Actors: Bryan Brown, John Hargreaves, Graham Kennedy, Graeme Blundell
Directors: Tom Jeffrey
Rated: Unrated
Studio: Synapse Films
Release Date: August 13, 2013
Run Time: 92 minutes
Film: 3 out of 5 stars
Extras: 2.5 out of 5 stars
“The Odd Angry Shot” is a highly-acclaimed Australian war film taking a look into the hell of Vietnam. I have to admit, I was not aware of this film prior to this release. I know that when I see Synapse Films backing a film that it has to be good..or at least worth checking out. Naturally, I am not a big fan of war films, not sure 100% way though. I enjoy watching them but I never rush out to revisit again. The film stars Bryan Brown, who then went on to do films like “Breaker Morant” and “F/X” series. “The Odd Angry Shot” has never before been released on DVD in the U.S., so fans of this classic war film should be excited to finally see it getting some love. The film itself shows a different side of the war and really gets down and dirty to show the gritty truth behind it. Definitely worth a rent for sure!
Official Premise: Tom Jeffrey’s classic Australian film, “The Odd Angry Shot”, is set in the late 1960s during the brutal war Australians shared with the United States: the struggle for Vietnam. Harry (Graham Kennedy), a hard-edged Special Air Service Corporal, meets a new company of soldiers during his second tour in Vietnam. There’s the naïve Bill (John Jarratt), the easy-going Bung (John Hargreaves), the blunt Rogers (Bryan Brown), the pragmatic Dawson (Graeme Blundell), and the youthful and innocent Scott (Ian Gilmour). Because of their training as professional soldiers from Australia’s toughest Army unit, these men believe they can deal with any situation. They pass the time playing practical jokes, getting into drunken brawls and humoring themselves to keep their minds off the war. But, when the first odd angry shot rings out, and an enemy mortar barrage hits their camp causing many casualties, the men realize their protective shield of humor is no defense at all against the harsh realities of armed combat.
For a film dating back to 1979, This film has never looked better with its new high-definition 1080p (1.78:1) transfer which was taken from original vault materials. Since this film has been given a proper U.S. release since VHS. So this should be a real treat for fans of this cult classic. Same goes for the DTS-HD Master Audio 2.0 track, which works well showcasing the action from the war. Like most Synapse Films releases “The Angry Odd Shot” also comes with a sharp reversible cover art. The special features included are not spectacular but worth checking out. There is an audio commentary with Producer/Director Tom Jeffrey, Producer Sue Milliken and co-star Graeme Blundell. Worth checking out if you are a fan of the show. There is a featurette “Stunts Down Under with Buddy Joe Hooker”, which looks into how the stunts were performed. Lastly, there is an original theatrical trailer included.
