The Movie:

Vinnie Stigma, the guitar player for Agnostic Front (THE original godfathers of the New York Hardcore scene) plays a small time drug dealing career criminal named, oddly enough Vinny. He also makes some extra scratch by running a small whorehouse in New York City's lower east side. His life changes when his father, Lorenzo (Marvin W. Schwartz), is let out of prison. Vinny goes to pick him up in hopes that he'll be able to 'do the right thing' and take care of his old man, who was doing a long stint in the big house for a murder rap.

We all know, however, that the road to Hell is paved with good intentions and while Vinny and Lorenzo obviously want the best for one another, it doesn't take long to figure out that their similarities and their differences will soon lead to conflict, particularly when we learn that Lorenzo wants to track down the man who ratted him out and sent him to the slammer so that he can pay him back - which is exactly what he does when he cuts out his eye and pours bleach down the poor bastards throat! While Vinny is trying to keep his father in line, he's also got to deal with an ex-wife and a young son who he truly wants to raise right.

While Stigma played a small role in writer/director Nick Oddo's earlier horror film, I Hate You, this picture marks his first starring role. It's rare that musicians are able to cross over into acting and vice versa, but Stigma actually does a pretty good job here. Anyone who has seen the man perform on stage knows that he's got a natural 'fuck you' attitude and while that might lead you to expect a fairly manic performance, his turn here is admirably restrained. He might not win any awards, but he does fit the part well, walking around looking naturally tough covered in tattoos with a weathered and knowing face that really lends itself well to playing part of the criminal element. His interaction with Schwartz's considerably more psychotic Schwartz is a big part of what makes the film work and while they don't necessarily look like father and son, there are definitely parts of the film where they really do act like it.

That said, New York Blood is not a perfect film. It was obviously made with a very low budget and it has some editing problems - the scene where Vinny goes to Sing Sing to pick up his pops feels choppy and as if something is missing, for instance - But the film has heart and heart can go a long way. Aside from a couple of grisly fore scenes and some gratuitous but very welcome nudity, the story is really a simple fly on the wall look at a man's relationship with his father and with his surroundings. Not all of the supporting performances are as strong as they need to be, however, and the fact that it's shot on what appears to be consumer grade video hurts the production values and instantly means that a closed minded portion of the film-going public will overlook the movie.

While the film was made fast and cheap, it does do a really good job of capturing the part of Manhattan where it all plays out. From the small, dirty apartments to the shots of Stigma walking through a food festival in what's left of Little Italy to the obvious but appropriate shot of Stigma's own New York Hardcore Tattoos (check it out on Stanton St. next time you're in the area), the movie definitely has a 'New York vibe' to it the same way that the early and equally unpolished films of Abel Ferrera did.

Will this film find a mainstream audience? No. No way. It won't happen. But those who can overlook the flaws will be left with a picture that isn't so much 'good' in the technical sense but which is at least interesting enough to warrant checking out. Oddo's direction is inspired and Stigma's screen presence is interesting enough that this short, fifty-eight minute picture has a strange, infectious charisma that makes it much more enjoyable than it probably should have been.

The Video:

For a film that was shot on video, the 1.33.1 fullframe transfer isn't bad. There are some scenes that show some compression artifacts and there's a bit of shimmer here and there but generally the image looks about as good as you'd expect it to. Color reproduction isn't bad and while the picture obviously can't have the depth of a film or high end HD production, it looks alright when you consider the source material.

The Audio:

The English language Dolby Digital 2.0 Stereo track isn't reference quality but it gets the job done. A couple of spots are lower in the mix than others and the occasional line of dialogue is a little muffled but generally the track is problem free. There aren't any problems with hiss or distortion to complain about and this sounds as good as any other low budget production out there.

The Extras:

The supplements start off with a commentary track that comes courtesy of writer/director Nick Oddo who, when he isn't simply telling us what we're seeing on the screen, manages to work in some interesting information about the film and its production history. He talks a fair bit about the locations, which makes sense as they play a very important part in the picture, and he talks about shooting the film and casting the picture. If you didn't dig the picture, this won't change your mind but if you enjoyed it, this is a decent way to learn more about it.

From there, check out Nick Oddo's earlier film, I Hate You. Presented in its original fullframe aspect ratio, this black and white picture is a strange movie about a stand up comedian working the stage in New York City while spending his spare time prowling the streets and killing people hoping that he'll eventually become famous. Marvin W. Schwartz plays the lead in this one and he does a pretty decent job of it. Stigma appears here as well, basically playing himself. The film is an odd mix of horror and comedy but it works fairly well - if you enjoyed the indy aesthetic of New York Blood you should check this out as well as it works on a similar level. Unfortunately the compression artifacts hurt the transfer here.

Once you get through the commentary and the bonus movie, there are a bunch of other supplements on the disc, though most of them are pretty brief, starting with Johnny Valient Vs. Vinnie Stigma in which the hardcore star, sporting a Travis Bickle style Mohawk, meets the wrestling star and works on some chock holds. Time Square "Change" (sic) gives us a brief overview of how the crossroads of the universe has changed from a fascinatingly dangerous part of town into a playground for dopey tourists while Picture Reel is a still gallery of production photos set to music by the Northside Kings. The Trained Flea Circus is a few minutes of an elder statesman of the New York City that is quickly evaporating discussing his experiences seeing a real, live flea circus.

Rounding out the extras are the film's original trailer, text bios of Agnostic Front and The Northside Kings, animated menus (be aware that the music on the menus is REALLY loud) and chapter stops.

Overall:

It's hard to recommend a movie like this that is so rough around the edges that you can't help but notice the flaws. That said, the picture has heart and charisma and it features some interesting performances and great location shooting. While it's likely going to appeal more to Agnostic Front fans than anyone else, it does allow Stigma to try his hand at acting and he doesn't do a half bad job of it. Consider this a worth rental for the curious masses and a recommendation for fans of independent New York filmmaking.

Ian lives in NYC with his wife where he writes for DVD Talk, runs Rock! Shock! Pop!. He likes NYC a lot, even if it is expensive and loud.