Clubbed Blu-ray

Clubbed

 (2008)

Crime


Danny--a lonely factory worker intimidated by life--is battered and humiliated in front of his kids in a random act of violence. His already bleak existence sinks further into the abyss. On the verge of a total breakdown he decides to fight back. He meets a group of night-club doormen who take him in and give him the confidence to stand his ground. As he is drawn deeper into their world he becomes embroiled with the local gangland boss, setting in motion a chain of events with shockingly brutal consequences.

For more details about Clubbed on Blu-ray, see the Clubbed Blu-ray Review

Clubbed Blu-ray Review

Reviewed by Dr. Svet Atanasov, April 18, 2009

A heartbroken factory worker becomes a nightclub bouncer in Neil Thompson's gritty and poignant Clubbed (2008). The film is based on ex-boxer Geoff Thompson's autobiographical novel. Released in the UK by Route One Releasing. Region-Free.

The bouncers

Clubbed is an unusual gangster drama set in Coventry, UK during the early 1980s. It tells the story of Danny (Mel Raido, O Jerusalem), a lonely factory worker, who decides to change his life after he is humiliated by a group of vicious thugs in front of his two daughters. Louis (Colin Salmon, Punisher: War Zone) , a Zen-loving bouncer, befriends Danny and points him in the right direction.

It takes awhile before Danny decides to leave his job and join Louis and his buddies - Sparky (Scot Williams, The Tulse Luper Suitcases) and Rob (Shaun Parkes, Offending Angels), also bouncers. Before he makes the crucial move, Danny even tries to get back with his ex-wife Angela (Maxine Peake, Red Riding: 1980 ), but is quickly reminded of his loser-status.

Louis embraces Danny, but finds himself in the middle of a serious dispute between Rob and a powerful drug dealer who has Sparky on his payroll. Danny confronts Sparky who tries to get Louis to fire him. However, Rob, who has been keeping the drug pushers away from the club, backs up Danny. This causes a chain reaction of events that leads to Rob's death and a dramatic finale where Louis and Danny face his killers.

Based on the novel by ex-boxer Geoff Thompson, Clubbed is a film that is extremely difficult to describe. It is as intense as Danny Boyle's Trainspotting (1996), as gritty as Paul Andrew Williams' London to Brighton (2006), and as amusing as Shane Meadows' This Is England (2006). It is also a surprisingly poetic film; something that seems to have caused all sorts of problems for those critics who have been comparing Clubbed to Guy Richie's body of work.

The main protagonist is rather difficult to describe as well. He is a self-made loser who has been in a state of free-falling for a very long time. His ex-wife despises him, his coworkers do not take him seriously and his daughters are too young to understand what he is going through. It seems like it is a matter of time before he collapses (and he nearly does, when he cuts his hands with a large piece of broken glass). Yet, after he meets Louis, he suddenly decides to rebuild his life. We are uncertain exactly why, but he does. Now, throw into the mix the wicked humor that seems to be following most of the gritty action, and you should begin to understand why Clubbed is such a confusing film.

In a lot of ways, the secondary characters – Louis, Rob and Sparky – are just as multifaceted as Danny. Perhaps with the exception of Sparky, whose behavior is somewhat easier to predict once he commits to the drug dealer, they seem to be following rules and ethics codes that remain difficult to understand until the very end of the film.

All of this uncertainty and blending of different genres, however, is the key reason why Clubbed works. Yes, there are some overused clichés in it (some quite easy to trace back to popular Brit-crime films from the last ten years), but the film certainly has a distinctive period look of its own. It is also worth pointing out that the brutal violence that ensues later in Clubbed isn't glamorized, though it certainly may seem so.

Clubbed also boasts a top-notch soundtrack with 80s disco and Northern Soul hits such as "Good Times" and "Everybody Dance" by Chic, "Is It Love You're After" by Rose Royse, "Walkin' Up A One Way Street" by Willie Tee, "Keep The Fire Burning" by Gwen McCrae, etc.

Clubbed Blu-ray, Video Quality

 

Presented in its original aspect ratio of 1.85:1, encoded with MPEG-4 AVC and granted a 1080p transfer, Neil Thompson's Clubbed arrives on Blu-ray courtesy of British distributors Route One Releasing.

Before I share my thoughts on the quality of this Blu-ray transfer, I would like to make it clear that I have not had a chance to see Clubbed theatrically, so I could only guess what its intended look is. This being said, the 1080p transfer very much compliments the film's gritty narrative. Contrast is good, clarity mostly pleasing and print damage not an issue of concern. Now, detail varies quite a bit – especially during the darkly lit scenes from the night club – but, similar to Shane Meadows' This Is England, another powerful period crime picture, Clubbed appears to have been intentionally shot in a manner that evokes the spirit of the 80s (further enhanced by the terrific soundtrack). There is plenty of healthy film grain that you will notice as well. To sum it all up, without knowing exactly how Clubbed looked when it was screened theatrically, I can only assume that this Blu-ray transfer provides a fairly accurate replica of the film look intended by Neil Thompson. (Note: Even though this Blu-ray disc is marketed as Region-B, it is in fact Region-Free. Therefore, you will be able to play it on your PS3 or SA regardless of your geographical location).

Clubbed Blu-ray, Audio Quality

 

There are two audio tracks on this Blu-ray disc: English DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 and English PCM 2.0. I opted for the DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 track and later on did a few random comparisons with the PCM 2.0 track.

Clubbed boasts a terrific soundtrack of 80s dance hits that benefits tremendously from the DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 track – the bass is powerful and full-bodied while the high frequencies are not overdone. The rear channels are not overly active, but there are quite a few great enhancements that you will notice. The dialog is generally clear and easy to follow, though it is rather unfortunate that Route One Releasing have not provided optional English subtitles for the main feature. This being said, there are no disturbing pops, cracks, or hissing that I could detect.

The PCM 2.0 track is also quite strong, though, obviously it is far less impressive in terms of depth (the 80s hits in particular are not as effective as they are on the DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 track). On the other hand, the DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 track did not reveal any issues in terms of balance, and the PCM 2.0 track certainly does not offer any substantial improvements that I could hear. Once again, there are no issues to report when it comes to the actual dialog.

Clubbed Blu-ray, Special Features and Extras

 

On the Blu-ray disc there is a hilarious commentary courtesy of director and co-producer Neil Thompson and writer Geoff Thompson. The two spend a great deal of time addressing the production history of the film, dissecting specific scenes as well talking about Coventry from the 80s and crime in general. Indeed, this is a very light and genuinely entertaining commentary that I strongly recommend that you find the time to listen to. The DVD lists the following supplemental features: Behind the Doors – Making of Clubbed, Deleted Scenes, Trailers, and TV Spots & Features.

Clubbed Blu-ray, Overall Score and Recommendation

 

Clubbed is a film that will likely appeal to those of you who have enjoyed some of the high-profile British gangster films that have made it to the US in recent years. There is quite a bit more to it, however, that does not quite fit the genre profile. The Blu-ray disc herein reviewed, courtesy of newcomers Route One Releasing, looks lovely. It is also Region-Free.

Clubbed Blu-ray, News and Updates

• Clubbed Announced for UK Blu-ray Release - March 27, 2009

Clubbed Blu-ray, Forum Discussions

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