Walk Proud (1979) {Kino Lorber Blu-ray Review}

In 1979 there were many gang-life themed films including The Warriors, The Wanderers and Boulevard Nights. But one such film that is often forgot about is Walk Proud. With the tagline “He was tough enough for the streets…was he tough enough to leave them?” you know you are in for a dramatic.

Now this film is getting a Blu-ray release featuring a brand new 2K scan from a joint release of Scorpion releasing and Kino Lorber. Now no doubt fans of good ole fashion 70s dramas this must be a welcomed release.

Robby Benson (Ice Castles, The Chosen) stars as Emilio, a wrong-side-of-the-tracks Chicano kid who runs with Los Aztecas, an L.A. street gang. After experiencing this world of brutality and power plays for some time, he yearns for a way out, and with the help of his girlfriend (Sarah Holcomb, Animal House, Caddyshack) decides to start a new life. 

Walk Proud's screenplay was written by Evan Hunter who penned on of the best film about juvenile delinquency. Of course I am talking about 1954's Blackboard Jungle. The script is a very well written story. Robert L. Collins directed this film, but he is best known for creating the television series Police Woman starring Angie Dickinson.

Robby Benson stars in this film! This at the time was very controversial as he was playing in what is considered "brownface". He was playing a Latino teenager. The reason for casting him was that fact that he was a teen idol in the late 1970s, appearing in the sports films One on One (1977) and Ice Castles (1978). Robby does a very good job as Emilo and the rest of the Latin cast are sensational!

The film has been restored in 2K. It has been transferred in 1080p in 1.85:1 the audio is a DTS-HD Master Audio 2.0. There is also English subtitles for the deaf and hard of hearing. This new 2K restoration looks and sounds tremendous. But a spectacular looking restoration is not all that is included here. Take a look at what is included.

* NEW Interview with Actor Pepe Serna 

* NEW Interview with Actress Irene DeBari 

* NEW Interview with Actor Panchito Gómez 

* NEW Interview with Actor Luis Reyes

Walk Proud, while maybe not as realistic or dramatic as some other gang related films, has a lot of heart to it. This Blu-ray is really something special. The 2K restoration is great , but the new interviews are very interesting to watch. Each of these members of the cast recall their time on the film and how much they truly enjoyed it!

So If you love 70s cinema or gang related dramas, you are going to want to add this Blu-ray of Walk Proud to your collection. Head over to Amazon and order your copy today.

Out of 4 film reels (4 being the best) KIno Lorber Blu-ray release of Walk Proud receives...