Exploitation vigilantism never kicked so hard as it does here in the second installment of the Death Wish series. Newly remastered thanks to the efforts of Vinegar Syndrome and MGM, Death Wish II can now be seen.
Doubling down on what offended people in the original Death Wish, director Michael Winner steps back behind the scenes to direct (and co-edit) Death Wish II as Charles Bronson as architect Paul Kersey finds himself once again hunting down a gang after his daughter is raped and murdered. This time the playground for his vigilante activism is Los Angeles and - unlike in the original film where he kills every criminal he comes across - his aim is focused solely on the greasy gang who is responsible for her murder.
The gang is introduced in the opening moments of the film as Kersey is robbed when he goes to get his girlfriend (Jill Ireland) and his daughter, Carol (Robin Sherwood) some ice cream. He handles the situation as one would expect, not losing his cool so that he can concentrate on some family time. But the gang, having his wallet, know where he lives and they waste no time in laying waste to his life in Los Angeles.
With a scorching soundtrack from Jimmy Page, the gang - which includes a young Laurence Fishburne - break into his house, repeatedly rape his housekeeper, Rosario (Silvana Gallardo), and then, when he arrives home, beat him and kidnap his daughter, who is still recovering the traumatic events featured in the first film. Carol is fondled and raped and then, when another gang member unbuttons his pants for his turn, she flees and throws herself out of their second story hideout, impaling herself on the iron gate below.
It’s a helluva way to go, but it’s nothing to the absolute HELL that Kersey is going to unleash upon Nirvana (Thomas Duffy), Punkcut (E. Lamont Johnson), Stomper (Kevyn Major Howard), Cutter (a wild Fishburne), and Jiver (Stuart K. Robinson). Brutal to the end, Death Wish II is an ugly, ugly movie. It is meant to offend and to cause us all to cheer as he starts splitting wood to bulk up and then takes his Beretta Model 84 handgun to task, causing them all to wish they were never born. Designed to focus on his revenge and not so much on the rampant crime in LA that he witnesses, the film hits the pause button on his vigilante methods and goes about bringing closure for the loss of his daughter.
Death Wish II is the first of four sequels to the original 1974 film and makes a firm and often fearless break from the Brian Garfield novels, presenting Kersey as a man hellbent on revenge. Don’t worry, though. He returns to the MEAN STREETS to kill and kill again by this film’s end, promising that his efforts to curb crime are not over.
How could they be? This is Bronson we are talking about. He was built for this and Bronson definitely delivers the brutal beatdowns. Death Wish II also features performances from Vincent Gardenia as Lieutenant Frank Ochoa, J.D. Cannon, and Paul Lambert. It is now on 4K Ultra HD thanks to a new transfer from Vinegar Syndrome.
Grab it now!
4K Ultra HD + Blu-ray Edition
Home Video Distributor: Vinegar Syndrome
Available on Blu-ray - May 31, 2022
Screen Formats: 1.85:1
Subtitles: English
Audio: English: DTS-HD Master Audio 2.0 Mono; English: Dolby Digital 2.0
Discs: 4K Ultra HD; Blu-ray Disc; Two-disc set
Region Encoding: 4K region-free; blu-ray locked to Region A
Paul Kersey (Charles Bronson) is back... and meaner than ever! After moving his family from the crime-plagued streets of NYC to the crime-plagued streets of L.A., Kersey's daughter becomes a victim at the hands of a violent street gang and dies in a bloody escape attempt. So Paul (characteristically) once again goes on a one-man vigilante killing spree in an effort to exact compensatory street justice. With Jill Ireland, Vincent Gardenia, J.D. Cannon, Anthony Franciosa, Robin Sherwood co-star.
VIDEO
The stunning HDR10 presentation is not to be missed. This film screams clarity thanks to the new 4K scan and remaster from the original 35mm camera negative. The flesh tones are solid, no longer bleached and the city is definitely on fire with criminal activity. Everything kicks like never before, which makes the violence that much more shocking thanks to the near-reference quality of the efforts put out here by Vinegar Syndrome. This is a win-win in breathing new life into the film that kicked off the sequels in the Death Wish series.
AUDIO
A strong DTS-HD MA mono track supplements the new clarity in these crime-ridden streets.
Supplements:
Commentary:
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There is a new one from Film Historian Paul Talbot.
Special Features:
For this release, Vinegar Syndrome rounds out the release with a nice set of supplements. Fans get a commentary from Paul Talbot, the alternate TV version in 2K, interviews with Robin Sherwood, Todd Roberts, Robert F. Lyons, and screenwriter David Engelbach.
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Audio Commentary
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Alternate TV Version (96 min)
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Dark Parts
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Fights in the Theater
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Working with Bronson
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Pass
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Trailer
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Composite Blu-ray Grade
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MPAA Rating: 18+.
Runtime: 89 mins
Director: Michael Winner
Writer: David Engelbach
Cast: Charles Bronson; Jill Ireland; Vincent Gardenia
Genre: Action | Thriller
Tagline: First His Wife. Now His Daughter. It's Time To Even The Score!
Memorable Movie Quote: "You want it? You want it? Eat it! Eat it till ya choke, you sick, twisted fuck!"
Theatrical Distributor: Filmways Pictures
Official Site: https://vinegarsyndrome.com/products/death-wish-ii
Release Date: February 19, 1982
DVD/Blu-ray Release Date: May 31, 2022
Synopsis: Paul Kersey thought his days as a vigilante were long behind him. But when his daughter and housekeeper are savagely assaulted and murdered, Paul is forced to take the law back into his own hands, hitting the tough, gang-filled streets of Los Angeles and embarking on a violent quest for justice. Realizing he has a ruthless vigilante on his hands, Detective Frank Ochoa races to put an end to the building carnage.
