaging conversation between death dealers and those who like to live.  We just don’t get much direction thanks to director Jerry Jameson (The Bat People) and his approach to cheaper than dirt productions.  Much of the material seems to be of a certain “give a fuck” attitude.  And sometimes the swagger doesn’t match the on-screen action.

Brute Corps is definitely a live grenade in its first 30 minutes.  The explosive set-up is in place for a real firecracker.  And the humor is on point.  You get the sense that fucking anything could happen as a hippie chick (Jennifer Billingsley) and a draft dodger (Joseph Kaufmann) encounter a rogue group of military men, led by the Colonel (Blacula's own Charles Macaulay), who are all about showing their might if the price is right. And then everything just fizzles out.

Co-starring Paul Carr, Alex Rocco, and Michael Pataki, these dudes – members of Burckhardt's Bastards – it becomes painfully obvious that these hooligans aren’t a regular army.  They fight for the money.  And the money is damn good.  Even if their attitudes suck.  Men are for killing.  Women are for fucking.  And there’s nothing but the drag of a cigarette in between the next call for action.  We, too, are left hanging like the ash from a cigarette.

Sprawling and fierce, there’s just not a pleasant bone in Brute Corps’ body and, as it looks to be influenced by any number of Italian westerns, it celebrates that fact with gang bangs, a chick who likes to “ball” (albeit not with these losers), and a bunch of psychotic mercenaries out for blood.

Burckhardt’s Bastards are absolutely insane.  They are killing machines and show no mercy for women or children.  And they could care less about the people they are there to protect and/or avoid.  Unfortunately, once various members are knocked off – especially the more animated ones – the picture loses its drive and it becomes a tedious trek through the desert of discontent.

Code Red, recognizing that there is an audience for this type of greasy grindhouse material, have issued this low-rent actioneer on blu-ray.  There are a lot of noticeable benefits from the HD upgrade, complete with a bump in the color and textures, but little of that translates to a movie with a sense of purpose.

Brute Corps is still in need of a mission statement and, as wild as it is, none of the actual movie actually matches the uncaged hysterics of its cover art.

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Brute Corps (1971) - Blu-ray

MPAA Rating: R.
Runtime:
87 mins
Director
: Jerry Jameson
Writer:
Michael Kars, Abe Polsky
Cast:
Paul Carr, Joseph Kaufmann, Jennifer Billingsley
Genre
: Action | Drama
Tagline:
The Most Expert Killing Machine in the World!
Memorable Movie Quote: "We've got the most expert killing machines in the world."
Theatrical Distributor:
General Film Corporation
Official Site:
Release Date:
March 23, 1972
DVD/Blu-ray Release Date:
December 22, 2015
Synopsis: A beautiful hitchhiker and a draft dodger travel to Mexico and encounter a pack of mercenaries awaiting their next mission in Central America. A terribly psychotic merc takes a liking to the girl which sets the couple on a brutal and violent course of torture and rape. Gritty and exciting, this one is not for the faint of heart.

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[tab title="Blu-ray Review"]

Brute Corps (1971) - Blu-ray

Blu-ray

Blu-ray Details:

Home Video Distributor: Code Red DVD
Available on Blu-ray
- December 22, 2015
Screen Formats: 1.78:1
Subtitles
: None
Audio:
English: Dolby Digital Mono
Discs: Blu-ray Disc; single disc
Region Encoding: Region-free playback

With an aspect ratio of 1.78:1, the 2016 1080p MPEG-4 AVC HD upgrade of Brute Corps is pretty appealing.  The film, never issued on VHS, has never looked as crisp and clean as it does here.  The desert locations are expressive and detailed.  Blues are steadier and the location is grained with rippling texture.  Shadows a bit more engaged and the film just looks a bit more professional than remembered.  Thanks to Code Red, the title certainly looks better than it ever did on previous releases.  Cleaner and with a bit more life, the audio is presented in a DTS-HD Master Audio 2.0 track.

Supplements:

Commentary:

  •  Writer/producer Michael Kars contributes an audio commentary track.

Special Features:

Hostess Katarina Leigh Waters, during her Katerina’s Bucklist Mode featurette, rattles off information about the cast and crew in a lively fashion while firing bullets at Banana Man.  Actors Felton Parry and Parker West are interviewed, too.  A trailer rounds out the supplemental items.

  • Col. Katarina's Military Training Bucket List Theater
  • On Camera interview with stars Felton Perry and Parker West
  • Original Trailer

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Brute Corps (1971) - Blu-ray

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