Import Corner: Slinger (aka Cyborg) (DigiDreams Studios) Blu-ray Review + 1080p Screenshots + Packaging Shots

For years, fans were begging for a director's cut of the Albert Pyun / Jean Claude Van Damme classic, Cyborg, and the good folks over at DigiDreams have finally given us Pyun's director's cut.

Studio: Digidreams Studios
Release Date: April 7th, 1989 (theatrical) / November 11th, 2014
Run Time: 1 hour 22 minutes 34 seconds (director's cut in HD on blu-ray) / 1 hour 22m 32s (director's cut in SD on blu-ray) / 1 hour 46 minutes 6 seconds (director's cut on DVD)
Region Code: FREE
Picture: 1080p (2.20:1 aspect ratio)
Sound: German Dolby Digital 5.1 and 2.0 / English Dolby Digital 5.1 and 2.0
Subtitles: German
Slipcover: No
Digital Copy: No
Starring: Jean Claude Van Damme, Deborah Richter, Vincent Klyn, Dayle Haddon
Written by Albert Pyun

Directed by Albert Pyun
Rating: FSK: 16 (strong violence and gore, graphic nudity, and some language)

Note: This blu-ray is available separately or in the Cyborgs - Gegen Die Cyborgs Hat Die Menschheit Keine Chance Blu-ray Box Set that contains the following films:

Nemesis

Nemesis 2: Nebula

Nemesis 3: Time Lapse

Nemesis 4: Death Angel

Hologram Man

The Demolitionist

American Cyborg: Steel Warrior

Slinger

Class of 1999

Prototype

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Poster

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What's It About?

Gibson Rickenbacker is a hired fighter living in a plague-ravaged apocalyptic America where a plague has infested most of the United States and the rest of the world. In New York City, Gibson encounters a woman named Pearl Prophet. Pearl reveals to Gibson that she is a cyborg who is carrying vital-information for a group of scientists in Atlanta who are working on a cure to the plague and Pearl hires Gibson to escort her back to Atlanta. But Pearl is kidnapped by "Pirates" a murderous gang led by Fender Tremolo, who wants the cure for themselves and they decide to take Pearl to Atlanta themselves. Gibson, joined by a young woman named Nady Simmons, goes in pursuit of Fender and his gang, as Gibson sets out to rescue Pearl, stop Fender and his gang from reaching Atlanta and defeat Fender who slaughtered Gibson's family.

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Video/Audio

Presented in a new aspect ratio of 2.20:1, SLINGER looks good, but with some caveats. The main version is the second director's cut that director Albert Pyun (the first director's cut he did is on the accompanying DVD) and it is taken from two sources. The main source is the film's theatrical cut taken from an older blu-ray. This footage looks nice but shows its age. Colors are good as are skin tones. There really isn't any grain but it doesn't look like they went crazy with the DNR. It is there but manageable. The second source is a VHS tape of the director's cut. DigiDreams took this footage and edited the footage exclusive to the director's cut into the clean theatrical footage. The director's cut footage looks pretty bad but I like that DigiDreams went above and beyond and put together a version that is very much watchable. Sure, the change in the quality of the footage is a bit jarring at first, but you get used to it very quickly.

The audio is also a mixed bag. The audio in the theatrical version footage is nice and clean while the audio in the director's cut footage isn't as nice. Again, it is jarring at first but you get used it.

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Extras/Packaging

Disc 1: Blu-ray

Trailer (2m 3s, SD, 1.66:1)

Behind the Scenes Galerie (2m 46s) Holy shit! This gallery has music. It autoplays with music!

Making Of Syncro (3m 18s, SD, 1.66:1) This covers the editing of the director's cut. None of this is in English but you can tell what is going on.

Artwork-Galerie (3m 36) Another gallery with music.

Slideshow (3m 59s) autoplays with music.

Koreanisches Presseheft (31s) another gallery with music

Werberatschlag (advertising advice) This is the 4th gallery here. Again autoplays with music

Kino-Aushangfotos (cinema posters photos) the fifth gallery

Pressebilder (press pictures) (1m 39s)

Programmheft (programme) (1m 24s)

Comic-Galerie (5m 23s)

Originalversion (1h 22m, SD, 2.20:1)

Disc 2: DVD

Audiokomentar by Albert Pyun (1h 46m, SD, 2.20:1) Here we have the original director's cut that Ayun had put together before finding the one that is featured on the blu-ray. This cut features everything in the main director's cut minus two scenes. The reason for the large difference in runtime between the two versions is that the audio commentary runs for 25 minutes over a stills gallery. The film proper begins at 25 minutes in. This commentary is really informative and fun. Love you, Albert. Rest in Peace.

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Overall

CYBORG has always been a mixed bag for me. The film looks great. Albert Pyun was always able to make his films look like they cost far more than they actually did. So there's that. However, his storytelling and pacing skills leave a lot to be desired. This is more evident in his director's cut, SLINGER. The fight scenes are not as well-paced and they lack much of the excitement of the US theatrical version. I also didn't care for the extended backstory all that much. We got all we needed in the US theatrical version. Here it feels like padding. Still, I am happy to have this version of the film on blu-ray and I would recommend it to Van Damme fans along with fans of the US theatrical version.

I like this blu-ray. I think that the editing together of the HD and VHS footage is actually beneficial to the film as it makes it the most watchable version. The extras are neat with an awesome commentary track from Pyun on the included DVD. I do wish that they had included the US theatrical version of the film but that is a minor gripe. Having this blu-ray alongside the US theatrical version blu-ray is the perfect Ultimate Edition of the film.

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Extras/Menus