How do you like your cheese? If you like it sliced extra thick then you've certainly come to the right place. Anchor Bay serves up a hefty slice of a revenge tale that's extra cool in this circa '83 tale, Slayground. Nothing to take too seriously, but a heck of a lot of fun, Slayground is definitely worth checking out.

The story is quite simple. Three men that participate in an armored car heist end their performance with a terrible car crash and the unfortunate (as well as unexpected) death of a little girl. The young girl's father, a rich dude with a new found chip on his shoulder hires a hit man (a creepy hit man at that) to take the three bungling thieves out one by one. Stone (Peter Coyote) the most levelheaded, intelligent and remorseful of the three manages to escape death quite a few times while the other two are taken out almost immediately. Stone adopts a change of identity and a quick trip to London to seek out the help of a friend also presumed dead. This all leads up to a dramatic and ultimately satisfying conclusion (in a simple kind of way) that takes place at a decrepit and all too creepy amusement park (hence the title Slayground, get it?).

The film at hand may be cheese, but it's certainly cheese of an extremely enjoyable type. Cool action scenes (no computer effects here folks), knockout performances and more tough guys than you can shake a stick at, Slayground is nothing but a fun time from start to finish. Filled with some clever and well-executed set pieces and an assured directorial style that's nothing but aesthetically pleasing. The entire finale at the amusment park, much of which takes place in an old time spook house is spectacular to say the least. Our hit man is a menacing shadowy figure that we never really get to see until well into the final act. He remains a mystery and at that an all to creepy and menacing figure. This clever fellow always seems to magically be one step ahead and always has some clever line to hiss at his victims while meticulously hunting them down. If you're looking for a reality check then you've come to the wrong place. Much of the action is completely nonsensical and every scene is so conveniently executed it's anything BUT believable. However, Slayground has a great sense of fun and style to spare. It plays off pretty clever throughout and it's always a great joy to look at.

Quality wise there's nothing but high marks for this one. Slayground looks quite incredible for a film that I never thought would have surfaced on DVD. Not to mention the fact that most of the film takes place under extremely low-lit situations or outside on overcast days. It's a wonder that this film HAS held up so well visually on DVD as it did. Colors are nice and sharp with only trace amounts of print damage or grain. This is an incredibly solid and pleasing transfer with really no evidence of flaws or artifacting.

Audio fares just as well as video with a nice mono mix included. Dialogue music and effects are all nice and clear and all seem to remain balanced throughout. There are some great 70's and 80's rockin' tunes that come through nicely as well. The 80's were a glorious time to be alive!

Extras are limited to a theatrical trailer, and that is all. No real complaints here, the feature is the real standout. Considering the price point and level of excellence in the transfer, there's really nothing to bitch about.

Slayground is an all around crowd pleaser that is just screaming to NOT be taken too seriously. It's pap, that's for sure and a hell of a fun ride that only the glorious 80's could have delivered. You can find this one for about 15 bucks, which is a steal in my book. Considering the entertainment value this one delivers, you couldn't do much better on a cold and rainy night. Definitely worth a look.