This “Special Edition” Blu-ray from Severin Films is currently available for purchase.
If the name Bert I. Gordon sounds familiar to you, then you’ve no doubt watched your share of genre movies from the 1950s through the 1980s. This independent writer/producer/director made a name for himself making drive-in flicks and is known for horror and fantasy B-movies like The Amazing Colossal Man, Beginning of the End, War of the Colossal Beast, Attack of the Puppet People, The Magic Sword, Village of the Giants, The Food of the Gods and Empire of the Ants, to name but a few.
Most of his pictures were genre films, but in the early 70s he tried his hand at something a bit different. The Mad Bomber (1972) aka The Police Detective aka Geronimo, is a cop movie in the Dirty Harry (1971) mold, featuring a detective using any means necessary, be it legal or illegal, to catch his target. Unlike the over-the-top silliness of his other pictures, this effort did emulate hard-nosed vigilante pictures of the era and had a much more vicious tone. Severin Films is now presenting the movies as a “Special Edition” Blu-ray with some crackerjack bonus features.
After his daughter dies of a drug overdose, William Dorn (Chuck Connors) separates from his wife and becomes increasingly angry and bitter. Furious at those he blames for his offspring’s passing, he begins building bombs and terrorizing individuals throughout Los Angeles. Police Detective Geronimo Minelli (Vince Edwards) is tasked with tracking the killer down. He’s so driven and brutal in his quest that his actions aren’t much better than the criminal he’s hunting. When rapist George Fromley (Neville Brand) and one of his victims (Christina Hart) see Dorn in the lead up to a bombing, Minelli seizes the opportunity and uses Fromley to help lure and catch the maniac.
As mentioned, the tone here is grim and there are no real heroes in the story. All of the characters, including the protagonist, are nasty in the extreme and the film makes no bones about showing them commit horrible acts. After targeting specific individuals, Dorn begins bombing just about anyone he crosses paths with, from rude drivers to feminist activists, adding to the unsettling vibe.
There’s definitely an ickiness to the picture, particularly when it follows the Fromley character, but the film somehow still manages to maintain one’s attention. This is because the actors are all very good (in particular, Connors) and the elaborate explosions and violence is put together in a disturbing manner. When one of the main characters gets his comeuppance, it’s achieved in a shocking way. All the character’s attitudes are far, far out-of-date, but the movie does show the simmering tension and fury that was present during this time period.
The picture quality here is much improved over previous editions. I can recall first seeing this movie on VHS, and it looked pretty terrible. I imagine later DVDs weren’t much of an improvement, but this Blu-ray marks a significant uptick in quality. Of course, it’s a low-budget drive-in picture, which means that nighttime shots are grainy and that the movie is never going to be reference-quality material. However, the daytime exteriors, as well as several interiors, look surprisingly crisp. The explosions themselves and the damage caused are horrifyingly sharp and detailed. This is definitely as good as the movie has ever, and perhaps will ever, look.
The numerous extras are also fascinating. House of Psychotic Women author Kier-la Janisse delivers an excellent commentary. She immediately notes some of the outdated characters and how unlikable everyone is. However, the critic makes a compelling argument that these types of movies were made for public consumption and were playing to their target audience. She suggests that films like these are bluntly honest in presenting common views about subjects at this time, giving a sometimes more accurate snapshot of people during the era.
She also has Los Angeles retired Bomb Squad Detective Mike Rigby on with her, and he gives incredible insight. In addition to knowing far more about the subject than anyone involved in the film, he lays out what is accurate and not-even-close-to-accurate in great detail. Rigby reveals that Connors actually visited the Los Angeles Bomb Squad in preparation for his role and that he is quite convincing. The manner in which he puts devices together is fairly close and his general demeanor is correct. While one might expect bombers to skulk in the shadows, the expert notes that they actually tend to be impulsive, outwardly angry and eager to get into confrontations. Amusingly, the office he worked at actually still has a prop from this film.
Rigby also suggests the Dirty Harry-style detective is completely exaggerated and borrowed from popular titles of this era. The way Minelli behaves, the actions he takes, and his efforts in teaming up with a rapist are absurd. The officer tells fascinating stories of working during this era and it becomes clear that the vigilante picture really was born out of a heightened period of criminal and terrorist activity. Bombings and hijackings were very frequent and there was a great deal more crime during the period than there has been since. The public was scared, hence the introduction of vigilante cop movies. It’s an excellent track.
Additionally, an archived audio interview with director Bert I. Gordon is included and also plays over the film. It’s an 80-minute career overview in which Gordon talks about starting in the industry, getting early family-friendly projects off the ground and eventually turning to horror. It seems that he quickly realized that if he focused on making creative products for the young, drive-in movie crowd, he could have a very successful career. They don’t talk about his picture for very long (and it’s well over an hour into the track), but all the stories of working with celebrities on various productions are absolutely incredible to listen to.
There is another audio discussion with Patricia Gordon, the daughter of the filmmaker. She details her experiences working on set with her dad and eventually taking on the role of script supervisor on several features. Listeners learn about some of the dangerous elements of making these pictures, as well as how much fun they had. She believes that Attack of the Puppet People is probably her dad’s best work and the one that is closest to his heart. The speaker even sounds a little teary-eyed towards the end, thanking people for enjoying her father’s work and knowing he would be honored that people still watch his pictures.
You’ll also get an interview with supporting actress Cynthia MacAdams, who became a noted feminist not long after production on the film. She is very dismissive of the movie and the attitudes presented in the story, but comments that it did help her to find and follow a career path that she is very proud of.
If that wasn’t enough, there is a featurette showing locations used in the film and what they look like today.
The disc also features a TV cut of the movie. Since there is a lot of nudity and violence in the theatrical release, there are additional scenes added to this version. One includes a frustrated Minelli hassling a movie theater owner and citing him just to let off steam.
Television commercials for the picture are also included. And the Blu-ray also comes with an excellent insert booklet with extra writing on the movie.
The Mad Bomber is an unusual title in the Bert I. Gordon catalog, mainly because it’s a detour from horror into a violent, cruel crime picture. It isn’t for everyone, but there are striking and impressive moments thanks to the unusually talented (for this kind of a film) cast and crew. This “Special Edition” Blu-ray from Severin Films is phenomenal, giving plenty of background information about why it was made, the era in which it was created, the real history of bombers, and other interesting stories about the production. It is another outstanding Blu-ray from the distributor.