King Of New York

Sorry... best title I could come up with.

One of these days, I should review a genuine DNR disaster (hey, I hear 'Predator''s going pretty cheap these days). Sadly, Arrow's latest release, 'King of New York', features a visible, well handled grain structure and plenty of detail, meaning I can't complain too much. While medium shots convey a pleasant enough level of fine detail, most close-ups are absolutely striking. Add in a real sense of depth, and Walken's remorseless visage has never looked so unnerving.

Colours also impress. Skin tones never look glaringly unnatural, while blood splatters the walls with rich enthusiasm. One scene, set in a dingy nightclub and lit entirely in blue, would be a prime contender for colour bleeding, but the picture remains stable throughout.

It's funny... the pasty blacks of 'Demons' came under heavy fire, but Arrow appear to have done a complete 180 here. Deep, dark, inky etc. with nary a compression artefact to be found, 'King' is mightily impressive in this department. I wouldn't completely rule out black crush, but I also wouldn't bother looking for any.

Nor should you go searching for edge enhancement, because there's virtually none of that either. This is a clean, natural-looking transfer that easily bests any previous releases.

Audio wise, the film's Stereo track is perfect. Strong, clear and precise - it's a faithful presentation of how 'King' was always meant to be heard. One or two lines of dialogue are barely comprehendible, but that's no fault of the disc (and can be easily rectified via the quick application of subtitles).

The 5.1 DTS-HD track is... another story, however. I read a few horror stories concerning earlier DVD versions featuring terrible audio, and it seems as though that infamous mix has made a return. It's a mess - the exact opposite of the stereo track, and it's almost as though there's one of those industrial-sized hand dryers you find in public toilets blowing throughout the whole thing. Worryingly, this is the disc's default track, so remember to switch it over before starting the film.

But barring the 5.1 misfire, I'd go out on a limb and state that 'King' is by far Arrow's best presentation to date. A pat on the back to all involved, and for the love of all that is cute and fluffy, PLEASE don't mess up 'Zombie Flesh Eaters'.

Onto the extra features, and it's almost all about Ferrara. There's a brand new interview with the man himself that runs for almost thirty minutes. This one is particularly revealing. He takes a gruff and sincere look back at a period of filmmaking that clearly doesn't exist anymore. And amidst all the factoids and anecdotes, you can even devise a fatal drinking game around how often Ferrara says "you know".

`A Short Film about the Long Career of Abel Ferrara' is a lengthy documentary in which his past collaborators discuss their work with the independent director, while `Abel Ferrara: Not Guilty' is a feature length doco that presents Abel at his most... Ferrariest.

Ferrara also pops up on one of the two featured audio commentaries. His chat track is surly to the extreme (telling us outright that he's been paid five thousand dollars to record it), but certainly an entertaining listen (he gets very excited during Steve Buscemi's brief appearances). Meanwhile, the second commentary is a chatty and enjoyable affair with several key crew members.

An interview with producer Augusto Caminito is the only other totally Abel-free extra. This is a relaxed account of 'King''s development that reveals its Italian connections, and the often memorable experiences had while working with Ferrara and Walken.

Then there're the obligatory trailers, a neat little booklet, and some excellent new artwork by Tom "The Dude Designs" Hodge that looks especially great on this very purple SteelBook edition.

Verdict

Again, if we ignore the 5.1 track, this has got to be Arrow's best work. Hardcore fans will be ecstatic when they pop 'King of New York' in, and once done with the film, there's a meaty selection of extras to plough through.

It helps that the film is great, too.

I love this film, it never gets old. It's blend of grim urban landscapes, clever intelligent plot and visceral action puts it miles ahead of almost any other crime movie you care to name, and it can stand with it's head held high as a classic on a par with the greats of the late 80s thru 90s gangster movie era, like Reservoir Dogs, True Romance, Heat and Pulp Fiction.

It's been overlooked somewhat in the face of such high profile company, but to be honest, this and Reservoir Dogs are the ones I keep coming back to. The characters are richly drawn and morally ambiguous in a fashion that makes it far more realistic than other crime films, as the cops are just as crooked as the gangsters, if not more, and you find yourself rooting for Walken and Fishburne throughout, as main cop Caruso is a nasty vile character despite being on 'the right side of the law'. Speaking of which the acting from the three leads is absolutely fantastic. Walken and Caruso are as charismatic and mesmerising as ever, but it's the young Fishburne (previous to this, he had had few leads in movies) who amazes as the hip young drug dealer, and almost steals Walken's show.

But make no mistake, it is Walken's show. His presence in this movie is riveting, and he manages to make the psychotic Frank believable as a man trying to do right somehow through his twisted system of morals. You don't want to sympathise with him but somehow Walken makes you, and this is the movie's greatest achievement, like Reservoir Dogs after it, you want the 'Bad guys' to win or at least get out alive.

As a movie, it's absolutely essential viewing for anyone with an interest in this kind of film, and a damn good view for anyone else too. To be honest this is one of my favourite films of all time, and it very much snuck up on me. An underground classic.

As to the DVD, if you like extras as much as the movie itself, this is not a great DVD on account of the complete lack of anything except the movie and the menu system, but it is cheap, and it is a brilliant film, so I would still recommend it despite the lack of extras.

On a final note, the people who say this movie is violent are right. This is not for the weak of stomach as it is visceral and bloody, even in comparison to Reservoir Dogs. As far as violence goes this is probably one of the most graphic and dark crime films I've seen. So if you hate film violence, it'll probably not be for you.

This US release is the one to buy as it contains dvd extras and the picture quality is great. The UK special edition release had a really poor audio sound quality but here it's fine. As for the film itself it's a total classic with a brilliant Christopher Walken as Frank White just released from prison who sets out on reclaiming his position as the king by disposing of all rivals. Abel Ferarra is one of my all time favorite directors and his direction here is first class as always. It's atmospheric, highly stylish and full of energy (there's also a bit of sleeze). The film looks great and there's plenty of action too as well as a great cast. Lawrence Fishburn really shines as Walken's right hand man and David Caruso and Victor Argo are memorable also. The film isn't a chore to watch like some long winded gangster films as it's quite short and definitely should be in any film fans collection.