Monday, September 11, 2017

Arrow Video Restores Director Arthur Mark's J.D.'s Revenge For Blu-ray/DVD Combo Pack Release On Oct. 31


DVD & Blu-ray Release Report, Ralph Tribbey
Arrow Video, with domestic sales and distribution expertise provided by MVD Entertainment Group, will be delivering a new 2K restoration (from the original film elements) of producer/director Arthur Mark’s 1976 Blaxploitation horror hit, J.D.’s Revenge, as a Blu-ray/DVD Combo Pack on Halloween (yes, Halloween falls on a street-date Tuesday this year).

We didn’t know it at the time, but this American International theatrical release, which hit theatres during the final days of August in the summer of 1976, marked the beginning of the end for the Blaxploitation wave that burst forth in the early ‘70s with such landmark film releases as Sweet Sweetback's Baadasssss Song, Shaft and Super Fly … and then quickly branched out with sub-genre mixes that included horror, Westerns, the aftermath of Viet Nam, martial arts (thank you, Bruce Lee) and even animation.

As to the mixed-genre release of J.D.’s Revenge, in a prologue we are introduced to J.D. Walker (David McKnight — Under Siege, Hollywood Shuffle, etc.), a 1940’s New Orleans gangster, who walks in on the murder of his sister, Betty Jo (Alice Jubert), in seedy slaughterhouse and is mistaken for her killer by Elija Bliss (Louis Gossett Jr.), who, we shall learn was her lover, who then promptly shoots Walker dead!

DVD & Blu-ray Release Report, Ralph Tribbey
The action then skips ahead to modern times and we meet Isaac/”Ike” (Glynn Turman — Cooley High, Thomasine & Bushrod, Attica, etc.), a law student, who is working his way through school as a cab driver.   He has the evening off and is out clubbing with his girlfriend, Christella (Joan Pringle — in her theatrical debut, after working nearly a decade with small roles in various TV series epsidoes, including Ironside and That’s My Mama) and a couple of their friends when he gets roped into being on stage and is hypnotized.  
 
That little stage stunt is the catalyst that sets in motion a series as Ike has flashbacks of the events that occurred 30 years prior and, to make matters worse, he is slowly inhabited by the spirit of J.D. Walker … who is out for revenge.   His life becomes a living hell as he takes on the persona — and gangster look (‘70s style, that is) — of Walker.

DVD & Blu-ray Release Report, Ralph Tribbey
Things come full circle when Ike hears the now-reverend Bliss (Gossett) preaching on the radio (pity the poor old white woman who was his fare at the time) and he knows what he has to do.   It really gets strange when Ike meets Bliss’ “daughter,” who is the spiting image of his sister (Alice Jubert in a duel role).

J.D.’s Revenge works both as a period Blaxploitation action film — Ike transforming into a “Super-Fly” gangster and all — and a nice black-riff on the possession films of the day — The Exorcist, Abby and The Omen (it kicked off the summer of 1976 and J.D.’s Revenge finished it).   The only thing that is a little off is the ending (sorry, no spoilers here on that one).

Arrow Video will be including a newly-prepared video session with producer/director Arthur Marks, an Arthur Marks trailer reel, plus more goodies not yet announced.

DVD & Blu-ray Release Report, Ralph Tribbey




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