Arrow Films, out October 22

When gang leader Goose’s girlfriend is killed by members of a rival gang, he goes on a gory rampage to exact his revenge.

This truly is a Jim Van Bebber Film. He wrote, produced, directed and starred in it, and there’s a certain ‘the boy did good’ attitude towards the way that the young film-maker dropped out of film school and used the rest of his grant to finance this. But while many young film-makers has astonishing first features (Sam Raimi’s The Evil Dead, David Lynch’s Eraserhead, Carpenter’s Dark Star) this just feels like a grubby student movie.

Released at at time (1988) when low budget action hero movies were filling the video shop shelves (courtesy of Chuck Norris, Jean-Claude Van Damme, Michael Dudikoff, and so on) Van Bebber’s revenge drama follows a familiar plot, really only kicking in when the retribution begins. And let’s not forget that blood splatter alone doesn’t make for an engaging or shocking movie.

Boasting a new 2K restoration supervised by Van Bebber, he also features on the commentary with cast members. Jim Van Bebber, Deadbeat Forever! is a new retrospective documentary on Van Bebber and the Deadbeat legacy, and there’s also 80 minutes of his short films. The package is rounded off with music videos and a gallery of stills.

Verdict: Big hair, low budget, Arrow must really love this movie, considering the time and effort that has gone into this release. It’s a bumper disc for an unworthy film and if you really must get it, maybe wait until it’s in a ‘3 for £20 deal’. Otherwise it’s for Van Bebber enthusiasts only. Bloody and awful. 3/10

Nick Joy