Red Rock West (1992) |
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Red Rock West (1992) |
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| General | Extras | ||
| Category | Thriller |
Main Menu Audio & Animation Audio Commentary Filmographies-Cast & Crew Theatrical Trailer Trailer-Bagdad Cafe; Jamon, Jamon DVD Credits |
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| Rating |
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| Year Of Production | 1992 | ||
| Running Time | 94:02 (Case: 98) | ||
| RSDL / Flipper | No/No | Cast & Crew | |
| Start Up | Menu | ||
| Region Coding | 1,2,3,4,5,6 | Directed By | John Dahl |
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Studio
Distributor |
 Umbrella Entertainment |
Starring |
Nicolas Cage Craig Reay Vance Johnson Robert Apel Bobby Joe McFadden J.T. Walsh Lara Flynn Boyle Dale Gibson Ted Parks Babs Bram Robert Guajardo Sarah Sullivan Timothy Carhart |
| Case | Amaray-Transparent-Secure Clip | ||
| RPI | $24.95 | Music | William Olvis |
| Video | Audio | ||
| Pan & Scan/Full Frame | None |
English Dolby Digital 2.0 (192Kb/s) English Audio Commentary Dolby Digital 2.0  (192Kb/s)
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| Widescreen Aspect Ratio | 1.78:1 | ||
| 16x9 Enhancement |
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| Video Format | 576i (PAL) | ||
| Original Aspect Ratio | 1.78:1 | Miscellaneous | |
| Jacket Pictures | No | ||
| Subtitles | None | Smoking | Yes |
| Annoying Product Placement | No | ||
| Action In or After Credits | Yes | ||
Red Rock West is an engaging thriller from independent favourite John Dahl (The Last Seduction, Rounders). Michael Williams (Nicolas Cage) is a down-on-his-luck drifter who is mistaken for an out-of-town hit man by local bar owner Wayne Brown (J.T. Walsh). Brown has taken a contract out on his wife, played by Lara Flynn Boyle. Williams accepts the job, intending to skip town with the cash after leaving the local law a letter informing on the calculating bar owner. Problems arise when Williams discovers that Brown is also the town's Sheriff. Williams decides to warn Brown's wife, but matters get worse when the real hit man arrives to fulfil his contract.
I have never been a great fan of Dahl's work. I thought The Last Seduction was an overrated bore and Rounders wasn't much better. Happily, Red Rock West is far superior. The film is tightly paced with enough plot twists for several films. The screenplay is also littered with black comedy that livens up the quieter moments. The cast are excellent. A pre-Action Hero Nicolas Cage shows off his thespian skills to good effect, but the film is stolen by the late great J.T. Walsh. Walsh was one of the great character actors and his portrayal of the evil Sheriff of Red Rock is undoubtedly a highlight. So, if you're in the mood for a well structured film noir, give Red Rock West a try. You won't be disappointed.
Red Rock West is presented in its original aspect ratio of 1:78:1 and is 16x9 enhanced for widescreen viewing.
I was very impressed with this transfer's sharpness levels, and failed to notice any edge enhancement. There were a couple of very minor instances of aliasing, but blink and you'd miss them. Shadow levels were well rendered with strong blacks and fine detail. There were no low level noise problems.
Colours were natural with no unwanted bleeding problems apparent.
The transfer was almost devoid of dirt and film artefacting.
This is a good looking transfer for a budget release.
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The film has an English audio track in 2.0 Dolby Digital Surround and a 2.0 Dolby Digital Commentary track.
Dialogue is clear with no audio sync faults.
The film's music by William Olvis suits the mood of the film well and never distracts.
The surround channel usage is minimal at best. There were occasional efforts at directional sound, but they were very few and far between. The only consistent rear channel activity is utilised by the score.
The subwoofer adds the required reverberation when called for.
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NOTE: To view non-R4 releases, your equipment needs to be multi-zone compatible and usually also NTSC compatible.
The Region 4 version of this DVD misses out on:
The Region 1 version of this DVD misses out on:
Whilst there are no compelling differences between the two versions, there is enough there to sway the preference towards the Region 4 version.
Red Rock West is a well made thriller with an above average cast. The disc has a great looking picture, with decent sound. The extras are reasonable for a budget release.
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| Audio | |
| Extras | |
| Plot | |
| Overall | |
| Review Equipment | |
| DVD | Pioneer DV-535, using S-Video output |
| Display | LG 76cm Widescreen Flatron Television. Calibrated with Video Essentials. This display device is 16x9 capable. |
| Audio Decoder | Sony HT-K215. Calibrated with Video Essentials. |
| Amplification | Sony HT-K215 |
| Speakers | fronts-paradigm titans, centre &rear Sony - radio parts subbie |