When it comes to films about war you usually get either one that makes heroes of the soldiers (ie Battle of the Bulge) or you get a film that shows the horrors of war (ie Platoon). The Odd Angry Shot is a film that goes into the horrors of war and goes for a more realistic direction. The film does start out with some humor here and there , but you quickly get a dose of reality when mortars are rained down on their base camp and two of the soldiers are brutally killed by the blasts. I can say if you are looking for the first type of war film I mentioned then keep on looking because this is not one for you.
Now even though there is some damn serious scenes here there is also some light moments to break the tension, but you are quickly brought back. This film follows a group of Australian soldiers who are fighting in Vietnam and consists of mostly young recruits and a hard nosed leader. The soldiers are trained by the best to handle any situation, but things get harder than they ever though it would be. Nothing but chaos and "charlie" surround them as they delve deeper into the living hell I like to call war. This film is pretty straightforward and follows what has become the best scenario and way to show war for what it really is. It is filled with a mixed bag of personalities to keep the characters interesting and the film moving along. I went in open minded and came out of this film absolutely loving it, it ranks up there high on my favorite military/war films. Lets just say that it stuck with me long after it ended.
If you have seen films like this before then you will not be surprised by the characters that are in this film because they seem to be ones I have seen in other films before which is not bad because they work well. The only bad part is that it's hard to really pick any certain one that I can say I like the most, but if I had to I would say their Corporal Harry. He is just a very likable character and really standout amongst the group, he can be the most bluntly honest and be the most fun when he has to.
One thing that I found to be awesome is the fact that they shot the whole film in various places in Australia and it really does look alot like the jungles of Vietnam. Now I do know that it won't look a 100% like them, but it looks damn good and it feels like that's where they are. There is one scene that takes place in an asian market and it just helps that much more in making the film feel authentic. There is one spot near the end of that scene that sticks out as odd to me when one of the soldiers buys a prostitute and it ends with her telling him to come lay down and he says for them to stand and she asks "you mad" and he replies "probably" and that ends the scene, I guess it just seems odd to me.
The presentation of this film is great, now I cannot compare it to any other release due to not seeing it until this release. The picture is well cleaned up and is not destroyed by DNR or edge enhancement. The detail is very high and quite sharp. The audio is excellent as well and comes in DTS-HD Master Audio 2.0 Mono which is damn clear and bold. Along with the great presentation you get a couple of good special features that include an audio commentary with producer/director Tom Jeffrey, producer Sue Milliken, and actor Graeme Blundell also you get a featurette "Stunts Down Under" with Buddy Joe Hooker, original theatrical trailer and last but not least it has a reversible cover! Overall this is a damn good film that I see as a lost gem that is found again for the world to see!
-Daniel "Damnation" Lee
Director: Tom Jeffrey
Lead Actor/Actress: Graham Kennedy
Genre: Action/War/Comedy
Blu-ray Release Year: 2013
Theatrical Release Year: 1979
Time Length: 92 mins.
Rating: Not Rated
Region Code: Region Free
Release Company: Synapse Films
Website:
www.synapse-films.com
ADDITIONAL SCREENSHOTS:
When it comes to films about war you usually get either one that makes heroes of the soldiers (ie Battle of the Bulge) or you get a film that shows the horrors of war (ie Platoon). The Odd Angry Shot is a film that goes into the horrors of war and goes for a more realistic direction. The film does start out with some humor here and there , but you quickly get a dose of reality when mortars are rained down on their base camp and two of the soldiers are brutally killed by the blasts. I can say if you are looking for the first type of war film I mentioned then keep on looking because this is not one for you.
