6.1 | / 10 |
Users | 4.5 | |
Reviewer | 3.5 | |
Overall | 3.5 |
Guerrero Hernandez is the leader of the Blackwater Gang, a band of ruthless outlaws. But after freeing his half-brother, Red, from prison, Guerrer's plan to loot the mining town of Edendale backfires spectacularly when he is double crossed by his half-sibling. After making a deal with the Devil, Guerrero comes back from the dead a year later to seek his revenge. The town, which has now been renamed Tombstone, will soon have its dusty streets running knee-deep in a river of blood!
Starring: Mickey Rourke, Danny Trejo, Anthony Michael Hall, Dina Meyer, Richard DillaneWestern | 100% |
Video codec: MPEG-4 AVC
Video resolution: 1080p
Aspect ratio: 1.78:1
Original aspect ratio: 1.78:1
English: DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 (48kHz, 24-bit)
Spanish: DTS 5.1 (48kHz, 24-bit)
BDInfo
English SDH, French, Spanish
50GB Blu-ray Disc
Two-disc set (1 BD, 1 DVD)
UV digital copy
DVD copy
BD-Live
Slipcover in original pressing
Region A, B (C untested)
Movie | 2.0 | |
Video | 4.0 | |
Audio | 4.0 | |
Extras | 3.5 | |
Overall | 3.5 |
In college, Poor Man's Pizza & Cupcakes were always on the menu. Poor Man's Pizza: drizzle olive oil and grind sea salt into a pan on medium heat. Add a soft flour tortilla topped with pizza sauce, finely shredded mozzarella cheese, a bit more sea salt and red pepper flakes. Cook until the underside of the tortilla is crisp and golden. Cost per pizza: 32˘. Poor Man's Cupcakes: top Ritz crackers with Pillsbury vanilla icing. Cost per cupcake: 6˘. That's two pizzas and a half-dozen cupcakes for $1. Add a can of soup and a McDonald's Dollar Menu sweet tea if you're looking to splurge. (I haven't whipped up a batch of "cupcakes" in years. Poor Man's Pizza is still around, though, and a big hit with my son and his friends. I've become way too skilled at making PMPs taste way too good.)
Dead in Tombstone is Poor Man's Crow, with a more-grizzled-than-usual Danny Trejo strapping on the six guns of a man who returns from the grave hellbent on exacting vengeance on the men who put him there. Trejo's gunslinger, Guerrero de la Cruz, and Mickey Rourke's scene-chomping Lucifer occasionally make director Roel Reiné's direct-to-video actioner something of a modestly budgeted, mildly tasty treat, sure. But its bland supporting cast, undercooked script and over-seasoned genre dialogue keep this one from being a more filling, satisfying and enjoyable main course.
The devil went direct to video, lookin' for some souls to steal...
Too slick to be as gritty as it thinks it is, too dark to be as striking as it longs to be, Dead in Tombstone's digital photography is too glossy for it's own good. Universal's 1080p/AVC-encoded video presentation hits its target dead center, though, with a technically proficient image free of major issues or problems. Contrast is hot and crush is rather severe, but so go Reiné's intentions. Colors are bleached to the point of being rather bloodless, although Hell and various kill shots feature some suitably gory primary punch. Skintones are saturated accordingly, and black levels are about as deep and restrictive as they get. Detail, meanwhile, is excellent, with crisp, clean edge definition and exacting fine textures. There also isn't any serious macroblocking, banding or aliasing to worry over; just a bit of occasional noise within scenes and elements that rely on VFX.
There isn't much nuance to Dead in Tombstone's DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 surround track. It's loud and angry, and that's about it. But it suits Reiné's revenge western just fine and at least keeps things exciting when the visuals fail to live up to their promise. LFE output is bold and brawny, with booming gunshots and big, bombastic explosions. The rear speakers send scraps of wood flying, townsfolk scrambling and bullets whizzing, all courtesy of decidedly decent directionality, smooth cross-channel pans and a reasonably immersive soundfield. (Several scenes are too front-heavy, but chalk that one up to the film's direct-to-video sound design, nothing more.) Dialogue is clean and clear at all times too, and there aren't any real prioritization issues to speak of. Hybrid's score comes on a tad strong at times, but now I'm just nitpicking. Dead in Tombstone delivers the AV goods.
Dead in Tombstone assembles a reliable trio of leading men but neglects to build a better, more sharply penned and capably shot revenge western around them. Trejo gives his all but looses ground to his character's poorly cast gang, Hall sneers and leers with the best of 'em but still has to deliver some truly terrible dialogue, and Rourke gnaws on scenery but is largely constrained to the shadows. The Blu-ray itself is much more notable, with an excellent video presentation, strong DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 surround track, and a surprisingly generous supplemental package. Dead in Tombstone still never amounts to more than a rainy day rental, though, so RedBox first, ask questions later.
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