The ’80s cineplexes saw the rise of the tough guy. Arnold, Bruce, Chuck and Sly were the Mount Rushmore of action superstars as they churned out high wattage films when they weren’t opening another Planet Hollywood. This quartet weren’t alone as other actors and producers saw the viewers eager for massive blasts and stunning fights who didn’t want to near theaters. They knew there was a certain brand of action fans that wanted to watch films with refreshments not sold at the concession stands. These were people who dropped by the Videorama looking for a movie that pairs well with what they picked up at Party Beverage. Kill Zone must have been so popular in the ’80s with the trio of Fritz Matthews, Ted Prior and David Campbell giving an adrenaline pumping story that comes up with an unusual twist of First Blood, The Deer Hunter and Missing In Action.
A group of soldiers are lost in the jungle and battling Vietcong troops. There’s not a sign of an eminent rescue. Eventually they are caught and marched to a nearby makeshift prison camp. It’s a cruel place of plywood, stakes and barbed wire. Major Ling (Surf Nazi’s Must Die‘s Dennis Phun) is ruthless as he tortures the American soldiers in the hot sun. Two of the POWs aren’t going to break. Jason McKenna (Killer Workout‘s Fritz Matthews) and Mitchell (Day of the Warrior‘s Ted Prior) give each other hope in the middle of despair. McKenna had already survived a tour of duty and wants to get home to his wife and daughter. The arrival of Colonel Crawford (Deadly Prey‘s David Campbell) makes things feel bleaker. He’s not a fellow POW. Turns out the cigar chomping Colonel is working with the Viet Cong. He’s part of the interrogation process for the troops kept in the barbed wire pen. He doesn’t care who gets tossed into the hot box. McKenna cracks up under the strain. One night he and Mitchell make an escape and we discover the true nature of the POW camp.
I don’t want to give away anymore of the plot because it works like a Twilight Zone episode. The script by director David A. Prior and producer Jack Marino keeps Kill Zone from being a formulaic ’80s Vietnam POW movie. I’m surprised that a big Hollywood studio didn’t try to remake the movie for Arnold, Sly, Bruce or Chuck. The thing is there’s no need for a remake since David A. Prior, cast and crew nailed it the first time. I’ve seen films made at this level that are dead boring and come off as a bad film school student’s project. Kill Zone is a film that delivers in both action level with the combat battles and the unexpected turn of events. Part of the credit for the film’s ability to keep things pumping belongs to the Vic Alexander who shot and edited the movie. The cast is intense as the crucible of the POW camp explodes. David Campbell is a brute as the traitor colonel who is out to destroy his own men. Fritz Matthews gets into the crazy as his solider can’t take the torture anymore. The effects are topic notch for a low budget production. They even bring in a helicopter for the finale. Kill Zone is as entertaining now as when the party pal rented the VHS in summer of 1985 to watch at home.
The Video is 1.78:1 anamorphic. This is a serious upgrade with the transfer taken off the 35mm Interpositive. There are a few brief color shifting issues, but nothing to ruin the experience. The audio is LPCM 2.0 Mono Audio. The track lets you hear the jungle noises and the bullets fly. The film is subtitled.
Audio Commentary with co-writer/producer Jack Marino and Cereal at Midnight’s Heath Holland. Marino gets in what it took to make a low budget action film for the straight to VHS market. He gets into how First Blood inspired him while he didn’t copy the movie’s plot. He brings up how one of the actors won an Oscar 13 years later. We learn that David wrote a part for his brother Ted. He mentions how he never bounced a check and made sure his cast and crew were fed during production.
The Making of Kill Zone (37:52) has Steve Latshaw interviewing co-writer and producer Jack Marino. They go into how the film started Action International Pictures. Many of their titles haven’t been upgraded from VHS until now. Steve talks about his frustrating initial attempts to write action films. He worked with David A. Prior to write the script that would give the maximum action for a tight budget. Steve’s dad invested in the film to get the ball rolling. He felt he could make it for $50,000. He gets into having Ted Prior as the company’s main star.
Kill Zone VHS Version (89:39) is the Vestron release. See the movie in 1.33:1 fuzzy-vision. Remember to rewind the tape after viewing.
Video Commentary (88:56) has Marino talking about the film with Cereal at Midnight’s Heath Holland. This is the video conference call between the two that is also the audio commentary. Marino says Vestron sold 3,000 VHS tapes to rental houses. While he was told there was only a video release, he senses a few countries had 35mm theatrical releases
Photo Gallery (1:41) includes newspaper ad, behind the scenes photos and Polaroids of a Kill Zone cake.
Trailer Gallery includes Kill Zone, Action USA, L.A. Wars, Showdown, Angel Town and My Samurai. All are part of the MVD Rewind Collection.
MVD Rewind Collection presents Kill Zone. Directed by David A. Prior. Screenplay by David A. Prior and Jack Marino. Starring Fritz Matthews, Ted Prior, David James Campbell, Richard Massery, William Joseph Zip and Chris Tashima. Running Time: 90 minutes. Rating: Rated R. Release Date: June 13, 2023.
