The late '80s were the golden age of VHS. Most families had a VCR in their homes, and it seemed like there was a Blockbuster on every corner. The demand for new movie releases on home video was tremendous, and the market for low budget B-movies to stock the shelves for those Friday-night rentals was booming. The bubble eventually burst as Netflix and Starbucks replaced the VCRs and Blockbusters, but many film fans have fond memories of cult classics and obscure gems from the pulp-video era.
Director Jim Mickle's "Cold in July" is a love letter of sorts to late-'80s direct-to-video crime dramas and suspense thrillers, right down to the John Carpenter-tinged synthesizer score. Based on a novel written in 1989 by prolific author Joe R. Lansdale ("Bubba Ho-Tep"), "Cold in July" stars Michael C. Hall ("Dexter") as Richard Dane, a small-town family man who, at the start of the film, awakens to the sound of an intruder in his East Texas home. A fearful Richard accidentally shoots and kills the unarmed burglar and is wracked with guilt. Richard then finds himself thrust into a hidden world of violence and danger when the burglar's angry father, a recently paroled convict played by Sam Shepard ("Days of Heaven"), arrives in town seeking revenge.
While at first glance "Cold in July" appears to be setting itself up as a retread of "Cape Fear" (frightened Everyman must protect family from menacing psycho), the film takes a number of refreshing twists and turns that elevates it well above those cheap '80s thrillers to which it pays homage. While the protagonist's story is certainly one of confronting his fears and proving his manhood, its resolution is much more complex and entertaining than simply squaring off against some relentless B-movie maniac. This film owes much more to Alfred Hitchcock than it does Charles Bronson.
Hall and Shepard both turn in top-notch, understated and nuanced performances. Hall particularly impresses, showing he is quite capable of breaking out of any possible typecasting he may have been consigned to after his success on "Dexter." Don Johnson ("Django Unchained") continues his Travolta-esque late-career renaissance here with a memorable turn as a larger-than-life private investigator. Johnson deftly mixes comedic moments and surprising dramatic chops in what might be one of his best all-around performances to date.
"Cold in July" mixes elements of noir, western, crime drama and pulp thriller that generally defy clear categorization — and under Mickle's direction, the film flourishes as a result. That is also probably the reason it was a hard sell to the major studios and ended up being distributed last May in a limited theatrical run and simultaneous video-on-demand release via IFC Films, a subsidiary of the AMC Network, the home of crime drama "Breaking Bad."
"Cold in July" is available on both Blu-ray and DVD beginning Tuesday, September 30. Special features (for both Blu-ray and DVD) include:
* Two separate cast & crew commentaries featuring Hall, Mickle, writer Nick Damici, cinematographer Ryan Samul, composer Jeff Grace and producer Linda Moran.
* Isolated musical score by Grace.
* Eight deleted scenes (with optional audio commentary).
* Previsualization tests (with optional audio commentary).
* Q&A with Mickle and Lansdale following a screening at the Jean Cocteau theatre in Santé Fe hosted by George R. R. Martin ("Game of Thrones").
* Official theatrical trailer.
Film: 4 Yaps Extras: 3.5 Yaps
[youtube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XkyuV69YZcM?rel=0&w=514&h=289]