10 to Midnight 4K 1983 Ultra HD 2160p

Story Movie

Veteran Los Angeles Det. Leo Kessler faces off against a wily serial killer, briefly going down for the count before rising to take vengeance.

Review 4K Movie

An impotent, good-looking slasher is targeting beautiful young women in L.A. and his trademark is that he kills in the nude and manages to set up perfect alibis. The detective on his trail is Leo Kessler (Charles Bronson), whose daughter becomes the perverted maniac’s next intended target. The killer, Warren Stacey (an indelible Gene Davis), doesn’t fool Kessler when he’s interrogated the first time, and so the stage is quickly set for a tête-à-tête between the two because they’re both aware of whom their enemy is. When Kessler senses that the justice system may favor Stacey’s case, Kessler plants false evidence on him, and when that tactic turns out a bust, Kessler takes it one step further … with his gun!

This movie literally scarred me as a child. I saw it when I was pretty young, and I remember thinking, Why is that man running around naked in the streets, and why is Charles Bronson chasing him? No studio in Hollywood would ever make 10 to Midnight today, but in 1983, Cannon did, and there’s no going back! For an 80’s Bronson picture, it’s really special. Bronson, while generally pretty sedentary in the film, is entirely forceful and macho as Kessler, a seasoned and protective detective / father, and it’s a perfect role for him for that time. It’s not quite a Death Wish sequel (it’s smarter) or one of the Death Wish emulators he made at Cannon during the period (it’s better), and it feels pretty comfortable in a kinky alternate parallel to the era of teen slashers that were flooding the market concurrently. With Bronson on the outskirts, busting down the world of the killer at the center, it’s pretty unique as an action movie. Technically, it’s more of a thriller, but whatever. It’s good. J. Lee Thompson (Murphy’s Law, The Evil That Men Do, both with Bronson) directed.

Kino Lorber reissues 10 to Midnight, but this time on 4K Ultra HD, from a new 4K scan of the original negative. It looks far better than the previous Twilight Time Blu-ray and has more vivid textures than the Scream Factory disc. For fans of the film, this is a necessity, and it also comes with a Blu-ray disc as well. Special features include two audio commentaries, four on-camera interviews with cast and crew members, radio spots, and trailers, plus a slipcover.