Stone Cold (4K UHD Review)
Director
Craig R. BaxleyRelease Date(s)
1991 (April 21, 2026)Studio(s)
Stone Group Pictures/Columbia Pictures (Kino Lorber Studio Classics)- Film/Program Grade: C+
- Video Grade: A-
- Audio Grade: A-
- Extras Grade: A
Review
Throughout the 1980s and 1990s, there was a slew of action vehicles with the potential of making stars out of newly-discovered leads. Such was the case with former football player Brian Bosworth (aka “The Boz”), whom after a career-ending injury, pursued other interests, including acting. His first big role came in 1991 with Stone Cold, an action film released by Columbia Pictures that came and went at the box office, though it’s since been appreciated by genre fans, as well as fans of Mystery Science Theater 3000 for its unintended humor.
The Brotherhood, a group of outlaw bikers led by the psychotic Chains (Lance Henriksen) and his right hand man Ice (William Forsythe), are suspected of dealing drugs and murdering government officials. Joe (Bosworth), a rough and tumble cop, goes undercover to infiltrate the Brotherhood as John Stone, attempting to learn more about their plans and find enough evidence to put them away. Matters are complicated by Chains’ girlfriend Nancy (Arabella Holzbog), who’s looking for a way out of the Brotherhood, but also by Ice, who’s mistrustful of “Stone” and watches his every move. Keeping an eye on Joe is FBI agent Lance (Sam McMurray), but having to maintain a tough guy persona while also sniffing out Chains’ ultimate goal could be deadly for Joe.
Many criticisms have been lobbed at Stone Cold since its release, many justified in some cases. It was a troubled shoot that switched directors during production, excised material that would have given Joe’s character a bit more sympathy, and was purportedly trimmed down from an NC-17 rating to an R. It’s also unusual to have such a diverse cast, whereas most so-called “cheap” action films tend to feature mostly unknowns in the various roles, though Lance Henriksen is on the record as saying that he recruited many of the bikers seen in the film.
As for its content, there’s certainly more to appreciate than fans of “bad” movies would lead you to believe. Henriksen’s performance is extreme, especially in contrast to Boz, who’s certainly not a very charismatic lead; never mind his hairstyle, which was something of a mild controversy when he was still playing professional football. Even with its issues, the story for Stone Cold works well enough with surprisingly effective stunts and action sequences. Look no further than the outlandish moment of a motorcycle crashing into a helicopter and exploding. To a certain extent, it’s reminiscent of other similar unhinged action films like Cobra and The Running Man. In other words, Stone Cold is fun, and that’s all it really needs to be.
Stone Cold was shot by cinematographer Alexander Gruszynski on 35mm film with Panavision cameras and lenses, finished photochemically, and presented in the aspect ratio of 1.85:1. Kino Lorber Studio Classics debuts the film on Ultra HD for the first time with a new 4K scan of the original camera negative, which has been graded for High Dynamic Range in HDR10 and Dolby Vision, and encoded to a triple-layered BD-100 disc. It’s a decent enough transfer, boosting detail and giving the picture a more crisp appearance over Kino’s previous Blu-ray, but it sometimes has a difficult time handling grain, with a bitrate that tends to sit mostly in the 75 to 80Mbps range. There’s also some scanner noise and mild speckling, neither of which are super prevalent, but noticeable. On the other hand, color and contrast are very much improved over the previous Blu-ray thanks to the new HDR passes, with even bolder shades of red, blue, and green, as well as deep blacks. Everything is stable and organic, but with a more precise encode, it could have looked even better.
Audio is included in English 5.1 and 2.0 DTS-HD Master Audio with optional subtitles in English SDH. The 5.1 track is a new addition, though a touch overkill since the film was released in 4-track Dolby Stereo anyway, which is represented well enough with the original stereo option. The 5.1 spreads things out a bit unnaturally, giving the sound space more of a flatness comparatively. The original 2.0 mix is potent with excellent support for the various sound effects, including explosions and gunfire, as well as the score and music selection. It also feels much wider and larger than the 5.1, even with less channels to move around in. Dialogue exchanges are clear and discernible and there are no issues with hiss or distortion. While a 5.1 mix is certainly appreciated, the original stereo handles things just fine and is the more preferred option.
The Kino Lorber Studio Classics 2-Disc 4K Ultra HD Stone Cold sits in a black Amaray case alongside a 1080p Blu-ray with a double-sided insert, featuring the original US theatrical artwork on the front (as well as the slipcover), and the international theatrical artwork on the reverse. The following extras are included on each disc:
DISC ONE (UHD)
- Audio Commentary with Craig R. Baxley
- Audio Commentary with Mike Leeder and Arne Venema
DISC TWO (BD)
- Audio Commentary with Craig R. Baxley
- Audio Commentary with Mike Leeder and Arne Venema
- The Boz Goes Hollywood (HD – 19:00)
- The Brotherhood with Lance Henriksen (HD – 11:04)
- Cold as Ice (HD – 33:55)
- Breaking Free with Arabella Holzbog (HD – 13:17)
- Playing Straight with Sam McMurray (HD – 8:58)
- TV Spots (Upscaled SD – 7 in all – 3:46)
- VHS Release Ad & VHS Trailer (Upscaled SD – 2:04)
- 1-900 Stone Cold Challenge Contest (Upscaled SD – 1:03)
- Theatrical Trailer #1 (HD – 1:35)
- Theatrical Trailer #2 (HD – 1:28)
- Trailers:
- Hard Target (HD – 2:05)
- Stick (HD – 1:21)
- The Perfect Weapon (SD – 1:57)
- Ronin (HD – 2:29)
- Death Wish 3 (SD – 1:40)
- Rolling Vengeance (SD – 1:52)
New to this release is an audio commentary with director Craig R. Baxley, which doesn’t begin until 1:35. It’s meant to be a scene-specific commentary, but I’d classify it more as a moment-specific commentary as Baxley pops up occasionally to read from a collection of prepared comments. This means that most of the track is made up of audio from the film. It would have been better with a moderator, but it’s still nice to have him on record in some capacity to talk about the film; and that he does when given the chance, highlighting some of the actors and crew, and relaying stories about the production. The other commentary with action film historians Mike Leeder and Arne Venema is as upbeat and enjoyable as their usual commentaries. They’re big fans of the film and enjoy discussing its history, while also acknowledging how over-the-top it is.
Next are a series of interviews produced by Heather Buckley. The Boz Goes Hollywood speaks to Brian Bosworth about his career and his work in the film, as well as his disappointment in how much of the original script was jettisoned during shooting, which would have made his character more interesting. The Brotherhood talks to Lance Henriksen about his role and how much he enjoyed it, highlighting what he did to help get the film finished. Cold as Ice is a new six-part interview with William Forsythe who speaks about his character, working with both Bruce Malmuth and Craig R. Baxley, improvising his lines, changing directors, playing dead, working with Lance Henriksen on Savage Dawn, and his appreciation of hard-working actors. Breaking Free interviews Arabella Holzbog who talks about how early the film was in her career and how she feels about it today. Playing Straight talks to Sam McMurray about his role and his retrospective feelings about the project. Last are 7 TV spots, 2 VHS trailers, a 1-900 contest commercial, two theatrical trailers, and a set of trailers for other Kino Lorber releases.
Kino’s 2023 Blu-ray upgrade of Stone Cold was excellent in its own right, and their 4K upgrade tops it with it an improved picture and some additional extras to bulk up the previous ones. If you’re a fan of action films, even the lesser ones, then this one comes highly recommended.
- Tim Salmons
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