Death Collector

Director - Tom Garrett (Chi-Chi, The Magic History of Cinema)

Starring - Daniel Chapman (Philadelphia, Bad Blood), Ruth Collins (Witch Academy, Prime Evil), and Loren Blackwell (Star Spawn, Souleater)

Release Date - 1988

Genre - Action/Sci-Fi

Tagline - "Pay the premium...or die!"

Format - Bluray (Personal Collection) (Screener)

Rating (out of 5):

     Some several months back I started covering the up and coming boutique label Culture Shock Releasing after they put Zipperface and Goodnight God Bless on DVD.  Soon after those releases they made the big announcement that they would be releasing the 1988 sci-fi action flick Death Collector on blu.  This is one I had heard about before but never had the chance to actually check it out so as soon as the pre-orders went live I went ahead and snagged a copy.  

     The film follows a man in the distant future where bars, outlaw gangs, and murder run rampant, who is hell bent on bringing down the man responsible for his brother's death.  

     Genre and cult movie fans never talk about Death Collector and after finally watching it I'm extremely confused as to why this one doesn't have a cult following like so many other films like it.  Hell, it reminded me of a straight shooting Six String Samurai with a much smaller budget.  The acting in this one is exactly what you would expect from a low budget late 80s action flick.  We get a lot of actors trying to be hard asses and not really getting there.  They put in a lot of effort and create some pretty fun scenes but they don't really create characters that you would love or would stick with you like other films like it.  Cheesy characters, cheesy performances, and almost cringy dialogue but that is what makes movies like this one so much fun.  The story for this one is a hybrid film that pulls together western, sci-fi, and action elements to create something that a lot of films could never do.  The atmosphere, wild story, and cliched characters reminds me a lot of Six-String Samurai.  The music doesn't really fit the story but does create a fun environment for the characters.  I enjoyed the setting of the film and how it implemented aspects of westerns, sci-fi, and low budget action to create a fairly fun story that doesn't look like many other films of the time.  The pacing is a little off and some of the scenes serve no real purpose to the story but if you stick with it you will find some enjoyment.  Finally, the film has several death scenes that are crucial for the story but serve little entertainment value.  No great effects or bloodshed but they do serve a purpose.  Overall, Death Collector was not what I was expecting at all.  It's odd at times and goofy at others but I really enjoyed it.  The blu from Culture Shock looks great especially when you compare it to the trailer for the DVD release some years back.  Snag a copy while you still can.