The Candidate / Johnny Gunman (DVD Review) - Vinegar Syndrome

USA/1964, 1957
Directed By:
Written By:
Starring:
Black & White/151 Minutes/Not Rated

The Films
THE CANDIDATE surrounds an up and coming politician running for senate and his sexual relationships along the way. Starting with a beautiful blond he meets working in a hotel who he takes on as his new secretary to the woman that he impregnates and arranges the abortion. There are court room proceedings, some laughs and even a home made sex tape.

THE CANDIDATE features a simple story and a simple presentation but the attractive girls, likable characters and timeless story of politicians that can't keep it in their pants makes this one hard to turn away from. It ends up being quite a bit more entertaining than the simple synopsis would lead you to believe.

JOHNNY GUNMAN is a noir type thriller about a pair of lifelong friends who look at each other as brothers who are feuding over mob territory now that the boss, their father, has died. Stuck between their greed, their women, their love for each other and their loyalty this is a quick moving piece that boils down to a knife fight in the streets they played in as kids. This film is a quick and easy noir to enjoy.

The Audio & Video
The first feature on this DVD from Vinegar Syndrome is THE CANDIDATE, presented in an attractive 1.85:1 widescreen print. There is a small amount of scratches through the print but otherwise the source material used was in great condition and the transfer here shows it. There is nice shadow detail and deep black levels. The audio on THE CANDIDATE is also good with intermittent crackling in the background but never becoming a distraction. 

JOHNNY GUNMAN has a nice 1.33:1 full frame transfer from quality source materials. The print has similar high qualities to the first feature on this set with even less print damage while the audio also performs highly with little to complain about. 

The Extras
The packaging features reversible cover art for whichever feature you prefer, other wise it is bare bones. 

 
The Bottom Line
The solid pairing of films and their good condition and presentation make up for the lack of special features enough to warrant a recommendation. 

THE CANDIDATE and JOHNNY GUNMAN double feature is available HERE