The Mad Bomber Blu-ray Review: 1970s Cult Classic

Creature feature writer/producer/director Bert I. Gordon (The Amazing Colossal Man, Attack of the Puppet People) took a turn into the cynical and misanthropic world of 1970s Watergate-era filmmaking with The Mad Bomber (AKA The Police Connection). An exploitation/crime/action/thriller, the film stars Chuck Connors (Soylent Green, Synanon) as a father who lost his daughter to a drug overdose and decides to punish the world by planting bombs all over Los Angeles. A degenerate serial rapist (Neville Brand, Birdman of Alcatraz) is the only person who can identify him, forcing gritty detective Geronimo Minneli (Vince Edwards, Return to Horror High) to work with him.

The Mad Bomber is what one would expect from a 1973 exploitation film. It is low budget, but it is watchable and never feels cheap. It has a number of scenes featuring full frontal female nudity that feel very unnecessary and, well, exploitative, and likely would not make it into a film today. There are some very lurid rape scenes that push the limits of taste, and some shots that are out of focus just left in there, probably because it would have been too costly to re-shoot.

Chuck Connors’ unhinged performance is the driving force behind this movie, however. He is a crusader who is angry at everyone – feminists, drug dealers, people who litter, people who will not look him in the eye. Without Connors, this film may not work as well as it does, because it does get a bit confusing right from the beginning. There seems to be a little confusion about who is the bomber and who is the rapist that is never really clarified, but with these sorts of films one cannot look too deep.

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The Video

The Mad Bomber comes from a new 4K scan of the internegative according to Severin and is presented in a 1.85:1 AVC 1080p encodement on Blu-ray. There is not as much clarity or dynamic range as if this had come from the original negative and the grain is a little thick, but it looks natural, and detail is generally good. There are some issues that just cannot be overcome such as the numerous out of focus camera shots and transparent tramlines that are present from time to time in the source. Overall, this looks satisfying for what it is given the source and low budget of the original production.

The Audio

The Mad Bomber comes with a lossless English DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 remix and the original mono mix in lossless DTS-HD Master Audio 2.0. There is also an isolated score track provided in DTS-HD Master Audio 2.0 mono. The 5.1 mix has a lot of reverberation mixed into the surrounds. The bomb explosions saturate the channels and have a good amount of low end extension, but nothing floor shaking. The score is well-balanced into the mix as well and dynamics sound natural. The mono mix is also clear and dynamic given the limited channels and age.

The Supplements

Severin does load this one up with a lot of special features, including and audio interview with Gordon to run alongside the film, an audio commentary that also features a retired bomb squad detective, and the TV cut of the film.

Bonus Features:

• Audio Commentary by House of Psychotic Women Author Kier-La Janisse with Retired Bomb Squad Detective Mike Digby
• Audio Interview with Director Bert I. Gordon Conducted by David Del Valle (Played in Conjunction with The Mad Bomber)
• Patricia Gordon Remembers Her Father (1080p; 00:26:59)
• To Be in the Moment – Interview with Actress Cynthia MacAdams (1080p; 00:11:03)
• On the Trail of The Mad Bomber – Locations Featurette (1080p; 00:10:17)
• The Mad Bomber TV Cut (1.33:1; 1080p; 01:27:31)
• TV Spots (1080p; 00:00:28)
• Exclusive Slipcover
• Booklet: THE MAD BOMBER Story – Essay by Andy Turner with Exclusive Images from Still Photographer Carol Gordon

The Final Assessment

This is a 1970s exploitation film that will appeal to genre fans and one that perhaps a lot of people have either forgotten or never heard of. This release is a solid one in line with Severin Films’ usual releases and it is a surprisingly enjoyable excursion.

The Mad Bomber is out on Blu-ray October 29, 2024 from Severin Films

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• Rating Certificate: R
• Studios & Distributors: College Productions | Severin Films
• Director: Bert I. Gordon
• Written By: Bert I. Gordon | Marc Behm
• Aspect Ratio: 1.85:1
• Video Format: AVC 1080p
• Primary Audio: English DTS-HD MA 5.1
• Secondary Audio: English DTS-HD MA 2.0 Mono | Isolated Score DTS-HD MA 2.0 Mono
• Subtitles: English SDH
• Street Date: 29 October 2024