King Cobra Blu-ray Review

"King Cobra" debuts on Blu-ray through Shout! Factory's AVC-encoded BD-50, presented in the 1.85:1 aspect ratio. Boasting a total video bitrate of 40.35 Mbps with an average of 31.994 kbps, the film showcases a crisp and well-rounded image that demonstrates notable clarity and detail. The movie was shot on the Arri Alexa, resulting in cool, bold colors that shine in this transfer. The usage of azure, rich greens, and vibrant neon lights are visually striking, with skin tones appearing completely natural and free of post-processing artifacts. Wider shots maintain their sharpness, ensuring no softness detracts from the viewing experience.

The 1080p HD transfer delivers excellent depth, with characters moving naturally and maintaining cinematic integrity without blurring or loss of detail. Black levels are deep and richly rendered, avoiding any crushing while preserving detail even in dark scenes. Colors are vibrant and well-reproduced, particularly during scenes featuring sports cars and neon lights. The skin tones remain consistent and natural throughout the film, highlighting minute details such as wrinkles and makeup blemishes. Kelly's intention to include a grainier, amateur video aesthetic through mini-DV cam shots adds an authentic texture to specific scenes without compromising the overall clean visual quality.

Overall, "King Cobra" offers a unique and visually appealing presentation that remains faithful to its artistic intentions while delivering a high-quality viewing experience. The combination of vibrant color reproduction, deep blacks, consistent skin tones, and a lack of compression issues result in a solid Blu-ray debut for this film.

The Blu-ray release of "King Cobra" from Shout! Factory boasts two high-quality audio options: DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 Surround (2502 kbps) and DTS-HD Master Audio 2.0 Stereo (1643 kbps). The DTS-HD MA 5.1 mix is particularly stellar, creating a truly immersive experience by effectively utilizing ambient noises and directional sound effects. Dialogue is consistently crisp and easy to follow, with no interference such as pops, cracks, or hisses. The sound balance is well-maintained throughout, though songs could benefit from better separation between front and rear channels. This mix delivers a strong low-end presence, enhancing the bass elements for music, engine noises, and door slams.

Additionally, the disc includes English SDH and Spanish subtitles for accessibility. Despite its strong points, there’s room for improvement in bitrate allocation. While the 5.1 track performs solidly, a higher bitrate could have afforded greater depth and dimensionality. Notably, the commentary track is encoded at a higher 1690 kbps bitrate than the stereo mix, which may seem redundant given a lossy DTS track would have sufficed. Rear speakers provide consistent ambient sounds, helping to draw the viewer into the environment, while most of the action is accurately placed across the front channels. Overall, this audio presentation is commendable and enhances the viewing experience.

The Blu-ray extras for "King Cobra" provide an insightful and entertaining addition to the main feature that will satisfy both casual viewers and dedicated film enthusiasts. The audio commentary by Director/Co-writer Justin Kelly is particularly notable, offering a detailed exploration into the film's casting decisions, soundtrack selections, thematic elements, and adaptation process from book to screen, all with minimal gaps. The outtakes deliver a humorous behind-the-scenes look at deleted scenes and bloopers, making it a fun watch. The package also includes the theatrical trailer for "King Cobra," and previews for other Shout! titles that play before the main menu.

Extras included in this disc:

• Audio Commentary with Director/Co-writer Justin Kelly: Insightful discussion on film's casting, soundtrack, themes, and adaptation process.
• Outtakes: Collection of deleted scenes and humorous bloopers.
• Trailer: The original theatrical trailer for "King Cobra."
• Previews: Trailers for other Shout! titles.

"King Cobra," directed by Justin Kelly, features a compelling blend of dark humor and intense drama, presenting the story of young gay porn actor Sean Lockhart, aka Brent Corrigan, and his tumultuous journey within the industry. Christian Slater stars as Stephen, a troubled gay porn producer who discovers and molds Sean into a rising star. The narrative explores not only the rise of Sean’s career but also the dangerous rivalry that ensues when rival producers Joe (James Franco) and Harlow (Keegan Allen) attempt to lure Sean away from Stephen. While Slater delivers a multifaceted performance evoking empathy and suspicion, Franco's portrayal verges on the cartoonish, diminishing the gravity of the harrowing eventual murder that anchors the plot.

Kelly employs effective parallel editing, crafted using Adobe Premiere Pro CC, to juxtapose Stephen's opulent yet modest suburban home with Joe’s financially unstable but seemingly lavish lifestyle. This technique underscores the contrasts in socioeconomic status and the predatory nature of their relationships with Sean and Harlow. Tim Kvasnosky’s electronica score enhances the film’s themes, reminiscent of Larry Clark's "Bully," depicting how sexual exploitation intersects with capitalist motives. However, certain characters, particularly those of Molly Ringwald and Alicia Silverstone, lack sufficient development, creating narrative gaps.

Despite these shortcomings, "King Cobra" effectively delves into the stark reality of internet porn's early days and its underground gay sector. The film offers an insightful look into manipulative relationships and the consequences of unchecked ambition within the industry. While its occasional tonal inconsistency—a mixture of dark tones interspersed with disjointed lighter moments—can disrupt engagement, "King Cobra" remains an intriguing portrayal of real-life tragic events, enhanced by solid performances and a unique subject matter often unexplored in mainstream cinema.

"King Cobra," now available on Blu-ray from Shout! Factory and IFC Midnight, offers a compelling yet brisk narrative exploring a true crime story rife with intense performances and engaging casting. However, its ninety-one-minute runtime feels somewhat compressed, making the narrative appear rushed at times. Despite this, the script efficiently covers the essential points of the story. The film's technical presentation on Blu-ray is commendable, with reference-quality picture and solid audio that enhance the viewing experience.

The extras provided offer some insight, though they are limited. Kelly's commentary track stands out as a highlight and enriches the understanding of the film. Unfortunately, the Blu-ray lacks more extensive interviews with the real-life individuals involved, which could have provided deeper context to the true events depicted. The Blu-ray release does not feature the Scream Factory branding, a peculiar omission for aficionados. Nonetheless, the transfer quality remains unaffected and maintains a high standard consistent with Shout! Factory's reputation.

In conclusion, "King Cobra" tells an important story and while well-structured, its narrative feels crammed across a brisk ninety-one minutes. Shout! delivers reference-quality picture and serviceable audio for an indie of this limited scale. Kelly's commentary is worth a listen and I can only wonder if there are more substantive deleted scenes that the director shot which could have supplemented the outtakes on this disc. Aficionados of Franco's work should definitely add this Blu-ray to their collections. Overall, King Cobra is pretty good and merits a solid recommendation.