6.6 | / 10 |
Users | 0.0 | |
Reviewer | 2.5 | |
Overall | 2.5 |
A young psychopath (Kiefer Sutherland) murders a man who was en route to an idyllic California community, where the victim was slated to become the new deputy sheriff. The killer assumes the identity of the dead man and shows up in the beach town, where he's accepted as a new lawman. Meanwhile, the town's sheriff, Sam (Beau Bridges), plans to knock off the husband of his secret lover. Sam thinks his new deputy will make the perfect fall guy, but he doesn't know he's dealing with a dangerous man.
Starring: Beau Bridges, Kiefer Sutherland, Wayne Rogers, Joe Don Baker, Janet CarrollThriller | 100% |
Video codec: MPEG-4 AVC
Video resolution: 1080p
Aspect ratio: 1.78:1
Original aspect ratio: 1.85:1
English: DTS-HD Master Audio 2.0 (48kHz, 24-bit)
BDInfo
English SDH
Blu-ray Disc
Single disc (1 BD)
Region A (B, C untested)
Movie | 2.5 | |
Video | 3.0 | |
Audio | 4.0 | |
Extras | 1.0 | |
Overall | 2.5 |
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.
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 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" 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.
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