The Bushwhacker/The Ravager
Director– Bryan Mabe/Charles Nivet
Starring – Various
Country of Origin- U.S.
Distributor - Mondo Macabro
Number of discs – 1
Reviewed by - Scott MacDonald
Date- 06/20/2019
Mondo Macabro have become known over the last couple of decades as purveyors of weird and wild international cinema. Now they have set their targets on American exploitation titles with the first release from their American Arcana series The Bushwhacker and the The Ravager double feature. The films were provided from the archives of Something Weird Video, which has pretty much gone into the business of licensing their weirdness to other labels for restoration and distribution.
The first film in the set is "The Bushwhacker". The Bushwhacker involves a Davy Crockett dressed individual who has lived on his own amongst nature for years. He deals with this loneliness, by downing a small plane with his gun. The survivors of the crash Dan, Dawn, Sherry and Maureen, try to deal with their situation in the best way they know how, lots of sex. Unfortunately for the group the Bushwhacker has other more vile plans for the group.
The Bushwhacker is a slow film to start. It feels like a very regoinal exploitation piece with lots of softcore sex scenes early in the film. However, once the third act kicks in and the Bushwhacker decides to begin taking care of business the film reaches in an insane level of depravity and violence, that has to be seen.
The Ravager is a film that literally wowed me with its desire to really go all out for its shocking premise. The film follows Joe (Ray Dennis Steckler regular Pierre Agostino), as the film begins Joe views the rape and explosive death of a Vietnamese woman while he was serving in the military in Vietnam. The experience traumatized him, and left him a real mess. After 6 months of military therapy, he is released, but not cured. He goes out to the desert, rents a room, and begins to violently kill (and explode) anyone he catches in public having sex.
The Ravager shares a desert setting with the Bushwhacker, but I'll say I think this one goes more over the top. The film begins with a scene that has enough depravity for one movie, but this is just the beginning. After this the film begins to show the extent of Joe's mania. The performance by Agostino depicts a solidly crazed Joe, and does it well. The narration over parts of the film actually helps to lessen the mean-spirited tone of the film. It still is a difficult watch, regardless. This one is definitely for hardened exploitation fans, that are accustomed to real shock cinema.
Bushwhacker and The Ravager were scanned in 2k from a pair of archival prints. They are presented 1:78:1 and 1:33:1 respectively. The nature of the source material means that there is limits to what could have been done as far as restoration goes. The films do look completely solid, and are keeping with Mondo Macabro's track record for fine restorations. However, don't go in expecting miracles, there is some fading and damage from the source material. Still I would imagine that Mondo Macabro used the best available elements for these regional oddities.
Both films are given LPCM 2.0 tracks in English. The elements here are limited, but everything here sounds well-balanced and fine. There is some minor hissing and popping throughout, but it is not too distracting and in an odd way, gives a more film presentation like ambiance to the package.
Extras are limited to a reverible cover, and a 10 page essay by Cinema Sewer's Robin Bougie who details how he found the Ravager, and some background on the film. There are also postcard replicas of the film's promotional material.
This film is only for sale in Mondo Macabro's online shop in an limited edition of 1000 copies in red cases. Go to their site and pick this one up now. HIGHLY RECOMMENDED.
Pick up the Bushwhacker/Ravager here.
