Why So Blu?

Eve Of Destruction (Blu-ray Review)

A super intelligent, super strong killer robot in the form of a female scientist is on the loose and it’s up to Gregory Hines to stop her.  Its also a race to the finish as the robot has a ticking clock nuclear device set to go off inside of her.  I really have no recollection of this film at all.  However, this is the kind of film watching adventure that makes Scream Factory such a fun and exciting catalog of titles to explore.  This little forgotten low budget sci fi action movie could definitely be a lost gem for some people.  Now, the film is being resurrected and making the leap to Blu-ray for the first time.  While not the greatest, this film is pretty fun and I think it’ll be an entertaining little discovery for those like me who don’t remember the film, let alone knew it existed in the first place.

Film 

Dr. Eve Simmons has created the Eve VIII.  A robot crafted in her own image.  It even shares her memories.  During a test run at a bank, a robbery takes place and Eve VIII is damaged.  The robot goes on the run and begins to access on its creator’s darkest, angriest memories.  Eve VIII becomes a killing machine, taking out anyone that gets in the way of her mission.  The importance of catching her is also sped up when she activates a nuclear device inside her giving authorities 24 hours to find her, stop her and deactivate the bomb.  A secret government killer, and the best, Colonel Jim McQuade is brought in to outthink and stop this super cyborg.

Eve Of Destruction is a film I was not familiar with.  But, from the outset, I knew I was in for some fun.  Turns out, it’s a low budget sci fi/action B-movie revolving around a woman super cyborg.  From the outset I was drawn in and for most of the movie I was having a pretty jolly good time.  Somewhere in the middle however, the film did kind of drag.  The action in the film is merely “all right”, with nothing incredibly memorable in terms of stunt sequences.  There’s a lot of random gunfire and picking up and throwing people into things.  There were some great practical effects used in the film and if you read my reviews, you know that’s a plus for me.

One of the things that drew me in right away and got me on board instantly was the film’s score.  Its pretty rad.  It’s a blend of a generic 90s score, 80s synth and some typical sci fi.  It just works.  The score even had me kind of bopping my head and moving a little bit in my seat as I watched.  I’ll definitely be perusing around seeing if its available by legal means and hopefully at a good price.

I’ve seen just a few films with Gregory Hines (the typical ones like Running Scared).  He’s kind of an actor that was a household name back in the 80s and since his death has really disappeared from the public conscience.  Nobody really looks back at his work.  I really enjoyed him here as an action hero.  He brought a very cold and commanding presence to McQuade.  Hines is very real and buyable in his action sequences.  If you know of any other nontypical Gregory Hines action films that are worth a recommendation, please let me know in the comments, as I’d be interested in giving another film with him in this type of role a shot.

I wanted to like Eve Of Destruction more than I did.  I think maybe wanted to love it but only liked it.  It’s an okay movie with a killer score.  If you dig 80s/early 90s low budget sci fi action films, you should give it a shot.  Its not going to wow you, but you’re not going to feel you’ve wasted your time either.  It’d make for a perfect double feature with some other films I can think of.  But, its also not a bad way to kill some time on a Saturday afternoon.

Video 

Okay, so, I wasn’t expecting this film to look great, but wow.  The 1080p MPEG-4 AVC encoding is phenomenal.  The film is rich in its robotic details.  Gregory Hines’ leather jacket features a texture that is scuffed and worn.  The aggressive man that Eve picks up at a bar has every little crack and wrinkle visible on his face, not to mention a very detailed mustache and facial stubble.  The image is sharp and clean.  There’s not a whole of visible grain or specs which may have been expected.  This is really an outstanding picture for a film that probably didn’t deserve to look this good.

Audio 

I’m usually not wildly impressed by DTS-HD MA 2.0 tracks, but damn is this one terrific.  This track is loud and booming.  You will not realize that your subwoofer and other speakers of your surround system are not in use.  This is a very full and detailed track that does have fun playing left to right.  Explosions, crashes and gun shots come across as clean and feature lows that could almost rumble.  Dialogue is clear and distinct.  Every little bit of score and foley is at ideal volumes and recognizable without distraction or being too overpowering.  I was really impressed by this track.

Extras 

Well, here’s the bummer, this is a bare bones disc.  It does come with reversible sleeve artwork (featuring the original theatrical poster image), but the only additional thing on the disc is a trailer.  It doesn’t even offer a chapter select screen.

Theatrical Trailer (HD, 1:59)

 

Summary 

It’s a really weird situation here.  The video and audio presentations definitely mark this up higher, but the lack of extras hampers it a tad.  Since it’s merely an okay film, some form of extras may have helped.  However, the video and audio DO manage to elevate this movie’s quality in their presentation.  Being that this is a very obscure B-movie that many may not be familiar with or have forgotten, I really don’t blame Scream Factory for not going crazy on this one.  Instead, the focused on the video and audio presentation and they are superb.  If you’re a fan of their past titles like Dark Angel/I Come In Peace, this is right up your alley.