Out on the edge of the Mojave Desert, a cop pulls over a speeder. Arrogantly approaching the apprehended speeder's car, he casually asks the driver what's in the trunk. The driver (Fox Harris) ominously replies, "You don't want to look in there." This, of course, makes the cop suspicious, so he decides to look anyway. When the trunk swings open, a horrifying red light spills out. The cop attempts to shield his eyes, but the red light quickly vaporizes his body. Only the cop's boots are left behind, his smoking remains dispersing into the desert breezes. The speeder pulls away.
So begins Alex Cox's seminal 1984 punk rock epic "Repo Man," one of the best movies ever made. "Repo Man" stands in deliberate, wrathful defiance of capitalism, a big F.U. to the almighty dollar. Like a punk ballad itself, "Repo Man" is a ball of concentrated rage, designed to...
So begins Alex Cox's seminal 1984 punk rock epic "Repo Man," one of the best movies ever made. "Repo Man" stands in deliberate, wrathful defiance of capitalism, a big F.U. to the almighty dollar. Like a punk ballad itself, "Repo Man" is a ball of concentrated rage, designed to...
- 3/18/2023
- by Witney Seibold
- Slash Film
Director Alex Cox’s grungy sci-fi comedy has something for everybody; possessed life forms, shaggy dog humor, Harry Dean Stanton and one of the greatest punk rock soundtracks in the history of movies. Iggy Pop’s theme song kicks off the quirky plot about a layabout (Emilio Estevez) who finds his calling repossessing cars and ends up communing with the cosmos. Co-starring Sy Richardson in a seriously hilarious performance as a street wise repo man.
- 6/6/2018
- by Charlie Largent
- Trailers from Hell
The good ol’ horror-loving folks at Scream! Factory recently gave us a double dose of hospital-themed terror in high definition with their Bad Dreams/Visiting Hours Blu-ray, which features the two cult classics as well as a handful of new bonus features. Par for the course, Scream’s presentation of the material is yet another home run, making it a must-own for fans or even the uninitiated.
First up on the hospital horror double feature is Bad Dreams, which follows a young woman named Cynthia (Jennifer Rubin) who awakens from a 13-year coma the sole survivor of a religious cult that burned together in a suicide pact orchestrated by an enigmatic leader named Harris (Richard Lynch). Harris believed true spiritual unity awaited his followers if they all died together, but of course with Cynthia surviving, that leaves her leader with some unfinished business. Soon, the young woman begins to fear...
First up on the hospital horror double feature is Bad Dreams, which follows a young woman named Cynthia (Jennifer Rubin) who awakens from a 13-year coma the sole survivor of a religious cult that burned together in a suicide pact orchestrated by an enigmatic leader named Harris (Richard Lynch). Harris believed true spiritual unity awaited his followers if they all died together, but of course with Cynthia surviving, that leaves her leader with some unfinished business. Soon, the young woman begins to fear...
- 4/25/2014
- by Heather Wixson
- DailyDead
Chicago – One of the many things I love about The Criterion Collection is the even battlefield that it creates within its own archives. A film by Alfred Hitchcock or Akira Kurosawa or Charles Chaplin can sit next to a cult hit like “Repo Man.” I grew up in the era of “Repo Man“‘s growing cult status and it’s amazing to me to see this midnight movie given the same level of respect as films widely recognized as classics. “Repo Man” is a classic in its own way and the people at Criterion recognize that. Fans of the movie, and there are Many, will be more than satisfied.
Rating: 4.5/5.0
“Repo Man” is such a defiantly weird, punk rock movie that its unique nature has made it timeless. The film would be a cult hit if it came out today, nearly three decades after its release. Do you know how few ’80s films,...
Rating: 4.5/5.0
“Repo Man” is such a defiantly weird, punk rock movie that its unique nature has made it timeless. The film would be a cult hit if it came out today, nearly three decades after its release. Do you know how few ’80s films,...
- 4/29/2013
- by adam@hollywoodchicago.com (Adam Fendelman)
- HollywoodChicago.com
Blu-ray & DVD Release Date: April 16, 2013
Price: DVD $29.95, Blu-ray $39.95
Studio: Criterino
Emilio Estevez is the nihilistic Otto in Alex Cox's Repo Man.
Alex Cox’s (Searchers 2.0) singular science fiction comedy Repo Man remains the quintessential cult comedy film of the 1980s.
The 1984 movie stars the always captivating Harry Dean Stanton (Seven Psychopaths) as a weathered repo man in desolate downtown Los Angeles, and Emilio Estevez (The Breakfast Club) as the nihilistic middle-class punk he takes under his wing. The job becomes more than either of them bargained for when they get involved in reclaiming a mysterious—and otherworldly—Chevy Malibu with a hefty reward attached to it.
Featuring an ultimate early-eighties L.A. punk soundtrack featuring music from Black Flag, Suicidal Tendencies, The Circle Jerks, Fear and other, the grungily hilarious R-rated Repo Man still rules (while being a politically trenchant take on President Reagan’s domestic and foreign policy)!
Oh,...
Price: DVD $29.95, Blu-ray $39.95
Studio: Criterino
Emilio Estevez is the nihilistic Otto in Alex Cox's Repo Man.
Alex Cox’s (Searchers 2.0) singular science fiction comedy Repo Man remains the quintessential cult comedy film of the 1980s.
The 1984 movie stars the always captivating Harry Dean Stanton (Seven Psychopaths) as a weathered repo man in desolate downtown Los Angeles, and Emilio Estevez (The Breakfast Club) as the nihilistic middle-class punk he takes under his wing. The job becomes more than either of them bargained for when they get involved in reclaiming a mysterious—and otherworldly—Chevy Malibu with a hefty reward attached to it.
Featuring an ultimate early-eighties L.A. punk soundtrack featuring music from Black Flag, Suicidal Tendencies, The Circle Jerks, Fear and other, the grungily hilarious R-rated Repo Man still rules (while being a politically trenchant take on President Reagan’s domestic and foreign policy)!
Oh,...
- 1/28/2013
- by Laurence
- Disc Dish
“Let’s go get sushi and not pay.” Many films would kill to have as many quotable lines and memorable scenes as Repo Man has during its 92 minute running time. The 1984 cult classic may not have as large of a following as other cult films like The Rocky Horror Picture Show, Harold and Maude, and Heathers, but that doesn’t mean it shouldn’t. In fact, The Criterion Collection is here to remind us why we should pay more attention to this unique film that deftly blends 80′s punk culture, sci-fi weirdness, and Reagan-era politics. Director Alex Cox is most known for his following film Sid and Nancy – a film that documents the ups and down of the real-life rock and roll couple. However, the Oxford law student (yes, you read that correctly) released Repo Man two years prior as his feature length film debut. Emilio Estevez and Harry Dean Stanton...
- 1/18/2013
- by Michael Haffner
- Destroy the Brain
Arguably the defining cult film of the Reagan era, Repo Man, the feature debut of Alex Cox (Sid & Nancy, Walker, Straight to Hell) is a genre-busting mash-up of atomic-age science fiction, post-punk anarchism, and conspiracy paranoia, all shot through with heavy doses of deadpan humour and offbeat philosophy.
After quitting his dead-end supermarket job, young punk Otto (Emilio Estevez) is initiated as a “repo man” after a chance encounter with automobile repossessor Bud (Harry Dean Stanton). An illicit, high-voltage life follows, including an adrenalised search for a mysterious ’64 Chevy Malibu loaded with radioactive – and extragalactic – cargo…
With an iconic soundtrack (Iggy Pop, Black Flag, Suicidal Tendencies), stunning Robby Müller cinematography, and iconoclastic direction, Repo Man remains one of the great debuts of the 1980s.
Special Director-approved Blu-ray Features:
New high-definition master in the original aspect ratio – 1.85:1 Original mono soundtrack and 5.1 remix, both in DTS-hd Master Audio English Sdh subtitles...
After quitting his dead-end supermarket job, young punk Otto (Emilio Estevez) is initiated as a “repo man” after a chance encounter with automobile repossessor Bud (Harry Dean Stanton). An illicit, high-voltage life follows, including an adrenalised search for a mysterious ’64 Chevy Malibu loaded with radioactive – and extragalactic – cargo…
With an iconic soundtrack (Iggy Pop, Black Flag, Suicidal Tendencies), stunning Robby Müller cinematography, and iconoclastic direction, Repo Man remains one of the great debuts of the 1980s.
Special Director-approved Blu-ray Features:
New high-definition master in the original aspect ratio – 1.85:1 Original mono soundtrack and 5.1 remix, both in DTS-hd Master Audio English Sdh subtitles...
- 12/28/2011
- by Phil
- Nerdly
Chicago – In our latest dramedy/romance edition of HollywoodChicago.com Hookup: Film, we have 25 admit-two passes up for grabs to the advance Chicago screening of the new film “Larry Crowne” with Tom Hanks and Julia Roberts from co-writer, director and star Tom Hanks!
“Larry Crowne” also stars Sarah Mahoney, Roxana Ortega, Randall Park, Brady Rubin, Alex Quijano, Tina Huang, E-Kan Soong, Tarina Pouncy, Sy Richardson, Julie Wagner, Rob Riggle, Erin Underwood, Dale Dye and Barry Sobel. The film, which is also written by Nia Vardalos, opens on July 1, 2011.
To win your free pass to the advance Chicago screening of “Larry Crowne” courtesy of HollywoodChicago.com, just answer our question below. That’s it! This screening is on Tuesday, June 28, 2011 at 7 p.m. in downtown Chicago. Directions to enter this Hookup and win can be found beneath the graphic below.
The movie poster for “Larry Crowne” with Tom Hanks and Julia Roberts.
“Larry Crowne” also stars Sarah Mahoney, Roxana Ortega, Randall Park, Brady Rubin, Alex Quijano, Tina Huang, E-Kan Soong, Tarina Pouncy, Sy Richardson, Julie Wagner, Rob Riggle, Erin Underwood, Dale Dye and Barry Sobel. The film, which is also written by Nia Vardalos, opens on July 1, 2011.
To win your free pass to the advance Chicago screening of “Larry Crowne” courtesy of HollywoodChicago.com, just answer our question below. That’s it! This screening is on Tuesday, June 28, 2011 at 7 p.m. in downtown Chicago. Directions to enter this Hookup and win can be found beneath the graphic below.
The movie poster for “Larry Crowne” with Tom Hanks and Julia Roberts.
- 6/24/2011
- by adam@hollywoodchicago.com (Adam Fendelman)
- HollywoodChicago.com
DVD Playhouse December 2010
By
Allen Gardner
America Lost And Found: The Bbs Story (Criterion) Perhaps the best DVD box set released this year, this ultimate cinefile stocking stuffer offered up by Criterion, the Rolls-Royce of home video labels, features seven seminal works from the late ‘60s-early ‘70s that were brought to life by cutting edge producers Bert Schneider, Steve Blauner and director/producer Bob Rafelson, the principals of Bbs Productions. In chronological order: Head (1968) star the Monkees, the manufactured (by Rafelson, et al), American answer to the Beatles who, like it or not, did make an impact on popular culture, particularly in this utterly surreal piece of cinematic anarchy (co-written by Jack Nicholson, who has a cameo), which was largely dismissed upon its initial release, but is now regarded as a counterculture classic. Easy Rider (1969) is arguably regarded as the seminal ‘60s picture, about two hippie drug dealers (director Dennis Hopper...
By
Allen Gardner
America Lost And Found: The Bbs Story (Criterion) Perhaps the best DVD box set released this year, this ultimate cinefile stocking stuffer offered up by Criterion, the Rolls-Royce of home video labels, features seven seminal works from the late ‘60s-early ‘70s that were brought to life by cutting edge producers Bert Schneider, Steve Blauner and director/producer Bob Rafelson, the principals of Bbs Productions. In chronological order: Head (1968) star the Monkees, the manufactured (by Rafelson, et al), American answer to the Beatles who, like it or not, did make an impact on popular culture, particularly in this utterly surreal piece of cinematic anarchy (co-written by Jack Nicholson, who has a cameo), which was largely dismissed upon its initial release, but is now regarded as a counterculture classic. Easy Rider (1969) is arguably regarded as the seminal ‘60s picture, about two hippie drug dealers (director Dennis Hopper...
- 12/20/2010
- by The Hollywood Interview.com
- The Hollywood Interview
Alex Cox's 1987 spaghetti western homage was loathed on release, but its reissue is a reminder of a bygone counterculture
Nostalgia is a feeling I try to avoid. Even so, I couldn't help a pang while re-acquainting myself with Straight to Hell – director Alex Cox's berserk homage to Sergio Leone made back in distant 1987, a tribute to the spaghetti western so grubby it had blood and pasta sauce down its shirt, which is now the recipient of a polished-up DVD reissue complete with once-deleted scenes restored. It's no one's idea of a lost masterpiece; it's far from its creator's best work; and yet it's still in some small, strange way a landmark.
That said, I think we can be confident there will have been little thought while the film was being made that it would be the subject of critical pondering 23 years later. While occasionally hugely enjoyable, the whole...
Nostalgia is a feeling I try to avoid. Even so, I couldn't help a pang while re-acquainting myself with Straight to Hell – director Alex Cox's berserk homage to Sergio Leone made back in distant 1987, a tribute to the spaghetti western so grubby it had blood and pasta sauce down its shirt, which is now the recipient of a polished-up DVD reissue complete with once-deleted scenes restored. It's no one's idea of a lost masterpiece; it's far from its creator's best work; and yet it's still in some small, strange way a landmark.
That said, I think we can be confident there will have been little thought while the film was being made that it would be the subject of critical pondering 23 years later. While occasionally hugely enjoyable, the whole...
- 11/26/2010
- by Danny Leigh
- The Guardian - Film News
Actor famous for her roles in blaxploitation films of the 1970s
The actor Vonetta McGee, who has died aged 65 after a cardiac arrest, was a heroine of 1970s blaxploitation movies, but I pursued her because she had also appeared in the greatest of all Italian westerns, Sergio Corbucci's Il Grande Silenzio (The Great Silence). The year was 1983, and I was in the fortunate position of having a feature to direct: Repo Man. The cast was a large one for a low-budget movie. It included all types: method actors from New York, punks from the La hardcore scene, disgruntled Hollywood character actors and refugees from the theatre, but only one star, as I soon discovered.
Not that Vonetta behaved in a "starry" fashion. She was completely approachable and a professional, always one of the team. Nevertheless, of all the actors in my film, Vonetta was the one with the credits.
The actor Vonetta McGee, who has died aged 65 after a cardiac arrest, was a heroine of 1970s blaxploitation movies, but I pursued her because she had also appeared in the greatest of all Italian westerns, Sergio Corbucci's Il Grande Silenzio (The Great Silence). The year was 1983, and I was in the fortunate position of having a feature to direct: Repo Man. The cast was a large one for a low-budget movie. It included all types: method actors from New York, punks from the La hardcore scene, disgruntled Hollywood character actors and refugees from the theatre, but only one star, as I soon discovered.
Not that Vonetta behaved in a "starry" fashion. She was completely approachable and a professional, always one of the team. Nevertheless, of all the actors in my film, Vonetta was the one with the credits.
- 7/20/2010
- by Alex Cox
- The Guardian - Film News
It looks like Criterion isn’t the only name in town when it comes to director centric runs of DVD releases.
According to Cinematical (via The Playlist), San Francisco based DVD distributor Microcinema International has announced that they are set to not only round up a collection of films from cult filmmaker Alex Cox, but are set to release them on DVD.
Best known as the man behind cult hits like the film Repo Man and the fantastic former Criterion release, Sid and Nancy, the series of releases are set to delve deeper into this filmmakers rather interesting canon. The series includes Cox’s sort of but not really sequel to John Ford’s legendary film, The Searchers, called Searchers 2.0, as well as Cox’s Highway Patrolman, Death and the Compass, Three Businessmen, Revenger’s Tragedy, and Straight To Hell Returns, an update to Cox’s film, Straight To Hell.
According to Cinematical (via The Playlist), San Francisco based DVD distributor Microcinema International has announced that they are set to not only round up a collection of films from cult filmmaker Alex Cox, but are set to release them on DVD.
Best known as the man behind cult hits like the film Repo Man and the fantastic former Criterion release, Sid and Nancy, the series of releases are set to delve deeper into this filmmakers rather interesting canon. The series includes Cox’s sort of but not really sequel to John Ford’s legendary film, The Searchers, called Searchers 2.0, as well as Cox’s Highway Patrolman, Death and the Compass, Three Businessmen, Revenger’s Tragedy, and Straight To Hell Returns, an update to Cox’s film, Straight To Hell.
- 6/4/2010
- by Joshua Brunsting
- CriterionCast
Microcinema International DVD has acquired six films from that bizarre and elusive British cult director Alex Cox, some of which have never before been available in the United States. First up is Straight to Hell Returns, which is a kind of remix of Cox's Straight to Hell (1987), "featuring enhanced violence and cruelty, and additional shots by cinematographer Tom Richmond." Straight to Hell was an attempt at a cult comedy Western, about a bunch of killers hiding out in a weird town, starring Joe Strummer, Courtney Love, Dennis Hopper, Elvis Costello,Sy Richardson, Shane McGowan, Dick Rude, Jim Jarmusch, and Grace Jones. It never really caught on, but perhaps it will now.
Next is Searchers 2.0 (2007), another comedy with Western overtones. Two former child actors, and veterans of many movie Westerns, take a road trip to get revenge on a sadistic screenwriter who tormented them on an early film. Roger Corman produced.
Next is Searchers 2.0 (2007), another comedy with Western overtones. Two former child actors, and veterans of many movie Westerns, take a road trip to get revenge on a sadistic screenwriter who tormented them on an early film. Roger Corman produced.
- 6/2/2010
- by Jeffrey M. Anderson
- Cinematical
Two series are coming back to ABC -- one beloved and one essentially ignored. Regardless of how viewers feel about them, neither one are going back into production. The network is just burning off already shot episodes of Pushing Daisies and Opportunity Knocks. What about Eli Stone and Dirty Sexy Money?
Pushing Daisies follows a lovable piemaker (Lee Pace) who can revive the deceased, his childhood sweetheart (Anna Friel), and his private eye partner (Chi McBride). Others in the cast include Ellen Greene, Swoosie Kurtz, Kristin Chenoweth, Field Cate, Sean Lake, Sy Richardson, Stephen Root, and Sammi Hanratty, with narration by Jim Dale. The series ran for two abbreviated seasons. Based on low ratings, ABC opted not to order any additional episodes past the 22nd. Only 19 of them have aired.
Opportunity Knocks is a reality game show that brings the competition to a family's front door. The series is hosted...
Pushing Daisies follows a lovable piemaker (Lee Pace) who can revive the deceased, his childhood sweetheart (Anna Friel), and his private eye partner (Chi McBride). Others in the cast include Ellen Greene, Swoosie Kurtz, Kristin Chenoweth, Field Cate, Sean Lake, Sy Richardson, Stephen Root, and Sammi Hanratty, with narration by Jim Dale. The series ran for two abbreviated seasons. Based on low ratings, ABC opted not to order any additional episodes past the 22nd. Only 19 of them have aired.
Opportunity Knocks is a reality game show that brings the competition to a family's front door. The series is hosted...
- 4/6/2009
- by TVSeriesFinale.com
- TVSeriesFinale.com
ABC's quirky drama, Pushing Daisies, certainly has a lot of colorful characters. One of the most unique is waitress Olive Snook (Kristin Chenoweth) who has a crush on her pie-making employer. With the show coming to an end, more than a few have been wondering what might have been, including Chenoweth.
Pushing Daisies showcases the talents of performers like Lee Pace, Anna Friel, Chi McBride, Jim Dale, Ellen Greene, Swoosie Kurtz, Field Cate, Sean Lake, Sy Richardson, and Chenoweth. The fantasy TV show debuted on October 3, 2007 on ABC. Despite sagging ratings in season one, the network renewed Daisies for a second year. The size of the audience didn't improve and ABC recently decided to pull the plug after 22 total episodes. Viewers will get some closure if/when the final episode airs.
The series' creator, Bryan Fuller, has expressed interest in continuing the show in movie and comic book form. Those...
Pushing Daisies showcases the talents of performers like Lee Pace, Anna Friel, Chi McBride, Jim Dale, Ellen Greene, Swoosie Kurtz, Field Cate, Sean Lake, Sy Richardson, and Chenoweth. The fantasy TV show debuted on October 3, 2007 on ABC. Despite sagging ratings in season one, the network renewed Daisies for a second year. The size of the audience didn't improve and ABC recently decided to pull the plug after 22 total episodes. Viewers will get some closure if/when the final episode airs.
The series' creator, Bryan Fuller, has expressed interest in continuing the show in movie and comic book form. Those...
- 12/17/2008
- by TVSeriesFinale.com
- TVSeriesFinale.com
Though writers on ABC's Pushing Daisies TV show knew in advance that the fantasy show would likely end after its current season, the producers opted to end the series on a cliffhanger. Now that the axe has officially fallen and the cast and crew have completed filming the last episode, it seems creator Bryan Fuller is having some second thoughts.
Pushing Daisies is a whimsical series that follows a piemaker (Lee Pace) who can bring people back to life, his previously-deceased girlfriend (Anna Friel), his detective partner (Chi McBride), and waitress (Kristin Chenoweth). The colorful show also features the talents of Jim Dale, Ellen Greene, Swoosie Kurtz, Field Cate, Sean Lake, and Sy Richardson.
The TV show returned for its second season on October 1st. The ratings had fallen in Daisies' year one and they continued that decline in season two. ABC had ordered 13 episodes for season two with the option to order additional installments.
Pushing Daisies is a whimsical series that follows a piemaker (Lee Pace) who can bring people back to life, his previously-deceased girlfriend (Anna Friel), his detective partner (Chi McBride), and waitress (Kristin Chenoweth). The colorful show also features the talents of Jim Dale, Ellen Greene, Swoosie Kurtz, Field Cate, Sean Lake, and Sy Richardson.
The TV show returned for its second season on October 1st. The ratings had fallen in Daisies' year one and they continued that decline in season two. ABC had ordered 13 episodes for season two with the option to order additional installments.
- 12/11/2008
- by TVSeriesFinale.com
- TVSeriesFinale.com
Venice International Film Festival
VENICE, Italy -- Searchers 2.0, Alex Cox's first feature since 2002's Revengers Tragedy, is a road movie -- ah, we have had so many, some would moan -- but it goes a couple of steps beyond that. On the face of it, it is a tale of revenge and justice. Then, as the reels unfold, it is apparent that there is more nostalgia and longing than mere hard feelings, ingredients to get the work into the commercial circuit. In any case, it is hardly festival material, and even at the Venice Film Festival it was not part of the more serious and academic competition and outside competition sections.
The film opens with a beautiful sunrise in an American countryside. As we go along, there are equally stunning visuals captured to mesmeric effect by cinematographer Steven Fierberg. Aging Mel (Del Zamora) and Fred (Ed Pansullo) fancy themselves actors, but all that they have to their credit is a single performance as child artists in Buffalo Bill vs. Doc Holiday.
That sole appearance was enough for a lifetime, given the nasty experience on the set, where legendary screenwriter Fritz Frobisher (Sy Richardson) savaged them to get them wailing for a particular scene. Mel and Fred obviously have not forgotten the pain. Years later, they find a chance to avenge their humiliation when Frobisher agrees to a Q&A session at a screening of Buffalo Bill vs. Doc Holiday in Monument Valley.
Mel convinces daughter Delilah (Jaclyn Jonet) to drive them on the three-day road trip. The long journey exposes them to each other's idiosyncrasies. There are times when the movie is hilarious, but others when the script seems to be yawning, with not enough happening to keep the road run exciting. The old men's banter about Westerns and heroes like John Ford bores Delilah -- it might bore some of us as well. To add to this, she forgets to bring her nerve-calming medication, and thus suffers from an unusually severe "right-and-wrong syndrome."
Great visuals and peppy music spice up the story, which by itself is threadbare. The performances are even, though sparks of ingenuity can be seen in Richardson, in those scenes where he is confronted by Mel and Fred. The character of Delilah seems largely an embellishment that jars, and one suspects that she was put there in the first place as a relief in an all-male drama.
SEARCHERS 2.0
New Concorde/Cowboy Outfit
Credits:
Screenwriter-director-editor: Alex Cox
Producers: Jon Davison, Daren Hicks, Simon Tams
Director of photography: Steven Fierberg
Production designer: Cecilia Montiel
Music: Dan Wool
Cast:
Mel Torres: Del Zamora
Fred Fletcher: Ed Pansullo
Delilah Torres: Jaclyn Jonet
Fritz Frobisher: Sy Richardson
Running time -- 96 minutes
MPAA rating: R...
VENICE, Italy -- Searchers 2.0, Alex Cox's first feature since 2002's Revengers Tragedy, is a road movie -- ah, we have had so many, some would moan -- but it goes a couple of steps beyond that. On the face of it, it is a tale of revenge and justice. Then, as the reels unfold, it is apparent that there is more nostalgia and longing than mere hard feelings, ingredients to get the work into the commercial circuit. In any case, it is hardly festival material, and even at the Venice Film Festival it was not part of the more serious and academic competition and outside competition sections.
The film opens with a beautiful sunrise in an American countryside. As we go along, there are equally stunning visuals captured to mesmeric effect by cinematographer Steven Fierberg. Aging Mel (Del Zamora) and Fred (Ed Pansullo) fancy themselves actors, but all that they have to their credit is a single performance as child artists in Buffalo Bill vs. Doc Holiday.
That sole appearance was enough for a lifetime, given the nasty experience on the set, where legendary screenwriter Fritz Frobisher (Sy Richardson) savaged them to get them wailing for a particular scene. Mel and Fred obviously have not forgotten the pain. Years later, they find a chance to avenge their humiliation when Frobisher agrees to a Q&A session at a screening of Buffalo Bill vs. Doc Holiday in Monument Valley.
Mel convinces daughter Delilah (Jaclyn Jonet) to drive them on the three-day road trip. The long journey exposes them to each other's idiosyncrasies. There are times when the movie is hilarious, but others when the script seems to be yawning, with not enough happening to keep the road run exciting. The old men's banter about Westerns and heroes like John Ford bores Delilah -- it might bore some of us as well. To add to this, she forgets to bring her nerve-calming medication, and thus suffers from an unusually severe "right-and-wrong syndrome."
Great visuals and peppy music spice up the story, which by itself is threadbare. The performances are even, though sparks of ingenuity can be seen in Richardson, in those scenes where he is confronted by Mel and Fred. The character of Delilah seems largely an embellishment that jars, and one suspects that she was put there in the first place as a relief in an all-male drama.
SEARCHERS 2.0
New Concorde/Cowboy Outfit
Credits:
Screenwriter-director-editor: Alex Cox
Producers: Jon Davison, Daren Hicks, Simon Tams
Director of photography: Steven Fierberg
Production designer: Cecilia Montiel
Music: Dan Wool
Cast:
Mel Torres: Del Zamora
Fred Fletcher: Ed Pansullo
Delilah Torres: Jaclyn Jonet
Fritz Frobisher: Sy Richardson
Running time -- 96 minutes
MPAA rating: R...
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