5.8 | / 10 |
Users | 0.0 | |
Reviewer | 4.5 | |
Overall | 4.5 |
It's 1884 and legend has it that there's gold buried near sleepy Chili Verde, New Mexico ... and there's not a soul in town who's not after it. Tall in the saddle Abel learns that the treasure's location is hidden in a riddle. While he's busy dodging a competitor's bullets, the over-ample Rosie, longing to be a saloon singer, battles jealous saloon owner Marguerita for a share of the available cowboys in town. Through a series of misadventures, it's finally discovered that the odd tattoos on each of the brawling women's bottoms, when put together, form the treasure map. Now it's a race between all the rivals, to get to the gold!
Starring: Tab Hunter, Divine, Lainie Kazan, Geoffrey Lewis, Henry SilvaWestern | 100% |
Comedy | Insignificant |
Video codec: MPEG-4 AVC
Video resolution: 1080p
Aspect ratio: 1.85:1
Original aspect ratio: 1.85:1
English: DTS-HD Master Audio Mono
English SDH
Blu-ray Disc
Two-disc set (1 BD, 1 DVD)
Region A (B, C untested)
Movie | 2.5 | |
Video | 4.5 | |
Audio | 4.5 | |
Extras | 4.0 | |
Overall | 4.5 |
1985’s “Lust in the Dust” is a great example of a movie with incredible potential that falls just short of satisfaction. It’s an eager endeavor from director Paul Bartel, who’s trying to pants spaghetti westerns through the power of camp, offering the sight of Lainie Kazan and Divine as siblings in the old west, with Tab Hunter trying to keep up as a gunslinger. The poster, the premise, and the performances are all there, promising a romp, but Bartel struggles to keep “Lust in the Dust” on its feet.
Bringing "Lust in the Dust" to Blu-ray, Vinegar Syndrome turns to a fresh scan from the 35mm OCN for the AVC encoded image presentation. There are two aspect ratios to pick from: 1.85:1 represents the original cinematography, and a cropped 2.35:1 ratio is offered to home video purists who originally watched the picture on VHS. Clarity is decent throughout the viewing experience, picking out textures on dusty western costuming and lacy undergarments. Facial features are equally open for inspection, with messes of makeup and sweat defined to satisfaction. Locations retain expanse, and interiors sustain tightness. Colors work with healthy greenery and natural skintones, and female costuming carries more primary liveliness, offering healthy reds. Delineation is communicative. Grain is thick but retains a film-like appearance. Source is in fine shape.
The 1.0 DTS-HD MA sound mix provides a clear, distinct listening event for "Lust in the Dust," with dialogue exchanges sustaining timing and emphasis without slipping into distortion. Performances are handled with care, even when they fly into broadness. Scoring supports as intended, with defined instrumentation, especially with guitar strumming, and musical numbers maintain their fidelity. Sound effects are appreciable, and atmospherics deliver a sense of desert position.
"Lust in the Dust" should be a laugh riot, but it only hits a few tepid highs. It's a farce that's never as sharp as it wants to be, while slapstick is anemic at best. It definitely earns some respect for attempting such a vision of western satire, but the execution is snoozy, making silliness more of a chore to sit through than a blessing.
(Still not reliable for this title)
1986
2016
Limited Edition
1982
1983
1983
1994
1983
Collector's Edition
1981
1986
1985
1983
1980
1983
1982
Retro VHS Collection
1984
1984
1982
Standard Edition
1978
1971
Standard Edition
1975