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Vinegar Syndrome Sets Up A Good Old Fashioned Mutant Hunt on Blu-ray!

Feature Presentations: Episode 48

Welcome to my column dedicated to the appreciation of physical media supplements called: Feature Presentations. The goal of this column is not to say whether a film is good or bad and worth picking up or not—I would like to highlight the discs that go the extra mile and provide film fans with enough tasty tidbits to satisfy even the hungriest of cinephiles. With all that out of the way, today’s article will focus on Mutant Hunt from Vinegar Syndrome.

Three punks look out from behind a wooden building.

For everyone, there’s always a movie or a genre not held in high regard that scratches an itch. Even the snobbiest cinephile has occasional moments where they take a step back from award-winning cinema classics and pop on a less demanding movie. It could be the peak of Cannon Films or Charles Band’s cinematic output, or maybe seeing what Lloyd Kaufman’s latest releases are with Troma. I’m not here to judge. All of us are equals, and my cinematic taste is no better than yours. So, leave your judgments at the door as I discuss this week’s entry into the Feature Presentations column: Mutant Hunt.

When Vinegar Syndrome announced Mutant Hunt as part of their monthly release schedule, my ears perked up. Mutant Hunt is a film I’ve never heard of, but the cover looked interesting, and the idea of mutated cyborgs rampaging through a city struck my fancy. I watched the trailer and read the description, each a red flag alerting me that this film probably wouldn’t get preserved in the National Archives. Even still, sometimes the most fun you have at the movies comes when the film comes slathered in cheese.

With the understanding that Mutant Hunt would be ten shades of awful, I popped the disc in, hoping for the best. As the end credits kicked in, there was a sense of disappointment. The film’s noticeable lack of budget hampered the proceedings. The film uses minimal locations, the acting leaves plenty of room for improvement, and the story lacks the scope of the ideas it wants to explore. Mutant Hunt had the right idea, and some of the practical makeup effects are solid, including a mutant with its jaw detached. But the lack of budget derails the fun, and all that remains are amateurish acting, cheap effects, and a movie needing a second unit director and an editor who knows what they are doing.

Vinegar Syndrome loves hunting down long-lost and forgotten movies, so it’s no surprise that they cobbled together a release more deserving than it has any right to get. For this release, Mutant Hunt comes with a thick slipcover featuring new artwork that makes the film look better than it is. The case features a reversible art wrap that contains the movie’s original theatrical print. And speaking of looking better than it is, if Mutant Hunt were one-tenth as epic as the original poster, everyone would know of the film.

Side view of the damaged mutant.

On the features side, we get an interview, “Mutant Maker,” with special makeup effects artist Ed French. French first details how he got into the business and entered into the Mutant Hunt production. French explains the pros and cons of a low-budget film and makes no qualms about the budget limitations. At the same time, French has no negatives about his time on set and speaks highly about his enjoyment with those involved with Mutant Hunt. I enjoyed French’s comments, especially sitting to discuss Mutant Hunt and not looking down on the production.

The second interview, “If You Want Me to Box with a Kangaroo…” is a 56-minute chat with actor Dr. J. Buzz Von Ornsteiner. Ornsteiner recalls his time as a struggling actor and how he obtained the role as one of the titular mutants. The actor goes in-depth on the film’s production, including the haircut required as a mutant and the extended hours in the makeup chair. Dr. J. Buzz Von Ornsteiner’s comments on “If You Want Me to Box with a Kangaroo…” is a light and warm remembrance of the 1987 film.

The last interview, “Long Arm of the Hunt,” is a sit-down with actor Mark Legan. As with the prior interviews, Legan discusses how he came into Mutant Hunt, recalling positive times while working on set. The experiences he discusses include his move to New York City in the early ’80s, the mutant haircuts, and the connections he made with actors and crew members from the film. Be forewarned, the “Long Arm of the Hunt” interview is a Zoom interview, so the quality is not as crisp as the other discussions on the disc.

Closing out the disc, Vinegar Syndrome includes a feature-length audio commentary with film historian Elizabeth Purchell. Purchell comes out of the gate stating her love of the film and immediately gets down to brass tacks by diving into writer/director Tim Kincaid’s career. She traces his first foray into acting, then working in the porn industry before branching out. Purchell then digs in on the film and actor’s backgrounds, detailing the whereabouts of certain actors, including one who also appears in Vinegar Syndrome’s New York Ninja. While the comments can be a bit dry, as one would expect on a solo commentary track, there are plenty of informational nuggets here that fans of Mutant Hunt will find informative.

A mutant with a melted face holds his hand up.

And there you have it! While the makings of a cult classic are here, the finished product didn’t scratch that “so-bad-it’s-good” itch that Mutant Hunt should have been. It’s not a complete waste of time—bits here and there are entertaining; it’s just not as enjoyable as it appears. If you are a fan of Mutant Hunt, though, the movie has never looked better, and Vinegar Syndrome has compiled a Blu-ray edition with an excellent array of features that are much better than the film itself. 

Written by Robert Chipman

Robert is a lifelong cinephile and has had an admiration with film for as long as he can remember. When he's not checking out the most recent theatrical release, viewing a movie on one of a 1,000,000,000 streaming services or picking up the latest physical media disc, he's trying and failing to make it in Hollywood as a screenwriter. He also has a weird fascination with Stephen Dorff. Make of that what you will. ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

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