Starring: Charles Bronson, Jan-Michael Vincent, Keenan Wynn, Jill Ireland
Director: Michael Winner
Distributed by: Twilight Time
Release Date: June 10, 2014
Running Time: 100 minutes
Film: 4 out of stars
Extras: 2.5 out of 5 stars
When I think about Charles Bronson, I think about two things “Death Wish” and “The Mechanic”. If you are thinking about the remake with Jason Statham from 2011, this is the original and much better film. Bronson is such a bad-ass in this film and in general. It has been many years since I viewed this film and it is still as gritty and entertaining as it was the first time I saw it. If you love Bronson, this release is a no-brainer.
Official Premise: Director Michael Winner’s The Mechanic (1972) stars his long-term collaborator, the sui generis Charles Bronson, as a hardened professional hitman who’s feeling the strains of his profession. He joins forces with a ruthless up-and-comer (Jan-Michael Vincent) in a partnership that wavers between sustaining and profoundly dangerous.
This Blu-ray release is an Screen Archives Entertainment Exclusive and is a Limited Edition release with only 3000 copies produced. I was very impressed with the 1080p transfer on this release. For a film that is over 40 years old, it looks ace and sounds amazing as well. The DTS-HD Master Audio Mono is stunning, especially with one of my favorite scoirres by the legendary Jerry Fielding.
In terms of special features, there is not much here, but what is is still worth checking out. Speaking of how much I love Fielding’s score, there is an Isolated Score Track included on this Blu-ray. There is an audio commentary track with Cinematographer Richard H. Kline and Film Historian Nick Redman. Lastly there is an Original Theatrical Trailer. If you want this film don’t hold out cause once it sold out, its gone for good!