El Cortez Blu-ray Movie

Rating summary

Movie		4.0
Video		4.5
Audio		5.0
Extras		3.0
Overall		4.0

El Cortez Blu-ray Movie Review

Reviewed by Dr. Svet Atanasov August 4, 2022

Stephen Purvis' "El Cortez" (2006) arrives on Blu-ray courtesy of Kino Lorber. The supplemental features on the release include a collection of cast and crew interviews; deleted scene; and original trailer for the film. In English, with optional English SDH subtitles for the main feature. Region-A "locked".

She was dynamite wrapped in silk

Manny DeSilva (Lou Diamond Phillips) is a receptionist at El Cortez, quite possibly the seediest hotel in Reno, Nevada. It is a lousy job, but it is the best Manny has been able to find after he was released from a local psychiatric clinic.

On a day like any other day, Manny witnesses how a couple of muggers attack crippled guest Popcorn (Bruce Weitz) in front of El Cortez and bravely rushes to his defense. After Manny helps him get back to his room, the grateful Popcorn offers him a chance to profoundly alter the trajectory of his life by becoming his partner in the development of a giant gold mine somewhere in the Sierra Nevada. When the visibly overwhelmed Manny finally declares that he is interested in the offer, Popcorn reveals to him a detailed plan for the development of the gold mine that needs a substantial cash investment from Carlo Russo (Peter Onorati), who controls a few of the biggest casinos in Reno. Because Carlo is a suave and notoriously frugal businessman, Manny would have to do a bit of role-playing to convince him that the gold mine is as promising as Popcorn has described it, but once his cash kickstarts the development operation, there will be no more acting and they will be well on their way of becoming millionaires.

However, while preparing for the business meeting, Manny is distracted by local drug dealer Jack Clay (Glenn Plummer) and his girlfriend Theda (Tracy Middendorf), the newest guests of El Cortez, whose sexual games unexpectedly arouse him. Around the same time, while trying to ward off Theda’s gentle advances, Manny is also paid a visit by his arresting officer, Arnie (James McDaniel), who is after Jack but still thinks about the murder case he was involved with and the strange mental issues that allowed him to regain his freedom.

Despite the minor distractions and surprises, Manny’s convincing performance provides Carlo with everything he needs to invest in the gold mine and he hands him a check. However, shortly after Manny falls madly in love with Theda, Jack threatens to put a bullet in his head, and Popcorn’s map to the gold mine disappears.

It is strange that Stephen Purvis’ El Cortez isn’t better known because it is a very close relative of Paul Thomas Anderson’s Hard Eight. It is true that its cast isn’t as impressive, but its noirish ambience and genuine Americana genes are exact replicas of the ones Anderson provided for Hard Eight.

The other very obvious similarity between El Cortez and Hard Eight is the manner in which Purvis sees and shoots Reno. Excluding a couple of outdoor panoramic shots that reveal its identity, Reno looks a lot like Las Vegas does in Hard Eight, a bit introverted and boasting a slightly exotic all-western ‘anything goes’ personality. This is the reason why the second half of El Cortez, where some pretty wild things happen, still retains a very authentic vibe.

Even though the camera tends to gravitate towards Phillips, and rightfully so because he undergoes a pretty dramatic transformation, the entire cast looks great. Plummer, for instance, is outstanding as the slightly loopy and very jealous drug dealer who underestimates Phillips. Middendorf brilliantly handles her deceivingly simple part as well. Weitz looks like a genuine conman, too. Even McDaniel easily convinces that he is an undercover cop patiently waiting for the right opportunity to nab his target. Only Onorati looks a bit shaky because he has to be cocky and suspicious at the same time, but his chemistry with the actors around him is good.

The one area where El Cortez could have done a lot better is the use of music. It deserves a much better soundtrack with solid lush guitar or sax solos that easily would have transformed it into a cult gem.

El Cortez Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

Presented in an aspect ratio of 1.78:1, encoded with MPEG-4 AVC and granted a 1080p transfer, El Cortez arrives on Blu-ray courtesy of Kino Lorber.

I will mention first the two areas where I thought some minor improvements can be made because everything else looked lovely on my system. A few areas have small ranges of highlights that could be managed more convincingly. Some of these highlights are in daylight footage, but a few can be noticed in darker indoor or nighttime footage. Also, at the end, where the gold mine is revealed, there is room for some small encoding optimizations. The rest of the visuals have a very attractive organic appearance. Delineation and depth, for instance, range from very good to excellent. Clarity does fluctuate a bit, but it is the original cinematography that introduces the unevenness, not the digital work on the master. Color reproduction and balance are wonderful. There are no image stability issues. Finally, I did not detect any surface wear or other similar anomalies to report in our review. (Note: This is a Region-A "locked" Blu-ray release. Therefore, you must have a native Region-A or Region-Free player in order to access its content).

El Cortez Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

There are two standard audio tracks on this Blu-ray release: English DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 and English DTS-HD Master Audio 2.0. Optional English SDH subtitles are provided for the main fetaure.

I viewed the entire film with the DTS-HD Masrter Audio 5.1 track and did not encounter any technical anomalies to report in our review. The dialog was clear, sharp, and very easy to follow. Balance was excellent as well. Dynamic intensity is good, but as I mentioned in the review, I think that a solid blues/jazzy soundtrack would have made El Cortez a very, very special film.

El Cortez Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

• Trailer - an original trailer for El Cortez. In English, not subtitled. (3 min).

• Deleted Scenes - presented here is a deleted scenes called En route to the Mine. In English, not subtitled. (2 min).

• Behind the Scenes - Lou Diamond Phillips, Bruce Weitz, Glenn Plummer, Tracy Middendorf, James McDaniel, Peter Onorati, producer Dennis Bishop, and director Stephen Purvis explain what attracted them to El Cortez and discuss its production and style. In English, not subtitled. (27 min).

El Cortez Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

El Cortez should be on your radar if you have seen and enjoyed Hard Eight and Thursday. It has that very particular personality and wild side that so many '90s film noirs have, but Stephen Purvis completed it in 2006. I had a terrific time with it. My only criticism is that its producers did not invest in a better soundtrack with solid lush guitar or sax solos to make it even sexier. Regardless, it is a gem and I am very happy to add it to my library. If you decide to pick up Kino Lorber's Blu-ray release but reside outside of North America, please keep in mind that it is Region-A "locked". HIGHLY RECOMMENDED.