When it comes to non-stop action, Stone Cold is red hot! NFL superstar Brian “The Boz” Bosworth (One Man’s Justice, Midnight Heat) makes his movie debut as John Stone, the only cop tough enough to take out a gang of stone-cold killers. Going undercover, he has to pose as an outlaw biker to win the trust of their diabolic leader Chains and his right-hand psychopath Ice, played by screen legends Lance Henriksen (Aliens, Hard Target) and William Forsythe (Out for Justice, The Devil’s Rejects). Stone soon discovers there’s more to these bikers than heavy metal mayhem. They’re plotting a paramilitary assault on the State Capitol, where one of their men has been sentenced to execution. In a spectacular climax, Stone is up against the gang and on his own. And the killers soon discover that if you go up against John Stone, he’ll burn you cold…Stone Cold. From director Craig R. Baxley (Action Jackson, Dark Angel), it’s a full-tilt, in-your-face thriller packed with explosive effects and breathtaking high-wire tension!

For thoughts on Stone Cold, please check out our discussion on The Video Attic:

[youtube https://youtu.be/Ytx1z8cSy70?t=2267]

Video Quality

Kino Classics presents Stone Cold with a solid release in the form of a new 1080p transfer in 1.85:1 that comes from a new 2K scan of the 35mm Interpositive. The film was previously released on Blu-Ray by Olive Films with a dated master, but we do not have that release to compare directly. This new release provides some notable detail within the outfits, production design and environments. The transfer appears very film-like with no trace of digital manipulation. There are still some small deficits in the video quality, but you will not find any compression artifacts or other preventable digital anomalies.

The presentation allows for some black levels with decent depth, but certain moments look slightly milky or on the verge of crush. Highlights are well maintained with no blooming or clipping. Skin tones are toasty due to being under the blazing sun, but they appear to be natural with fine detail such as sweat. There has obviously been some care put into sprucing this one up even if there are some minor specks remaining. This release looks quite fetching with a radiant color palette that captures the bright hues of the location. Fans will be happy with the work put forth by Kino Classics.

Audio Quality

The Blu-Ray comes with a balanced DTS-HD 2.0 Master Audio track that easily handles everything that is thrown at it. The soundtrack comes through with great clarity and fidelity which grounds the narrative in something tangible. Despite the prominence of the music, nothing ever overwhelms the dialogue or other important information. Dialogue and background noises work in harmony with all competing elements. The sound effects and music appear to be in line with the intent of the original vision. This track shows no egregious instances of age related wear and tear such as hissing or popping. This is a rock solid presentation of the film. There are optional English (SDH) subtitles included for the feature film.

Special Features

Audio Commentary: Action Film Historians Mike Leeder and Arne Venema deliver a very informative and entertaining new commentary track in which they discuss the background of the production, interesting factoids about background performers, the aesthetic and tone of the film, the shooting locations, the casting of the ensemble, how the script evolved and more that is well worth a listen.

The Boz Goes Hollywood – Interview with Star Brian Bosworth: A new 19-minute conversation with Bosworth in which he discusses his early exit from football, his reluctance to get into performing, how the film evolved from the initial script, his love of motorcycles, working with lizards, memories of his fellow cast members, his thoughts on the film and more.

The Brotherhood – Interview with Actor Lance Henriksen: A new 11-minute conversation with the performer in which he discusses having to make up his own dialogue, the relationship between the cast members, lessons he learned from living the motorcycle life, recruiting outlaw bikers to the picture, dangerous moments on set, meeting his wife on set and more.

Breaking Free – Interview with Actress Arabella Holzbog: A new 13-minute conversation with the actress in which she discusses the audition process, how the arc of her character changed, how the character differed from her real-life persona, memories of her costars, the violence in the film, the legacy of the movie and more.

Playing Straight – Interview with Actor Sam McMurray: A new nine-minute conversation with the actor in which he discusses getting cast in his role, shooting on location, making up the film during production, working with his fellow performers, the unpredictable nature of the production, his character’s place in the narrative and more.

Promotional Spots: This disc provides TV Spots (3:46), a VHS Release Ad & VHS Trailer (2:04) and a 1-900 Stone Cold Challenge Contest (1:03).

Trailers: There is a Trailer #1 (1:35) and Trailer #2 (1:28) provided for Stone Cold. There are also trailers provided for Hard Target, Wanted: Dead or Alive, Code Of Silence, The Hunter and Murphy’s Law.

Final Thoughts

Stone Cold is a film that seems lucky to be every bit as entertaining as it is. The unexpected improvisation of the majority of the script feels like a recipe for disaster, yet the performers were talented enough to get something cooking. The performance from Bosworth is acceptable in the way that dumb action movies deliver, but it is Lance Henrikson and William Forsythe who ground the movie in something tough and engaging. The atmosphere and energy brought to this production is tremendously effective, and it goes a long way towards smoothing over some of the cheesy hiccups that pop up. Kino Classics has provided a new Blu-Ray featuring a mighty fine A/V presentation and some valuable new special features. This is one of the better “bad” action movies we have seen. Recommended

Stone Cold (Special Edition) is currently available to purchase on Blu-Ray.

Note: Images presented in this review are not reflective of the image quality of the Blu-Ray.

Disclaimer: Kino Classics has supplied a copy of this disc free of charge for review purposes. All opinions in this review are the honest reactions of the author.