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DEAD BOYZ CAN'T FLY is part of our Vinegar Syndrome Archive collection, celebrating forgotten cinematic oddities from the video store era. This collection was inspired by our own brick & mortar video stores, with locations in Bridgeport, CT, Denver, CO, Toronto, ON, and Pittsburgh, PA.
Unique to this line, each numbered limited edition release will come fitted in a specially designed, bottom loading VHS inspired slipcase, while also including a double-sided poster.
These releases will ONLY be available on our website and at participating indie retailers. Absolutely no major retailers will be stocking them. This spot gloss slipcase edition (designed by Steak Mtn.) is strictly limited to 4,000 units and may (but probably not) be followed by a standard edition in the future.
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Deadbeat amateur artist Buzz shows up at a New York office building in hopes of landing himself a job, but quickly finds himself humiliated by a sleazy employment agent in front of his glamorous new female secretary. When Buzz happens across the same woman later that night, he decides to vent his anger by viciously raping and stabbing her to death. The next day, with the police on the hunt for the woman’s murderer, Buzz convinces fellow goons Jo Jo and sadistic crossdresser Goose to launch an all-out assault on the office building in order to score cash and drugs. No sooner are the trio inside the building than they begin torturing, raping, and slaughtering their way through the terror-stricken office workers, forcing janitor John, a Vietnam veteran suffering from PTSD, to launch a counter-offensive against the hoodlums.
The final film by prolific erotic filmmaker Howard Winters, aka Cecil Howard (Firestorm, Star Angel), 1992’s DEAD BOYZ CAN’T FLY is a gritty, blood-soaked throwback to the mean-spiritedness of 70s exploitation movies, based on an original script by Straw Weisman, writer of notorious nasty Fight for Your Life. Blending elements of A Clockwork Orange and The Warriors alongside aspects of Vietnam War-reckoning movies such as Born on the Fourth of July, Vinegar Syndrome Archive is delighted to unleash this underseen shocker on Blu-ray for the first time, freshly restored in 4K from its original camera negative and accompanied by a host of revelatory new cast and crew interviews.
directed by: Howard Winters (aka Cecil Howard)
starring: David John, Brad Friedman, Ruth Collins, Jason Stein, Daniel J. Johnson, Sheila Kennedy
1992 / 102 min / 1.85:1 / English Mono
Additional info:
Overall rating: 4.4942527 / 5 from 87 reviews.
Dead Boyz Can't Fly, part of the Vinegar Syndrome Archive collection, is a restored 4K Blu-ray release of a 1992 exploitation film. It features interviews with cast and crew, reversible sleeve artwork, and English SDH subtitles. The film, based on an original script by Straw Weisman, combines elements of 70s exploitation movies with Vietnam War-reckoning themes.
Review topics: [quality, looks, feel, picture, packaging, sound, style, film, release, movie, title, exploitation, watch, fan, thriller, performances, restoration, viewing, slipcase, features, interviews, experience, trash, flick, violence, payoff, villain, ending, story, acting].
"But I enjoyed this only a little bit less than the other Howard films released so far. The interview with his son offers some interesting insight into both Dead Boyz Can't Fly as well as the history of Command Video."
"Dead Boyz Can’t Fly is a gritty, lo-fi indie that leans into its raw style and underground energy. The performances feel natural and unpolished in a way that actually adds to the film’s authenticity. It’s not a conventional watch, but if you’re into DIY filmmaking and darker coming-of-age stories, there’s something here that sticks with you."
"Gritty crime thriller. Chaotic and bizarre. Viewing is preserved to its low rent trashy cinema. VS technical quality makes for a 90’s film presentation of 4k from 35mm"
"Great gritty viewing, with some very intense performances and sequences. Also i love the quality of the slipcase is hard and feels very durable. Great release."
"Dead Boyz Can’t Fly is a grimy, low‑budget exploitation thriller that leans hard into nihilism, cruelty, and social decay, delivering a harsh, abrasive experience that’s more about atmosphere and shock than narrative finesse. It’s uneven and often clumsy, but its raw anger and grimy 1980s New York setting give it a certain cult‑curiosity appeal."
"The slipcover looks pretty awesome and the performances in this thriller are always very good, as is the storyline! It was an enjoyable flick that kept me engaged throughout! The peerless VS restoration process was on full display with stellar sound and picture! Thank you, VS, for continuing to lovingly restore and release so many wonderful films from every conceivable genre! You are keeping physical media alive in this streaming world we now live in! Highly recommended!"
"Great release. Sound and video quality excellent. Really enjoyed this one."
"Hello prospective buyer. I’m finding it hard to finish films these days, generally falling asleep way too often. I watched the first half and started nodding off. This should be no indication of the quality of the product, it’s a me thing. Anyhow the first half was exactly what a film in the VSA line should be so if you like this sub label you should get DEAD BOYZ CAN'T FLY. I will get back to it. I got distracted before I had a chance after reading a recent review of the Criterion 4K release of POINT BLANK. Had to pop in my blu-ray copy to see the difference and boy oh boy their colour presentation is TEAL heavy. Looks awful. This movie, looks good because VS know their stuff."
"I'm a big fan of Cecil Howard's adult films. This movie really showed Cecil's films were more than porn. The guy knew what he was doing"
"Got major Tenement vibes from his. So grimy and gross I loved it. Cecil Howard's only non porn, too bad he didn't do more mainstream work, he does a great job here. Great job by Vinegar Syndrome the picture quality is great and we get a whole bunch of interviews. Great release!"
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