Rating summary

Movie		2.5
Video		3.0
Audio		4.0
Extras		1.0
Overall		2.5

The Killing Time Blu-ray Movie Review

Reviewed by Brian Orndorf April 15, 2020

The screenplay for “The Killing Time” (credited to Don Bohlinger, James Nathan, and Bruce Franklin Singer) looks to bring a piece of film noir to the mid-1980s. Many productions have tried to do it, and the quest continues to this day, but the effort presented here is noticeable, bringing the story to life with mysterious characters, the planning of a crime for the love of a woman, and the eventual unraveling of such an illegal endeavor. Director Rick King isn’t hiding his influences, but he’s not exactly massaging them either, delivering a half-hearted presentation of all-gone-wrong cinema, hoping to amplify the viewing experience with barking villainy, violence, and an offering of softcore sex. Trouble is, King doesn’t bring “The Killing Time” to life, content to make a sluggish movie that’s not particularly turned on by its own mischief, while suspense is minimal at best. Sure, there’s Beau Bridges in a rare leading man turn, tasked with keeping the feature together, but the actor’s intermittent excitement and shirtlessness isn’t enough to make the picture interesting, while the writing eventually goes to sleep, unable to produce enough nail-biting encounters to make the sit worthwhile.

Just outside the small town of Santa Alba, The Stranger (Kiefer Sutherland) has murdered a man, stealing his identity, becoming “Brian” as he completes the deceased’s journey to become a deputy for the community. Sheriff Carl (Joe Don Baker) runs the show in Santa Alba, but he’s getting ready to retire, passing control over to Sam (Beau Bridges), who spends his days destroying marijuana crops from the likes of amateur farmer, Stu (Michael Madsen). Sam was once involved with Laura (Camelia Kath), but she’s now married to Jake (Wayne Rogers), an arrogant, abusive real estate tycoon looking to transform the town into a major resort. Laura needs help with her spouse, failing to kill the man herself. As Brian settles into his position, with The Stranger seeking some type of justice he’s obsessed with finding, Sam gets in deep with Laura, looking to protect her by bending the law, helping to plan out Jake’s murder using The Stranger’s unlicensed gun -- a scheme the newcomer is completely aware of.

The set-up for “The Killing Time” is strong, introducing The Stranger as a developing danger without a clear end game in view, while Sam is an affable guy who believes in the law, carrying on a friendly relationship with Carl as they spend time throwing darts, bantering, and occasionally doing some police work, interrupting Stu’s plans for his illegal crops. Sam is also fixated on Laura, the one who got away, only now she’s in the hands of a bad man in Jake, a rich monster promoting himself as a town savior. Jake is awful to Laura, even turning to sexual assault to maintain control, and she’s had enough, trying to off him on her own before Sam becomes involves with the situation. He’s caught between his duty and his heart, with the pair carrying on in secret, reigniting their passions as Sam struggles to commit to Laura’s intense desire to become a widow and be free of Jake’s nightmarish behavior.

Once The Stranger becomes Brian and picks up a badge, ready to police Santa Alba, “The Killing Time” is attentive to the character’s subplot, but not exactly interested in where it needs to go. The Stranger goes away for long periods of the feature, or his presence isn’t commanding, with the story belonging more to Sam and his crisis of conscience, dealing with moral corrosion while trying to save Laura. Sutherland goes full ham here in an early role for the actor, never testing the wonders of ambiguity at The Stranger works out his own odyssey of violence, with the young man prone to vivid nightmares and screaming fits. Sutherland isn’t much of a threat, which creates a slow leak of tension in the tale, as The Stranger is intended to be far more manipulative and menacing in the writing, making it feel as though, at one point, his saga was the primary focus of the effort, with Sam more submissive. Any sense of power or incoming harm is lost when Sutherland opens his mouth, often caught trying to push evil intentions through his eyeballs with incredible offerings of indication.

“The Killing Time” does better with Sam, if only because Bridges is more animated, not excessive, in the role. One does get the impression the producers were hoping to cast Jeff Bridges in the part, as sexuality doesn’t exactly jump off the screen with the other Bridges brother, but the star has the seasoning to bring a little more credible alarm to the part, with Sam growing from a bored cop to man with a plan, weirdly nonchalant when it comes to arranging Brian’s arrest and imprisonment in the name of love. “The Killing Time” has a few moments of action, including a runaway car scene that tips Laura off that perhaps Jake is trying to kill her, making it look like an accident. And there’s some broheim activity, with Sheriff Carl maintaining a friendly relationship with Sam, while The Stranger works to butter up the departing boss, playing into his love of fishing. Baker also adds a little lustfulness to the part, keeping the retiree eager to maintain female relationships. Only this actor could pull off such a good old boy part.

The Killing Time Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

The AVC encoded image (1.78:1 aspect ratio) presentation, while billed as a "Brand New 2019 HD Master," looks sourced from aged materials. Softness dominates the viewing experience, losing attention to fine detail on close-ups and costuming, which comes across fairly flat. Interior decoration is also a bit blurry, as are small town distances, which lack real dimension. Colors are aged, with skintones leaning into reddishness. Greenery is acceptable, offering an adequate view of local nature. Delineation is passable, with some solidification. Grain is on the chunky side. Judder is detected, especially during the main titles.

The Killing Time Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

The 2.0 DTS-HD MA sound mix delivers a clear listening event, leading with defined dialogue exchanges which preserve emotional intent and dramatic firepower, as Sutherland is prone to yelling his line for emphasis, never hitting fuzzy highs. Scoring delivers a brassy mood, securing jazzy support with compelling instrumentation, while more suspenseful moods register as intended. Sound effects are satisfactory, delivering on snappy gunfire and vehicular destruction.

The Killing Time Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

• A Theatrical Trailer (1:34, SD) is included.

The Killing Time Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

"The Killing Time" goes for twists and acts of intimidation, and there's a hot jazz score from Paul Chihara to lubricate the noir atmosphere, giving Sam's unfolding nightmare inappropriate sax squeals at times. The story eventually works to a stand-off position between the crook and the cop who's become a crook, but the writing doesn't have fun with blurred lines of justice, and the whole third act, which should be a grand payoff of suspicions and discoveries, comes off incredibly anticlimactic. The creative goals of "The Killing Time" are easy enough to follow, but King doesn't offer directorial authority, going limp with known elements of danger and desire, ending up with a dull study of revenge.