In the early 1990s, my Friday and Saturday nights were spent at home watching movie after movie of whatever I could find in my local video store. I would first scour the shelves for the newest horror, sci-fi, or action flicks and then move on to older or lesser known titles. Thus, my love affair with Full Moon Features and straight-to-video fare began.<\/p>\n
I would literally scoop up anything with a Full Moon logo on it and spend hours in the dark of my living room devouring \u201cSubspecies,\u201d \u201cPuppet Master,\u201d \u201cDemonic Toys,\u201d \u201cRobot Jox,\u201d and anything else I could get my hands on. The \u201cTrancers\u201d movies were among those B-movie gems I would pick up.<\/p>\n
Full Moon Entertainment recently released \u201cTrancers: The Ultimate Edition\u201d on Blu-ray for those of us wanting to relive the dawn of the straight-to-video age and hopefully introduce these priceless films to a whole new generation. Let\u2019s face it. Without Charles Band and Full Moon Features, there wouldn\u2019t be the Asylum, SyFy Channel, Anchor Bay, or any other independent genre companies giving us \u201cSharknado,\u201d \u201cMega Piranha,\u201d and \u201cMetal Shifters.\u201d<\/p>\n
Jack Deth (Tim Thomerson) is an Angel City trooper sent back in time to the Los Angeles of 1985. He is assigned to inhabit the body of his ancestor in order to find his arch-enemy, Whistler (Michael Stefani), who turns people into zombies. Deth must stop him before is able to kill all the ancestors of the members of the future governing council.<\/p>\n
\u201cTrancers: The Ultimate Edition\u201d is a perfect example of everything Full Moon and Charles Band was creating in the early and mid-1980s. It\u2019s obvious they saw blockbuster films and wanted to make their own low-budget versions of them for genre fans to enjoy. After all, once you saw \u201cBlade Runner,\u201d \u201cThe Terminator,\u201d and \u201cTotal Recall,\u201d where could you get more of those types of entertainment to enjoy? Band and his army of filmmakers filled that niche perfectly.<\/p>\n
You don\u2019t get any more 1980s than \u201cTrancers.\u201d As the director and producer of the movie, Charles Band injected it with as much noir flavor as he could wring out of \u201cBlade Runner\u201d without being sued for plagiarism. You\u2019ve got the long trench coats with the added flare of shoulder pads. Couple that with weird bolos, shirt collars, and ties and you have a futuristic beat cop ready to take down any zombie or android he comes up against in the past.<\/p>\n
Let\u2019s not forget Helen Hunt\u2019s crazy puffed-up hair and her fixation with punk rock. Just like Kyle Reese in James Cameron\u2019s \u201cThe Terminator,\u201d Jack Deth somehow makes his way into a nightclub to enjoy some tunes from a bygone era as he pursues his murderous target. Like they say, \u201cImitation is the greatest form of flattery.\u201d<\/p>\n
Although \u201cTrancers\u201d has been remastered in high-definition, the video quality is far from perfect. The picture is still better than it\u2019s ever looked before, but contains some pops and scratches here and there. It\u2019s about the best you could expect from a B-movie which was probably not always stored under the best of conditions. It\u2019s presented with 5.1 stereo surround which will give viewers a more immersive experience when it comes to all the laser fire and environmental sounds you expect from a sci-fi flick.<\/p>\n
The bonus material for \u201cTrancers: The Ultimate Edition\u201d will make collectors happy. Audio commentary is provided by Actor Tim Thomerson and Director \/ Producer Charles Band. Daniel Griffith\u2019s \u201cTrancers\u201d featurette and a rare interview with Tim Thomerson, Helen Hunt, and Megan Ward are included. The complete \u201cTrancers: City of Lost Angels\u201d segment from the anthology film \u201cPulsepounders\u201d is found as well. It doesn\u2019t appear to have been cleaned up or remastered at all. A rare still gallery rounds out the special features.<\/p>\n
\u201cTrancers: The Ultimate Edition\u201d is unrated, but would be worthy of a PG-13 if put before the MPAA. There are some adult situations with no nudity. The language and violence is what you would expect from any genre movie these days.<\/p>\n
All in all, enthusiasts of 1980s B-movies will love “Trancers: The Ultimate Edition.” The film is filled with fun practical effects, film noir overtones, and plenty of action for everyone to enjoy. Even with a less than spectacular video transfer, it\u2019s an essential item for any sci-fi devotee\u2019s home entertainment library.