The Lords of Flatbush Blu Ray Review (Sony Pictures)

The Lords of Flatbush is a 1974 drama co-written/produced/directed by Martin Davidson (Eddie and the Cruisers, Almost Summer, Heart of Dixie, Long Gone, Hard Promises, and Hero at Large) and Stephen Verona (Pipe Dreams, Boardwalk, The Rehearsal, and Talking Walls). It was co-written by Gayle Gleckler (Flatbush Avenue J). It had an estimated budget of $160,000. The life and times of Brooklyn’s coolest high school gang which includes David “Chico” Tyrell (played by: Perry King from The Day After Tomorrow, Class of 1984, The Possession of Joel Delaney, Slaughterhouse-Five, and The Wild Party), Stanley Rosiello (played by: Sylvester Stallone from the Rocky franchise, Rambo franchise, The Expendables franchise, Tulsa King, and Cop Land), Butchey Weinstein (played by: Henry Winkler from Happy Days, The Waterboy, Night Shift, Arrested Development, and Scream), and Wimpy Murgalo (played by: Paul Mace from Paradise Alley, The Panic in Needle Park, and Hill Street Blues) are put to the test during the late 50’s in the Flatbush neighborhood of Brooklyn when they find themselves in love. The motorcycle crew tries to put violence away for a different kind of reality!!!!

The Lords of Flatbush is a low budget 70’s drama loaded with talent that really blew up after this was released. It takes you with a tough motorcycle gang that’s trying to change their ways after experiencing new stuff in life. The script is really solid and these guys start to mature after doing so much bad before. Sylvester Stallone even wrote some additional dialogue for it. Sylvester Stallone as Stanley Rosiello is basically the leader of The Lords of Flatbush. His whole existence shifts into something different when his girlfriend is pregnant and he decides to do the right thing with marrying her. Perry King as David Tyrell is the player from the gang, he finds himself actually interested in the new girl after playing the field. Henry Winkler as Butchey Weinstein is the smartest one and he has potential to do something special with his life besides just being a thug. Paul Mace as Wimpy Murgalo is the runt from The Lords of Flatbush. He would be in trouble by himself so he stays around these guys for protection plus it makes him look cool. All of these lead actors have excellent chemistry together and it’s what really drives this drama. The rest of the supporting cast includes Susan Blakely (The Towering Inferno), Maria Smith (The Incredible Shrinking Woman), Renee Paris (Bad), Paul Jabara (Light Sleeper), Joseph Stern (Tarzan and the Super 7), Ray Sharkey (Wiseguy), Brooke Adams (The Dead Zone), Antonia Rey (Jacob’s Ladder), and Dolph Sweet (Sisters). The Lords of Flatbush has a gritty atmosphere and it goes for a more realistic approach. It has a solid mix of fights, drama, comedy, and it’s a coming of age tale that ties all that together. Everyone involved here was just starting out so it’s a little rough around the edges at times. It’s still pretty fun and it stays entertaining for the most part. It’s worth checking out just see where most of these stars came from!!!!Let’s discuss this high definition presentation from Sony Pictures! This 1080p (1.85:1) transfer looks a little rough but honestly The Lords of Flatbush has never looked great on home video. It was originally shot in 16mm and it was blew up to 35mm. It’s still the best it’s ever looked and given it’s original source material and it probably won’t be improved past this restoration. It has an English: DTS-HD Master Audio 2.0 track on the disc. The audio is better than the picture quality, it has it’s loud and explosive moments. All of the dialogue is very clean, the drama is elevated, and the music has a nice boost to it especially the soundtrack. It has English SDH subtitles. The only extra on this home video release is the “Theatrical Trailer”. It’s available everywhere right now including MovieZyng.com, CHECK IT OUT!!!!