Blu-Ray Review: Track The Man Down

By Brad Henderson

It’s funny how simple movies were back in the day. That’s not a bad thing. It seems these films relied more on acting and cinematography rather than some intricate plot. Lately I’ve been checking out a lot of Olive Films releases and been pleasantly surprised with what I’ve been seeing.

Last night I checked out a very low-key crime drama, Track The Man Down. As I said in the beginning, some of the films from this era have basic plots and focus more on the look and performances; Track The Man Down is a perfect example of this. A group of men rob a dog track and one of the gang members holds onto the cache of cash. Once they figure out the cops are onto them they split, leaving the cash with one of the gang member’s girlfriends. From there the story unfolds more, giving us little surprises along the way.

The one thing that really stood out in Track The Man Down was the acting. Along with a very minimal score and little action, they are able to maintain your attention. The film was made in 1955 and I imagine the “action” sequences and suspense were far more riveting than what we are provided with today. I find it intriguing that a film from this era is still as effective as it was when it debuted.

I suspect that the majority of filmgoers don’t seek out these older films because we are so inundated, trying to keep up with movies that are being released currently. Seeking out older films like this on VHS or DVD (if they exist on those formats) is very time consuming and just not appealing. Not that there aren’t people interested in old movies, but sometimes we don’t know where to begin with films from that era. Poster art and trailers are not always available, so we really don’t know what we are getting into.

Luckily Olive Films provides us with DVDs or Blu-rays and makes it easy for us to pick, choose, and discover these films. Without Olive Films I probably would have never seen Track The Man Down, Union Station, The Pawnbroker, and others. Not because I’m lazy or don’t care but because I’m inexperienced with that era and I honestly wouldn’t have the first clue on where to begin. It’s very overwhelming when you think about it and that’s why I love some of these labels because they make it so much easier for people like me.

As far as special features go, this is a complete bare bones disc with just a chapter selection and the film itself, but it’s relatively cheap and worth the price (at the moment it’s $18.99 USD). I imagine a lot of work goes into bringing these releases to the table, not to mention they are probably not the biggest sellers, either. That’s what make me really admire Olive Films; it seems they have a huge passion for movies like this.

Track The Man Down was released by Olive Films on January 20.