Rating summary

Movie		3.0
Video		4.0
Audio		4.0
Extras		4.5
Overall		4.0

The Grave Blu-ray Movie Review

Reviewed by Brian Orndorf December 2, 2021

When a small collection of indie filmmakers started making hits in the early 1990s, it created a gold rush for small-time producers hoping to bring oddball projects to the screen. The success of Quentin Tarantino and the Miramax Films team is clearly evident in 1996’s “The Grave,” with co-writers Josh and Jonas Pate (who also directs) cooking up a twisty, violent, and loquacious thriller that’s also greatly influenced by the Coen Brothers and their particular way of bringing low-key insanity to a seemingly simple situation. The Pates pay careful attention to character and language with their endeavor, their first moviemaking opportunity, and that hunger to impress is the most memorable element in an otherwise adequate picture that’s almost undone by obvious casting and one too many turns after a decent first act of intriguing introductions.

In a North Carolina prison, two strangers (including Keith David) discuss the saga of King (Craig Sheffer) and Tyn (Josh Charles), two lowlifes rotting away behind bars, often at the mercy of guard Cole (John Diehl). Learning of buried treasure inside a remote tomb, King gets the idea of pursuing the fortune, working with Tyn to ditch prison and find the secret spot. Along the way, trouble comes for the escapees, with Tyn taking a bullet, forcing King to locate help in a local morgue, sharing his story with Travis (Anthony Michael Hall), Cletus (Donal Logue), and Boo (Max Perlich), who want in on the fortune. King also makes time to reunite with his ex-girlfriend, Jordan (Gabrielle Anwar), who’s wary of this dangerous man and his appetite for self-destruction.

“The Grave” presents a compelling hook, introducing North Carolina halfwits in King and Tyn, who are desperate to get rich quick and relocate to Mexico, undertaking a major effort to break out of prison. They have the rumor of a fortune in gold to keep them on the move, working through swamps and backyards to reach their destination, which takes up the first act of the picture. The quest is defined, along with the players, giving the movie a boost of energy as the escapees try to navigate North Carolina dangers to reach their prize.

The Pates put some time into the characters, understanding King’s tunnel vision and Tyn’s hesitation, eventually shot along the way, pulling the men off their mission. The second act introduces more personalities in the morgue crew, who aren’t entirely trustworthy, and there’s Jordan, who’s willing to have sex with her ex, but keeps her distance from his treasure-finding dream. “The Grave” pulls viewers in early, but the Pates embark on a series of turns to help complicate the journey to financial freedom, and they get carried away with their ideas, concentrating more on surprises than the overall flow of the story, which gets disrupted one too many times. They also O.D. on southern language, getting showy with chewy dialogue and monologues that carry on for far too long, asking too much of the cast, with most of these actors returning to the same dim-bulb creeps they always play.

The Grave Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

The AVC encoded image (1.85:1 aspect ratio) presentation is sourced from a 2K scan of "35mm vault elements." It's a slightly darker viewing experience for "The Grave," but still quite appreciable, finding delineation only slightly solid at times during intense evening activities. Detail remains with some softness, but the heat of the locations registers with beads of sweat and sticky mud. Facial surfaces are intact, along with soiled costumes. Swampy areas and graveyards remain dimensional. Interiors retain most decorative additions. Colors run cooler, dealing with concrete prison interiors and nighttime exploration. Brighter primaries emerge with greenery. Grain is heavy but film-like. Source is in good condition, with some light scratches.

The Grave Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

The 2.0 DTS-HD MA mix offers a basic listening event, prioritizing dialogue exchanges, which register with a little age, but largely remain defined, capturing the crazy conversations found in the film. Scoring is a bit crisper, with clear instrumentation for bluegrass selections, and sharp vocals. Atmospherics are appreciable, especially with outdoor activities.

The Grave Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

• Commentary features co-writer/director Jonas Pate.

• "Baptism by Fire" (19:03, HD) is a video conference interview with cinematographer Frank Prinzi. Emerging from NYU Film School with a desire to rise up in the industry ranks, Prinzi ultimately found his way to Jonas and Josh Pate, who arrived incredibly prepared to take on the challenges of "The Grave." However, storyboards for the picture were soon left behind, with the hot and humid shoot taking a toll on the shooting schedule. The interviewee shares memories of major bug and alligator issues while on location, also dealing with the realities of a real prison. Prinzi closes with his reflection on "The Grave," excited to see a movie that was denied a proper release.

• "Ungraving the Score" (17:40, HD) is an interview with composer Alex Wurman, who comes from a musical family, with his mother and father both involved in composing. Accepting a job on "The Grave," Wurman dived into research, using past experience with bluegrass to inspire fresh work. Tones and themes are identified, with the interviewee hoping to capture a sense of character and location, working with a massive "puzzle" of ideas and instrumentation. There's also an overview of technology, with massive upgrades in the industry making life a lot easier for Wurman, who recalls the labor involved while mixing "The Grave."

• "All the Way to the Morgue" (16:03, HD) is an interview with effects artists Jeff Goodwin and Rick Pour, who detail their early inspirations, pushing them in the world of blood and gore. First jobs are recalled, and their initial meeting is explored, becoming a professional team. For "The Grave," suffocating heat is remembered, dealing with lots of sweat on the actors. Time inside a real prison left the team scrambling for safety, with the inmates making their presence known. The experience working inside the morgue set is detailed, and a severed finger creation is also presented for inspection, still intact 25 years after "The Grave" completed production.

• "Tales from Beyond 'The Grave'" (12:28, HD) is an interview with co-writer/director Jonas Pate, who recalls the influence of his father, who offered his son an education in low-budget entertainment through cable and trips to the video store. Trying to get something going in North Carolina, Pate found help from Dennis Hopper, who connected him and brother Josh to an agent, which helped to launch the making of "The Grave." Casting is recalled (including a near-miss with Christian Slater), and the physical demands of direction are detailed, especially when working through intense heat and challenges from local creatures. Memories of his sibling are shared, and Pate offers a brief reflection on "The Grave" and its ultimate distribution on pay cable.

• "The Bottom Line" (11:50, HD) is an interview with actor Keith David, who offers scattered thoughts on the making of "The Grave." Happy to return to Wilmington, North Carolina, David was eager to see friends and participate in a decent script, only working a few days on the feature. Characters are assessed and themes are identified, and David goes into the use of his "creative imagination" to find inspiration.

• A Trailer has not been included on this release.

The Grave Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

"The Grave" doesn't end with the same storytelling confidence it begins with, endeavoring to be a puzzle for viewers, hoping to add some shocks along the way. The storytelling is filled with hard lefts and rights, and it doesn't add up to a completely bewitching viewing experience, though the Pates score with their conclusion, adding a nice reality of human greed to an otherwise semi-ostentatious display of mid-Tarantino, post-Coen filmmaking ambition.