The Film (4.5/5)

Auto mechanic Bobby (Paul Le Mat) is having a rough patch in his life. Nothing is working out and money troubles are always around. After a wild night of pool and cursing around town, Bobby gets in trouble with a local gang. Trying to lay low he encounters Rose (Dianne Hull) while returning her car. The two soon hit it off and go on a date. Rose is iffy about love and spends most of her time with her mother and son. The father is removed from the picture. After their date, they go to a liquor store and through some misunderstanding get someone shot. The two are now on the run with little hope but a lot of love.

Before receiving my copy of ALOHA BOBBY AND ROSE (1975), I had never heard of this hidden gem. Even more surprising is how it was one of the highest grossing films of 1975 and its barely mentioned. So, going in I wasn't ready for this romantic joy ride.

The 1970's is one of my favorite decades for cinema. And films like this is what makes them so thrilling and life changing. On the surface ALOHA looks like a simple road movie, but there is a lot to offer. It's episodic in nature with many strange little subplots. One of the biggest being a random trip to Mexico before rose misses her son. Director Floyd Mutrux has had a bizarre career with plenty of small movies like writing the screenplay for FREEBIE AND THE BEAN (1974) and directing AMERICAN HOT HAX (1978). It's a shame he hasn't a bigger career, because his work here is fantastic. Mixing comedy, tragedy and a little bit of New Hollywood Gold.

Some of the film feels like Robert Altman with a tighter script. Speaking of the screenplay, it's light and breezy with plenty of quotable lines and real feeling. It's also hip with unexpected bursts of violence. This a movie I'm sure Quentin Tarantino wishes he made. The soundtrack is another stand out with some truly iconic uses for Elton John's Benny and the Jets.

Without spoiling too much, ALOHA BOBBY AND ROSE is an unexpected treat. Polished and full of some breezy fun. A hidden gem from the 70's that needs to be seen.

Audio/Video (4.5/5)

The movie comes with English 2.0 DTS-HD Master Audio track. This stereo mix is well balanced and doesn't have any hiss or pops. The songs included sound wonderful. There is English subtitles.

The 1080p HD is near perfect with plenty of shine and polish. There is some minor film grain, and some motion blur. The new remastered print is free of any damage and looks like it was filmed yesterday. The night scenes are especially beautiful with some of the Altmanish shots. With the street lights glowing in crystal circles.

Extras (3.5/5)

Scorpion Releasing comes with a healthy number of extras. There are three interviews. First up is with star Paul Lemat. This interview is over lit and has some distracting room tone. There are some loud echoes. The next interview is with Robert Carradine, who is very open with some of disagreements on set. But he has some nice comments to say about his career. The last interview is with director Mutrux, who goes on to talk about the surprise success of ALOHA BOBBY AND ROSE and how his career never truly caught on.

Rounding out the disc is a trailer gallery featuring ALOHA BOBBY AND ROSE, GO TELL THE SPARTANS, KILLER FORCE, CONDUCT UNBECOMING, NASHVILLE GIRL, and TROUBLE BOUND.

Overall (4.5/5)

ALOHA BOBBY AND ROSE is the best kind of surprise to hit Blu-ray. Scorpion Releasing gives this film the deluxe treatment with a handsome edition. Highly recommeded.