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Dead Heat
[Blu-ray 4K]
Blu-ray ALL - America - Vinegar Syndrome Review written by and copyright: Eric Cotenas (19th February 2022). |
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The Film
 A pair of plainclothes detectives – straight-laced Roger Mortis (Deep Rising's Treat Williams) and jokester Doug Bigelow (Johnny Dangerously's Joe Piscopo) – are investigating a string of cash and dash robberies purportedly executed by a gang since witness descriptions of the robbers are always different. When the latest one ends in a shootout that claims the lives of several officers, Mortis and Bigelow use unconventional maneuvers that blow one of the assailants to pieces with his own grenade and crush the other one between two cars. When Mortis' coroner ex Rebecca (The Paper Chase's Clare Kirkconnell) discovers that the one intact body has not only been previously autopsied but has actually been on her slab before. In spite of the logical (and condescending) explanations proposed by Rebecca's superior Dr. McNab (The Night Stalker's Darren McGavin), Mortis and Bigelow trace the presence of an outmoded preservative chemical to Dante Pharmaceuticals. Although PR head Randi James (Collateral Damage's Lindsay Frost) insists that the drug is used in everyday cosmetic and personal hygiene products, the detectives discover that their lab is experimenting on more than just animals and Mortis is killed during a struggle with a seemingly unkillable deformed manimal. Called to the scene, Rebecca discovers a machine capable of resurrecting the dead which they determine has been used on their cash and dash criminals. They test it on Mortis who comes back to life; unfortunately, Rebecca discovers in the data that the life expectancy of these reanimated corpses is only twelve to sixteen hours, after which they rapidly decay into a "biological stew." With little time left, Mortis and Bigelow decide to get to the bottom of this operation with the unwilling help of Randi whose claim that she only handles public relations is called into question when more reanimated zombies are sent to try to kill her and the detectives. Their investigation takes them to Chinatown and the mysterious Thoul (Alice's Keye Luke), an associate of Randi's recently-departed pharmaceutical executive father (The House on Haunted Hill's Vincent Price) who may or may not actually be dead. The directorial debut of editor Mark Goldblatt - his only other feature work in the director’s chair would be the pre-Marvel film franchise The Punisher with Dolph Lundgren the following year for New World - Dead Heat was indicative of the diversification of the genre at New World in the late eighties, particularly towards horror comedy. While films like Elvira: Mistress of the Dark, The Return of the Killer Tomatoes, Return to Horror High, House, House II: The Second Story, and Transylvania 6-5000, Dead Heat (not unlike Vamp) better balances comic quips with a reasonably compelling mystery (as much as can be with a story that seems stripped down to essentials with a sub-ninety minute runtime). Inconsistencies abound, like Randi seemingly sympathetic to Mortis' situation rather than romantically interested in some scenes and then catty in the presence of Rebecca, but the film is mostly carried by the body cop chemistry between Williams and the mostly reined-in Piscopo. Some attempts at addressing the dramatic and philosophical themes of the script work more due to performance than writing, with the gooey demise of one major character as repellant as it is emotionally resonant. The make-up effects work of Steve Johnson (Night of the Demons) obviously suffered some MPAA cuts with a few blunt edits evident – particularly a reaction shot of Piscopo to apparently punching "through" the crotch of one of the zombies – while an overlong set-piece involving the reanimated contents of a butcher shop seems like a post-production reshoot. First seen on his deathbed, Price is as spry as he is in any of his post-Thriller semi-parodic horror appearances, and Robert Picardo (The Howling) has a single-scene appearance. 
Video
Released to New World VHS and Image Entertainment laserdisc, Dead Heat has been pretty consistently in circulation with plenty of cable and late night/weekend morning play as part of the New World syndication package even after the company ceased to be, as well as LP-mode Statmaker/Video Treasures tape reissues, and Anchor Bay’s 2004 Divimax packed special edition DVD. Image Entertainment’s 2011 Blu-ray was no replacement option since it was barebones. While Germany and the UK had more equipped Region B-locked options, Vinegar Syndrome has gone the UHD route with their upgrade with a new 4K scan of the original negative with a 2160p24 HEVC UHD disc and 1080p24 MPEG-4 AVC 1.85:1 widescreen presentations. Even without the HDR10 of the UHD, the standard HD presentation is impressive enough an upgrade but the 4K really pops from the credits onwards with a de rigueur aerial shot feeling less like the stock shot it always was, gray eighties Los Angeles locations are spikes with vivid reds and blues in decor and wardrobe, and blacks and shadows evince more apparent detail. The make-up and visual effects work does not always hold up well but the more subtle cosmetic touches to Williams throughout the film are easier to appreciate whereas he just looked inconsistently made up from scene to scene in the earlier transfer. 
Audio
The sole audio option is a DTS-HD Master Audio 2.0 stereo track on both discs, which is low on surround ambience but rich in directional effects from gunfire, screeching tires, explosions, and those eighties lighting and laser animation effects, along with a supportive score by Ernest Troost (Tremors) which includes a de rigeur cheesy theme song. 
Extras
Ported over from the Anchor Bay DVD is an audio commentary by director Mark Goldblatt, producers David Helpern and Michael Meltzer, and writer Terry Black in which they discuss staging action and on-set special effects on a low five million dollar budget, highlight the supporting cast – especially those who elected not to wear their usual toupees for their roles – working with Price who had memories of much earlier films he did on the same sound stage, the continuity of Piscopo's sweat stains, the MPAA cuts including some of the grislier effects shots, and the Los Angeles locations. Also ported over are the deleted scenes (16:54) – some of which found their way into a Norwegian VHS release which has made the rounds as an "extended version" on some imports – the EPK featurette (5:32), MIFED Promotional Piece (2:21), still gallery (4:37), theatrical trailer (1:35), and TV spot (0:33) from the Anchor Bay DVD. From the British Blu-ray comes "Dead and Alive!" (19:00), an interview with makeup effects creator Steve Johnson from the British Blu-ray in which he recalls being left to do the work with a hastily-quoted budget, some of the effects that did not work for him, as well as the evolution of Mortis' look throughout the film.  New to the Vinegar Syndrome edition are a handful of new interviews. In "The Building Blocks of Movies" (25:55), director Goldblatt discusses his beginnings at Roger Corman's incarnation of New World Pictures, getting into editing, his higher-profile eighties action and genre credits, and the opportunity to make his directorial debut. Of the film, he recalls the thirty-five day shoot, constantly reworking the material, a lot of learning by doing, and the disappointing theatrical release of the film. In "A Thousand Feet of Lightning" (15:51), visual effects artist Ernest Farino (The Terminator) discusses his early animation work – including Pillsbury Doughboy commercials when he was still stop motion – main title design work at Corman's New World and for James Cameron, and his Tesla Coil lightning effects for the film. "Seizing the Opportunity" (6:12) is an interview with second unit director Patrick Read Johnson (Spaced Invaders) discusses his early work as a production assistant and model maker, leading to conceiving and directing the butcher shop sequence due to the tight shooting schedule. In "How to Edit for an Editor" (12:06) is an interview with editor Harvey Rosenstock (Scent of a Woman) who discusses his early credits for Cannon Films, being selected by former editor Goldblatt to cut the film, tips he learned from Goldblatt, and balancing the beats of comedy, action, and horror. Finally, "Happy Accidents Happen" (7:56) is an interview with composer Ernest Troost who reveals that Goldblatt made the odd stipulation that he was to use no trumpets in the score for which he searched for original sounds while also pattering his work after film noir scores.
Packaging
The cover is reversible, and the first 6,000 copies ordered directly from Vinegar Syndrome come with a special limited edition embossed slipcover designed by Earl Kessler Jr
Overall
Dead Heat suffered from a low budget, studio inteference, and a poor theatrcal release but it has developed a cult following in the ensuing years as one of the more interesting releases in the waning days of New World Pictures.
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