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Rolling Vengeance (1987) - Blu-ray

3 beersExploding from the innards of a barn comes a roaring beast.  It’s not supernatural; it’s all man-made and, just ask the driver, this machine is an extension of every ill thought he currently has trapped in his skull.   The angst and hurt are real.  And so is the rage that fuels this monster truck.  Welcome to Rolling Vengeance, a wildly successful Canuxploitation flick that finally sees the light of day with its release on 1080p from Kino Lorber Studio Classics.

It’s not going to win you over with its amazing acting or its award-winning dialogue, but Rolling Vengeance stays afloat due to its inclusion of an eight-ton monster truck pieced together by hand out of sheer retribution.  Bloody and fully loaded, this adventure is both brutal and basic in its storytelling, never trying to out due itself.  Thanks to its rampant violence, this b-movie certainly gets your heart and your fists pumping.  Hell, yeah!  Run those assholes over with that gnarly truck!  Flatten them so there is no difference between their bones and the soil of the land.

Directed by Steven Hilliard Stern (The Park is Mine) and starring Don Michael Paul (Alien from L.A.) and Ned Beatty (Deliverance), Rolling Vengeance would be completely without merit if it weren’t grounded deep in the exploitation filmmaking that was happening north above us.  We get lots of beer-drinking violence courtesy of gang leader Tiny (Ned Beatty), grinding gears, topless women, and a BIG ASS truck, complete with a flame throwing exhaust pipe, and then there is the over-the-top violence thanks to some local dumbasses who just can’t seem to give it a rest.

We also get a whole hell of a lot of highway wrecks…one of which takes the life of Joey’s mother (Susan Hogan) and two younger sisters (Alyson Court and Marsha Moreau).  After all, this is a trucker movie and semis rule the roost.  One by one, various members in this ragged group of insane rednecks plan their attack against his kin and then Joey himself.  Their sole purpose seems to be to remind the poor kid that he is all alone.  No family member – especially Joey’s father (Lawrence Dane, Scanners) is safe from their targeting.

They even corner and rape his girlfriend, Misty (Lisa Howard).  Bastards.

No one is safe and, once Joey commits to taking revenge for his mother and father and his girlfriend, all hell breaks loose for these dumbasses that solely pick and pick at open wounds to try and showcase their dominance.  All of them are afraid of the noise that comes roaring down from the hills toward them.  They are armed to the gills.  It doesn’t work, though, for nothing could truly shield them from the manslaughter that is just about to come on four REALLY BIG wheels.  Joey is mad as hell and he just isn’t going to take their bullying anymore. 

It’s time to take up arms and kill, kill, kill again!  With more rounds fired than a shotgun can store, Rolling Vengeance is a loopy narrative with many plot inconsistencies; the main point is that your fist gets a-going in the air once the monster truck starts targeting the fools and slamming them INTO the ground.  You will cheer, stomp your feet, and howl with laughter; all of which makes this title one to celebrate. 

When you hear Rolling Vengeance roar to life, you better pray it’s not coming after you.

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Rolling Vengeance (1987) - Blu-ray

MPAA Rating: R.
Runtime:
92 mins
Director
: Steven Hilliard Stern
Writer:
Michael Thomas Montgomery
Cast:
Don Michael Paul, Lawrence Dane, Ned Beatty
Genre
: Action
Tagline:
Always use the right tool for the job.
Distributor:
Apollo Pictures
Official Site:
Release Date:
November 16, 1976
DVD/Blu-ray Release Date:
October 2, 1987
Synopsis: When a clan of drunken goons get off scot-free after senselessly killing a young trucker’s family, the trucker, Joey Rosso (Don Michael Paul, Robot Wars), takes matters into his own hands by building the ultimate monster truck to even the score. Spitting flames, armed with a giant drill, his awesome rig is unstoppable as Joey pursues the clan leader Tiny Doyle (Ned Beatty, White Lightning) and his murderous offspring. He tracks down the clan, one by one, crashing cars, flattening trucks, demolishing buildings and destroying anything or anyone that gets in his way.

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[tab title="Blu-ray Review"]

Rolling Vengeance (1987) - Blu-ray

Blu-ray

Blu-ray Details:

Home Video Distributor: Kino Lorber
Available on Blu-ray
- October 17, 2017
Screen Formats: 1.85:1
Language
: English
Discs: Blu-ray Disc; single disc
Region Encoding: Locked to Region A

Courtesy of Kino Lorber Studio Classics, Rolling Vengeance is presented on a newly minted transfer presented in its original aspect ratio of 1.85:1. While not a complete restoration, the transfer is pretty detailed. There is a nice layer of grain to much of the rugged scenery with the local dive getting the best detailed upgrade thanks to all the special lighting and striptease scenes.  Much of this film is at night and, thankfully, those night sequences are boldly detailed.  The 1080p transfer is an upgrade from previous DVD versions. Colors are saturated and skin tones are strong. Black levels are detailed. The contrast is high. The release is offered in a DTS-HD Master Audio 2.0 track.

Supplements:

Commentary:

  •  Both Paul Corupe of Canuxploitation.com and Film Historian Jason Pichonsky are given ample time to talk about the making of the movie.

Special Features:

This Canuxploitation flick gets a brand new commentary track and a new interview with its star, Lawrence Dane.  HE speaks from his memory about the shoot and some of the issues with it. 

  • Interview with Star Lawrence Dane (9:45)
  • Original Theatrical Trailer

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[tab title="Art"]Rolling Vengeance (1987) - Blu-ray

 

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