Synopsis
David Arquette, terminal loser, utterly verklempt, and unable to get over the death of hiswife, decides to jump off a bridge. He is talked down by selfish sleaze Brad Hunt, who convinceshim to take sleeping pills instead. The pills turn out to be vitamins. Hunt, however, actually isdying, and has only a few weeks to live. He strikes a deal with Arquette. If Arquette will bankrollHunt’s last spree, indulging in all his fantasies (nude bowling, etc.), he will kill Arquette at t…eend of the trip, if Arquette so desires. The extrovert-introvert buddy concept is nothing new (andcan be seen again in the recently released On the Run), but the film and the performances arequirky enough to warrant interest.
Audio
A solid, but not perfect, 2.0 mix. The music sounds wonderful, with a nicely realized base.The sound effects are certainly strong, but they insufficient care has been taken with theirplacement. The desire seems to have been to create a full environment, and while this is (moreor less) achieved, there are too many FX coming from the rear speakers. Many of them haveno business being there at all (any noise the characters make, even fumbling with a phone, getsthe surround treatment). The technique is more successful with the traffic noises, where the lackof differentiation is less noticeable.
Video
The format is the original 1.85:1 anamorphic widescreen. The print is in good shape, barringthe very occasional speckle showing up now and then. The film looks a bit raw, but this, as theliner notes reveal, is very deliberate. The goal was to re-create the gritty look of 1970sindependent features, and so the contrasts are very high, almost harsh, and there is a noticeableamount of grain. The transfer faithfully captures this look. There is also a bit of edgeenhancement visible around characters wearing dark clothing, but only to a very minordegree.
Special Features
Nothing much to report here: a music video (“Sadness” by Greg Brown) and trailers forDream with the Fishes, As Good as it Gets, If Lucy Fell and Living in Oblivion. The liner notesare the most interesting feature. The music is basic.
Closing Thoughts
Entertaining, if not earth-shattering, and interesting to see Arquette’s trade-marked neurosiscompletely unleashed.
Special Features List
- “Sadness” by Greg Brown Video
- Trailers
- Liner Notes
