Standard DVD review of The Tormentors on DVD Authority

Plot - What's it all about?

lawless band of bikers has been terrorizing the locals, with all sorts of hideous acts and violence soaked events. These bikers have found inspiration in the Nazis of old, so they use those symbols and such, to become the new wave of that system. The men ride motorcycles and rule the roads, but they don't ride for fun or leisure, they ride for business and in addition, to cause turmoil whenever possible. It seems like the roads in the area simply aren't safe anymore, but this gang even takes to the streets, where they peddle even more bad behavior. The members deal with large amounts of illegal weapons, lean on local politicians, and even murder people for cash, pretty much whatever they want to do, is what happens. But no one seems to be able to stop them, so not only do the bikers continue their antics, their actions become bolder and more destructive all the time. After his wife is murdered by the bikers, one man decides to stand up to the force however, by joining them and tearing them down from the inside. But can just one man make a difference, or will the gang members prove to be too much for him to handle?

As a fan of bad movies, I figured The Tormentors would be bad, but not in the same sense that I had hoped. I didn't want dull, lifeless cinema, but instead outrageous moments, laughable acting, and of course, some naked ladies thrown in for good measure. I can imagine The Tormentors being shown on Mystery Science Theater 3000, as it is one of those pictures that is bad, but in the process, turns out to be hilarious. The whole Nazi biker gang kicks us off on the right foot, as they are a humorous bunch, to say the least. So there's plenty of ridiculous moments to speak of, from the memorable biker parties to the acts of violence involved. Not much in terms of blood, but some enjoyable (in the bad sense) fight scenes, including some downright ludicrous knife & gun battles. The acting is hard not to laugh at, as the cast seems to think they're making film history, with their totally serious and unaware performances. The story is your revenge from the inside premise, but is more than adequate, under the circumstances. This movie is recommended to fans of bad drive-in flicks and while Platinum's disc is bare bones, the price is low enough to compensate.

Video - How's it look?

The Tormentors is presented in a full frame transfer, as opposed to the original widescreen aspect ratio, which is a let down indeed. I am unsure of the intended scope here, but I didn't see any pan & scan evident, which is good news. The picture looks rough to be sure, with a soft, but clean print used and some grain can be seen, though it isn't too thick. I'd compare this to a VHS edition, which means it is watchable, but not up to the usual DVD standards. I'd like to see a remastered widescreen edition of course, but I doubt that will ever happen in this case.

Audio - How's it sound?

The audio seems to be in decent form, with much fewer wear signs than expected, which is good news. The materials have held up well enough, with no hiss and minimal distortion present, which is a bit of a surprise. The vocals are clean and easy to understand, while the sound effects & music are well presented, or as well as can be expected. I don't think this track will bowl anyone over, but it is a decent treatment and I doubt this movie will ever be given a better mix, unless Nazi biker flicks become the newest trend. This disc also includes a French language option, should you need that track instead.