Search - Riot on 42nd Street on DVD

"The only way you tame these animals is with a 44 magnum!"

C. Bennett | 01/17/2010

(2 out of 5 stars)

"Well it took long enough. After many problems and release date changes Riot on 42nd Street is finally available, but was it worth the wait?

The film centers around a Grindhouse type theater located on "the deuce," the theater's owner returns from a stint in prison after a run in with a drug pusher went wrong. After deciding to re-open the theater he ends up butting heads with a rival club owner. Eventually all hell breaks loose..

I'll be honest here, the film isn't that great. You've got Jeff Fahey playing a cop who pretty much just stands around doing nothing and the various gang members in the film seem more like Broadway dancers than violent criminals. To top it off the film moves at a snails pace.

Among all the bad there is some good. The movie offers an honest look at the 42nd St. of the 80's, smoke filled porn theaters, prostitution, strippers with no hope and saggy breasts, you get the idea. The location where the movie is shot really shines and if you're a fan of exploitation films you'll have a fun time reading some of the marquee signs. For fans of the red stuff there is plenty of it here including a few slow motion execution shots.

DVD Transfer: The transfer isn't going to blow you away or anything but this is probably the best this film has ever looked. Shriek Show and Code Red did a great job cleaning the print up.

DVD Audio: 2.1 track. Nothing too spectacular.

Extras: Not a whole lot here two "okay" featurettes and a really awesome selection of trailers, I counted about 23 total. The packaging is simple, no booklet or anything, but the cover art is great.

Overall the film just sort of falls flat. The sleazy scenery, blood, and squibs couldn't save it. The disc does have some nice extras, I absolutely loved the selection of trailers included. Even with the inclusion of awesome trailers I don't imagine I'll be revisiting this DVD any time soon. View at your own risk!"