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2.5 KiB
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1 line
2.5 KiB
Plaintext
Yet another DVD I picked up at the local supermarket while searching through the bargain bin. It looked interesting, so I decided to invest 99 pence and settled for 171 minutes of crime drama, divided into two parts (UK version).<br /><br />Well, what's there to say - the first part wasn't overly exciting to watch: The acting wasn't that good, the actors appeared pale in their appearance and performance, and I did expect a bit more true-crime excitement. It's not actually bad or anything - just it's not really good either. There are, however, a few highlights that amused me in this one: First of all Peter Boyle as Sgt. Joe Van Nort - he has a really good screen presence and simply brings something to this film - or any film, for that matter. Then there's the fact that this is a movie from a time long forgotten - a time when smoking cigarettes on screen was accepted and normal, when the PC brigade wasn't around and you could light up whenever and wherever you wanted - these guys go through pack after pack - in the car, in the office (god forbid..), and Boyle even lights up while his colleagues are having lunch right next to him.<br /><br />The other thing that got me was something you could well call a "running joke" - quite a few times will you see the words "6 Months Later" on the screen - I know that this is probably meant in relation to the real case, and to make things authentic, but the viewer kind of expects these words every time a police building fills the screen while the camera doesn't move - and his expectations won't be disappointed. <br /><br />The second part of the DVD picks up a little bit, but it still didn't draw me into it as much as I wished it had - Peter Coyote just appears that little bit too obvious and over-the-top in his role of the manipulating killer, and the whole connection between him and Jay Smith (Robert Loggia) never really got clear to me - yes, they were working together, but why did Loggia only have a few screen minutes if he's so essential to the plot? Nevermind - Cindy Pickett was definitely good in this one, and I would even say she was the best of all the cast as far as on-screen performance is concerned (with Boyle coming a very close second).<br /><br />Over all, I was a bit disappointed with this one, but I didn't regret spending 99p on it - if you're ever at the dentist and have to wait for 171 minutes, pop this one into your portable DVD player or Laptop and enjoy a very average true crime drama - it won't be as bad as having your teeth pulled out, I promise... |