Rebel: Director’s Cut Blu Ray Review (Giant Pictures)

Rebel (aKa No Place to Hide) is a 1973 political thriller co-written, produced, and directed by Robert Allen Schnitzer (The Premonition, Kandyland, and A Man Called… Rainbo). It was co-written by Larry Beinhart (Wag the Dog and Salvation Boulevard). It was produced by David Appleton (Hardhat and Legs, Soldier’s Home, Hester Street, and The Jolly Corner). No Place to Hide was completely different during it’s original release. It was re-edited under the title “Rebel” in the early 80’s to capitalize on Stallone’s popularity. In 1990, footage from here were edited into the spoof film “A Man Called… Rainbo”. This director’s cut got a limited theatrical run!!!! In New York during the late 60s, a politically motivated group of students which includes Jerry Savage (played by: Sylvester Stallone from The Expendables franchise, Rocky franchise, Rambo franchise, Cobra, Death Race 2000, Demolition Man, Judge Dredd, The Suicide Squad, Guardians of the Galaxy franchise, Tulsa King, and Cop Land) set up plans to bomb a variety of company offices who do business with dictators in Middle American countries. When they go too far and contact a known terrorist and bombing specialist, the FBI pays closer attention to this ambitious team!!!! It was originally released in the 70’s as No Place to Hide. It didn’t really make an impact at all and it honestly kinda got forgotten until Stallone blew up. Director Robert Allen Schnitzer knew the potential that he had with this independent project especially with a rising star. It was completely re-done as Rebel in the 80’s and it’s the only version that exists now. The script is drama heavy for a little bit. It’s a little slower than expected considering it’s concept but it gets there eventually. This director’s cut is 6 minutes longer than it’s previous version. This was Sylvester Stallone’s first real big role as Jerry Savage before he got known later on. He’s probably the best performance here and he’s really flexing his acting chops for this complicated character. He’s torn between his terrorist group and love. The rest of the cast includes Tony Page (Q: The Winged Serpent), Vickie Lancaster (A Man Called… Rainbo), Dennis Tate (Shaft), Barbara Lee Govan (Law and Order), Rebecca Grimes (Winter Kills), Roy White (The Premonition), Henry G. Sanders (Child’s Play 3), Jed Mills (Casino), Rudolph Willrich (Alice, Sweet Alice), and David Orange (Video Vixens!). Rebel definitely needs some patience because it’s not exactly action packed like you would think with it’s plot. It takes it’s time with it’s major roles and it has it’s character development before it really dives into something. It goes over capitalism, propaganda, spiritualism, anti-war, other political views, and finally some organization of the planned attacks. It doesn’t have much tension or suspense until it’s final act. Rebel is better than it’s reputation but that’s probably most of the audience expecting it to rush into the chaos rather than building it all up. I can see why this one might get mixed reactions but I still enjoyed it and I think it’s worth checking out sometime!!!! Let’s discuss this high definition presentation and special features from Giant Pictures! This 1080p (1.85:1) unrated director’s cut that’s 6 minutes longer than it’s previous version is from a brand new 4K restoration. It’s the best it’s ever looked anywhere before especially on home video. It has an English: DTS-HD Master Audio 2.0 track on the disc. The audio is another improvement from it’s past versions. It takes some time until it gets a little crazier but it does sound nice. All of the dialogue is crisp, the drama is elevated, and the music has a killer boost to it. It has English SDH subtitles. It has the little over 16 minute “Rebel Reborn: The Making and Restoring of Rebel: Director’s Cut”. Robert Allen Schnitzer does an Q and A with an audience after screening his newer director’s cut. He said before the recent restoration, he hadn’t seen it in 30 years. He jokes about this new version costing more to restore than what it actually costs to make back in the day. He chats about how he cast Stallone in the lead role and originally others had their doubts about him. He almost cast comedian Richard Pryor in this. It took him a while to save up to finish it after it was originally filmed. He shares some stories and information about the production. It’s a very detailed conversation especially if you want to learn more about this forgotten independent feature. It has the “Trailer” for Rebel. It’s a professionally made on demand BD-R. It’s available everywhere right now including MovieZyng.com, CHECK IT OUT!!!!!