INDEX | REVIEWS | MESSAGE FORUM | NEWS | RELEASE DATES | VIDEO | FEATURES | LINKS | CONTACT US
Latest Updates

• Boogeyman 3 DVD Review

• Interview With Joe Pilato

• Zombie : An Anthology of the Undead Review

• The Dark Lurking is Turning Japanese

• Ghost Machine Art and Specs

• Lake Mungo DVD Review

• Dante's Inferno DVD & Blu-ray Giveaway

• Paranormal Activity Blu-ray /DVD Arts & Specs

• Future Cop II DVD Review

• Tension Rises in Savages Crossing

• Der Todesking DVD Review

• Win El Monstro Del Mar World Premiere Tickets

• The Chaser DVD Review

• Dead Snow DVD Review

• Satanis: The Devil's Mass DVD Review

• Cinemaphobia: Interview with Glenn Triggs

• Robot Chicken: Season 4 DVD Review

• Akira BD Review

• Get Some Chaw on Your Fork

• The Room Cinema Review

 
Forums
Comunity
Forums
Contact
The Wraith (1986)
By: Paul Ryan on October 9, 2009. Share Share  CommentsComments (0)
DVD
Beyond (Australia). Region 4, PAL. 1.78:1 (16:9 enhanced). English DD 2.0. 93 minutes
The Movie
Cover Art
Cover Art
Credits
Director: Mike Marvin
Starring: Charlie Sheen, Sherilyn Fenn, Randy Quaid, Nick Cassavettes
Screenplay: Mike Marvin
Country: USA
External Links
Purchase IMDB YouTube
A gang of rev-head teen punks led by Packard Walsh (Nick Cassavetes) have been regularly bullying and terrorizing the youth of Tuscon, Arizona. Forcing people into dangerous drag races (with their cars and/or girlfriends as the prizes), the gang are also responsible for the murder of local kid Jamie (Christopher Bailey). Packard is now circling Jamie's former girlfriend Keri (Sherilyn Fenn), who is unaware that he killed Jamie, but she is far more drawn to Jake (Charlie Sheen), the mysterious new kid in town. Also new in town is a mysterious, black-clad, helmeted figure who drives a top-of-the-line (for 1986, anyway) Dodge Turbo Interceptor. Able to inexplicably appear and vanish at random, this figure – dubbed The Wraith – begins to pick off Packard's gang one-by-one. Trying to work it all out is local Sheriff Loomis (Randy Quaid). Just who is The Wraith? Is he human? Alien? Or something else altogether…?

With a cast full of celebrity relatives (which also includes Griffin – son of Ryan – O'Neal, and Clint Howard), a soundtrack featuring Billy Idol, Stan Bush and Robert Palmer, and more stonewash denim than you could poke a bogan at, The Wraith is a hilarious, deeply guilty pleasure. The pace is fast, the car chases – which tragically claimed the life of assistant cameraman Bruce Ingram – tightly choreographed and shot, and the dialogue ("I guess you could call us blood lovers, because that's how much I love you") gleefully absurd. While Sheen and Fenn are admittedly pretty wooden, the rest of the cast clearly have great fun, with rampant scenery chewing from the gang members, and an especially amusing turn from a then 27-year-old Howard (looking like he was made over by Thomas Dolby) as the token nerd in the "teen" gang. The Arizona desert settings add an extra layer of atmosphere to a film that would have been ideal drive-in viewing back in the day, but still makes for excellent beer-and-pizza viewing at home.
Video
This locally-authored (by StreamAV) release of The Wraith boasts a first-rate video transfer. 16x9-enhanced, and crystal clear throughout, picture quality is stunning. There are a couple of nicks and scratches in the print, but they're not particularly noticeable.
Audio
The 2.0 stereo track is also of a very high quality. Crisp and well-modulated throughout.
Extra Features
There are no extras at all, though honestly, the fact that this little B-movie got such a good transfer feels like a bonus in itself.
The Verdict
Movie Score
Disc Score
Overall Score
The Wraith is about as eighties a film as you could ever get, with a cornucopia of mullets, neon and drum machine beats. It's a barmy, but dumbly enjoyable ride, and comes on a technically excellent – if bare-bones – DVD.

0 Reader Comments | Send This Review to a Friend | Bookmark and Share

Be the first to comment on this item!



Name
E-mail (Optional - Will not appear online)
Comment
;-) :-) :-D :-( :-o :-O B-) :oops: :-[] :-P

Got something else to say? Spill your guts on the
Digital Retribution Message Forum!

Spotlight
TDL
Networking
RSS Feed
RSS Feed
RSS Feed
Latest Updates
Total Reviews
Online: 1483
  HOME | MESSAGE FORUM | REVIEWS | RELEASE DATES | NEWS | FEATURES
VIDEO | BANNERS | LINKS| MYSPACE | FACEBOOK | TWITTER | RSS
ADVERTISE | CONTACT US
SUBSCRIBE | PRIVACY POLICY