Synopsis
Benny Walsh (Frank Gorshin) wins big at a poker game, but then is murdered as he driveshome with his winnings. His son Clyde (Robert Dubac) comes into town looking for answers.Before long he is at odds with the sinister casino owner Frank (Stanley DeSantis). Clyde is moreand more convinced that Frank is responsible for Benny’s death. His struggle for justice iscomplicated by the presence of other parties fighting over the casino and a big bag ofcocaine.
Not…unentertaining, but strictly been-there-done-that as far as neo-noirs go. Clearly Clydehasn’t seen many movies of this kind, or he’d know right away who murdered his dad. We suredo. Everything plays out very predictably, and all the running back and forth with the cocainethreatens to turn the picture into a slow-motion farce.
Audio
The case claims the sound is 5.1, but it is actually 2.0. There is also some dialoguedistortion. On the other hand, the music is strong and expansive, and the environmental effectsare good, especially in the scenes taking place at the casino. The left-right separation is good too.For a minor release of a 1988 film, the sound isn’t bad.
Video
Yet another fullscreen treatment. The picture varies in quality. The colours are always verystrong, often eerily vibrant, and the contrasts are superb. The blacks go from just about perfect insome shots to red-tinged by ghosting in others. The image is extremely sharp, but is marred byvery annoying pulsing in and out of focus. Finally, you have the occasional bit of speckling.
Special Features
Trailers for The Last Hand, Civil Brand and State Property when youselect the Lions Gate logo. The menu is basic.
Closing Thoughts
Not great, not terrible. An okay 89 minutes. Just.
Special Features List
- Trailers
