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Directed by |
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Starring |
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Specs |
- Widescreen 1.78:1
- 16:9 Enhanced
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Languages |
- English: Dolby Digital Stereo
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Subtitles |
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Extras |
- 2 Teaser trailer
- Theatrical trailer
- Audio commentary - Director, writers, editor.
- 5 Filmographies
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Red Rock West |
Umbrella Entertainment/AV Channel .
R4 . COLOR . 94 mins .
M15+ . PAL |
Feature |
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Contract |
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Red Rock West is the story of Michael Williams (Nicholas Cage), a drifter who arrives in Red Rock, a small mid-west US town, and finds himself in the wrong place at the wrong time, or the right place at the right time depending upon your view. After being turned down for a construction job, he attempts to drift out of town, but gets a tip about a job at Wayne's Bar. It's here that he makes his first mistake. Wayne Brown (J.T. Walsh) runs the local bar and mistakes Williams for a hitman, "Lyle from Texas" (Dennis Hopper), who he has employed to kill his wife. Williams, short of a few dollars, doesn't correct Wayne, and plans to take the cash, warn the victim and get out of town. Things start to get tricky from here when his wife Suzanne Brown (Lara Flynn Boyle), makes Williams a counter offer to get rid of Wayne, for twice the amount on her head. He makes his second mistake when he takes her money and runs. But... He quickly scribbles off a letter to the local sheriff about Wayne and Suzanne (mistake number three) and attempts to leave town. From this point, things just deteriorate into the biggest mess imaginable. Anyone who has told a small white lie and has suddenly found themselves in the midst of a huge pile of poo that's unable to be backed out of will know what this means. And just when you think it couldn't get any worse for Michael Williams, Lyle from Texas rolls into town. To tell you any more will simply ruin the series of events that follow, and the number of twists and turns is both wonderful and frustrating. This is a film best watched knowing as little as possible. If you enjoy David Lynch type films, but with a plot you can follow, then this is for you. There are elements of Hitchcock here also, and the combination of these two styles is a winner. The excellent cast brilliantly develops the characters. The camera work is excellent, the editing is very good, and the various small town settings are atmospheric and somewhat claustrophobic. The constantly twisting story, the interwoven events and the small town characters combine to keep you firmly entrenched in Michael Williams' world. The harder he tries to leave town, the quicker he finds himself back in the middle of it, and although this might sound unlikely, it's actually quite believable. There is a lesson here for anyone who has ever been tempted to meddle in affairs that are not really their concern - don't!
Video |
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Contract |
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Don't let the DVD cover and cover shots fool you. They may look a little faded and worn, but the video quality of this is anything but. Sure, it's not reference quality, but being made in 1992 means that the production values are quite good. The film is presented in an aspect ratio of 1.78:1 and is 16x9 enhanced. Colours are strong and natural. Skin tones are also very accurate and well contrasted. The picture has great clarity and the image is sharp with great definition. There are no problems with such things as colour bleeding or chroma noise. The source material is very clean and virtually free from dirt, dust, marks and flecks. Shadow detail is generally good and the dark bar scenes and the numerous night scenes look good. There is some minor but infrequent aliasing, but nothing to cause concern. There is no evidence of edge enhancement. There is no layer change to disrupt proceedings and the whole movie flows extremely well.
Audio |
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Although we are not treated to a full 5.1 audio mix, the Dolby Digital stereo track is still quite good, performing admirably enough. You my need to give the volume control a tweak, but other than that everything else is quite good. There is a solid and quite dynamic sound range, and both the low-level sounds and the higher treble sounds are good. The sound is clear and there are no problems hearing the dialogue or with audio synchronisation. There is some slight separation of sound, and panning has been used to quite good effect. There is no sound from the centre or rear speakers, and the subwoofer likewise is silent. The music provided is very good, and borders on spaghetti western. The low-level sounds here are quite good. There are no subtitles included.
Extras |
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Contract |
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Overall |
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Contract |
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Red Rock West is a very good thriller with numerous plot twists, solid acting and some fine suspense, with each twist throwing up more questions until the pieces all finally fall into place. The film plays like Lynch meets Hitchcock with some atmospheric and most appropriate music. The story is largely believable and never less than enthralling. It's a shame that this film did not have the marketing and exposure it deserved, and the DVD will possible get swamped by the large number of releases that are flooding the market. Those who manage to cross its path will be rewarded.
LINK: http://www.dvd.net.au/review.cgi?review_id=2221
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And I quote... |
"Lynch meets Hitchcock in this little known gem. Plenty of twists, a good script, a quality cast, and a decent transfer! What’s going on here? " - Terry Kemp |
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Review Equipment |
- DVD Player:
Akai
- TV:
TEAC CT-F803 80cm Super Flat Screen
- Receiver:
Pioneer VSX-D409
- Speakers:
Wellings
- Centre Speaker:
Wellings
- Surrounds:
Wellings
- Subwoofer:
Sherwood SP 210W
- Audio Cables:
Standard RCA
- Video Cables:
standard s-video
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