The Stone Killer (1973) (NTSC)

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General		Extras
Category	Crime	None
Rating
Year Of Production	1973
Running Time	95:03
RSDL / Flipper	Dual Layered	Cast & Crew
Start Up	Menu
Region Coding	1,2,3,4,5,6	Directed By	Michael Winner
Studio Distributor	ViaVision	Starring	Charles Bronson Martin Balsam Norman Fell Ralph Waite David Sheiner
Case	Amaray-Transparent
RPI	?	Music	Roy Budd

Video (NTSC)		Audio
Pan & Scan/Full Frame	None	English Dolby Digital 2.0 mono (192Kb/s)
Widescreen Aspect Ratio	1.85:1
16x9 Enhancement
Video Format	480i (NTSC)
Original Aspect Ratio	1.85:1	Miscellaneous
Jacket Pictures	No
Subtitles	None	Smoking	Yes
		Annoying Product Placement	No
		Action In or After Credits	No

     New York detective Lou Torrey (Charles Bronson) follows into a deserted building a seventeen year old punk who had just robbed a liquor store and shot a policemen. When the punk shoots at Torrey, Torrey shoots back and kills him. With cries of police brutality ringing around his head, Torrey’s boss Guido Lorenz (David Sheiner) organises to transfer him to L.A. where he works for Commander Les Daniels (Norman Fell).

     While working on a drug bust a couple of year later Torrey sees a face he recognises, an ex-Mafia hitman, now a drug addict, named Armitage (Eddie Firestone) who is still wanted for murder in NY. Armitage wants to make a deal with Torrey, speaking cryptically about an impending hit but Torrey makes nothing of it until, when he escorts Armitage back to NY, Armitage is assassinated on arrival. Working from scant leads in NY and L.A., as the bodies start to pile up Torrey uncovers a plan by aging Mafia Don Al Vescari (Martin Balsam) to recruit and train a group of ex-Vietnam veterans to undertake the murders of his mafia opponents simultaneously in numerous locations to take revenge for a massacre that had occurred 42 years previously. The police brass and the FBI however give Torrey’s theory no credence so, with the help of Lorenz and Daniels but hampered by the incompetence of Detective Matthews (Ralph Waite), Torrey sets out to find the evidence that may stop a massacre.

     The Stone Killer is based on the novel A Complete State of Death by John Gardner, although the location of the story is changed from the UK to the USA. The film was directed by Michael Winner, the third of six films he made with Charles Bronson, the first Chato’s Land in 1972, the final three the Death Wish films (1974, 1982, 1985) which followed The Stone Killer. The Stone Killer is a somewhat by-the-numbers crime thriller although tough guy Charles Bronson is always worth watching; not that he has a lot of acting to do in this film. However the action, including the car chase, or should I say demolition derby, involving stunts done for real in the days before CGI, is exciting and well-staged and the shoot-outs loud and chaotic. Interestingly, the film is rated R which I think is overdoing it; there is no sex, and indeed no female character of any note, no bad language, no drug taking and while the violence may have been considered strong in its day, it is certainly not excessive, the blood and gore minimal by more recent standards; for example, I have just watched The Equalizer 2 with Denzel Washington which is far more bloody, brutal and violent and which gets only an MA rating!

     “Stone Killer” is a slang term for a professional hitman who kills without remorse or compassion so it does not refer to Bronson’s character but to those recruited by Vescari to carry out the assassinations he has planned. The plotting of The Stone Killer is somewhat disjointed while the score by Roy Budd, the monster cars and the fashions, including long hair, moustaches and turtle necks, date the film. However, it does have some good action sequences done without CGI and Charles Bronson, which is enough to enjoy the film.

Video

     The Stone Killer is in the original aspect ratio of 1.85:1, 16x9 enhanced and NTSC.

     This is a nice looking print with natural colours; yellow for the desert, the green of the trees and the blue skies. Exteriors and exteriors have good detail although some wide shot exteriors of the desert are a bit softer. Blacks are solid and shadow detail fine, skin tones are natural, brightness and contrast consistent. Other than some motion blur, artefacts were absent resulting in a good print of this 45 year old film.

     No subtitles are available.

Video Ratings Summary

Sharpness
Shadow Detail
Colour
Grain/Pixelization
Film-To-Video Artefacts
Film Artefacts
Overall

Audio

     Audio is English Dolby Digital 2.0 at 192 Kbps, mono. The film was released theatrically with mono sound.

     Dialogue is clear. Effects, including gunshots, car, motorbike and helicopter engines and the crash of vehicle impacts and breaking glass are predictably flat but are loud and effective enough. The jazzy / electronic score by Roy Budd could only come from a 1970s film.

    Lip synchronisation was fine.

Audio Ratings Summary

Dialogue
Audio Sync
Clicks/Pops/Dropouts
Surround Channel Use
Subwoofer
Overall

     There are no extras. The menu is silent and “Play” is the only option.

     While various Blu-ray releases have commentaries and other extras, the US Region 0 DVD of The Stone Killer as listed on Amazon.com shows no extras.

     The Stone Killer is a decent police thriller with some nice action sequences although tough guy Charles Bronson is the main reason to watch the film, which may be enough for fans.

    The video and audio are fine, no extras.

Video
Audio
Extras
Plot
Overall