4K Review: TRANCERS (1984)

Full Moon: you saw me standing alone, without a dream in my heart… 101 Films has recently acquired some of the most popular and obscure titles from producer and director Charles Band, the founder of Full Moon Features. Among the variety is Trancers, which is a unique neo-noir action/sci-fi mash-up available from April 21 on 4K Ultra HD & Blu-ray in the UK.

After turning in his badge, 23rd century cop, Jack Deth, is called back into service to apprehend his criminal nemesis, Martin Whistler, who enslaves people with his unique psychic powers, rendering them to a zombie-like state to carry out his bidding without apprehension of fear. Whistler has leapt back to the year 1985 ,taking possession of an ancestor to change the future to his advantage, but Deth is not far behind.

Influenced by Blade Runner, especially the characterisation of Deth, Trancers dials up the noir style to stereotypical levels, resulting in a fast and loose 76-minute ride down the streets of 1980s Los Angeles. Interestingly, the principle behind the method of time travel used in the film pre-dates the television series Quantum Leap by several years, specifically, the show’s original concept, which was to involve Scott Bakula’s “Sam Beckett” leaping into past relatives as opposed to just anyone. It’s a fun idea that distracts the viewer from venturing down paradoxical time travel rabbit holes.

Trancer’s follows a typical formula of an individual who travels from another place, time, dimension, etc. – only to then befriend a local who quickly becomes entangled in the protagonist’s mission as a would-be sidekick. In this case, we have the unlikely coupling of stand-up comedian/actor Tim Thomerson (real name) and a young Helen Hunt, who gives off punk-rock vibes. They make a cool and energetic duo while they work to fight Whistler’s plans, and naturally, romance ensues. Thomerson nails the classic film noir archetype established by earlier stars like Humphrey Bogart and Alan Ladd. While the film makes no qualms in exploiting popular mainstream titles like the aforementioned Blade Runner and the tech-noir prototype, The Terminator, there’s no heavy subject matter or a profound undercurrent. This allows for a more relaxed and overall entertaining experience.

SPECIAL FEATURES

NEW EXTRAS

‘Dancing with Trancers’ – Interview with director Charles Band
‘A Living Daydream’ – Interview with Chris Alexander
‘It’s All a Daze’ – Interview with Ted Nicolaou
Limited edition booklet includes: Adventures Across the Fourth Dimension: A Gonzo Guide to the Golden Age of Time Travel Movies by Rich Johnson and Destination: Los Angeles 1984: How Trancers and others reshaped the City of Angels by James Mottram

ARCHIVAL EXTRAS

Commentary with director Charles Band and Tim Thomerson
Trancers: City of Lost Angels – Short film
Trancers – Video essay
Making of featurette
Trailer
Interviews
Still gallery

Despite having so many films to his name, it’s clear that Charles Band holds a special place in his heart for Trancers as seen in his new interview for 101’s 4K release. Also sitting down for an exclusive interview is editor Ted Nicolaou who equally looks back fondly on his experience working on the film and expresses his admiration for its stars. Fan and fellow filmmaker Chris Alexander recollects his earliest encounter with Trancers, and gives a casual analysis of why it’s remained popular all these years later. All interviews are laid back and interesting, and certainly well worth checking out for fans!

VIDEO AND AUDIO

Trancers first came to 4K three years ago, directly from Full Moon Features, and while it’s not the best showcase of the Ultra HD format, there’s a particular aesthetic that strangely and perfectly resembles VHS. There’s noticeable edging to the 1.78:1 image, sharpness is too high for the most part, and colours are limited, but I love it. Granted, you more or less get the same result with the Blu-ray copy, but the HDR with its unnatural obsession with deep blacks takes Trancers back to the late 20th century in a strangely nostalgic way.

Optional 5.1 and 2.0 Dolby Digital provide a nice scope of sound, but I opted for stereo, which unfortunately required cranking the dial to get decent volume for dialogue. Apart from a few muffled spots, I have no complaints. English SDH are included.

Trancers can be purchased online through 101 Films or HMV. It’s pure genre cinema on a budget and easily in the upper echelon of Full Moon’s extensive catalogue. However, I’m classifying it as ‘Christmas Movie’ due to the festive decor seen throughout and the appearance of a mall Santa Claus, who sadly meets a violent end at the hands of our tough-as-nails hero.

TRANCERS
(1984, director: Charles Band)