The Minus Man Blu-ray Movie

Rating summary

Movie		3.0
Video		4.5
Audio		5.0
Extras		2.0
Overall		3.0

The Minus Man Blu-ray Movie Review

Reviewed by Dr. Svet Atanasov June 16, 2024

Hampton Fanche's "The Minus Man" (1999) arrives on Blu-ray courtesy of Kino Lorber. The supplemental features on the release include exclusive new audio commentary by co-writer/director Hampton Fancher and producer Fida Attieh, moderated by critic Max Evry, and vintage trailer. In English, with optional English SDH subtitles for the main feature. Region-A "locked".

You diggin' a grave, bud?

It should not take nearly two hours to declare that a serial killer is someone with a seriously sick mind. The opposite could be true. If someone is willing to argue that not every serial killer has a seriously sick mind, then that someone could and probably will need at least two hours to build a proper case proving that it is so. My take on the subject will remain the same, but I understand why the effort will be time-consuming. One more scenario may justify the need for that much time. In it, someone begins an examination of the sick mind and gradually concludes that not all such minds are the same. It is a logical detail to examine. However, ultimately, it is a meaningless one. A sick mind that rationalizes multiple murders remains a seriously sick mind.

Hampton Fancher’s The Minus Man spends nearly two hours inside the head of Vann Siegert (Owen Wilson), a handsome drifter in his early thirties, originally from the Pacific Northwest, who is a serial killer. He picks and kills strangers because the entire act, from the point of engagement to the point of termination, provides his system with a unique therapeutic rush. He constantly monitors its performance and intervenes as needed, which is why he prefers to be a loner.

In a small Western town, Siegert rents a room in the quiet home of Doug (Brian Cox) and Jane (Mercedez Ruehl), who have lost their daughter and are struggling to preserve their marriage. Following the effortless elimination of their son, Siegert lands a job at the local post office, and then, while quickly impressing his boss, allows bubbly coworker Ferrin (Janeane Garofalo) to begin pursuing him. However, as he becomes more comfortable with her, Ferrin badly misjudges his behavior and quickly moves up to the top of his ever-evolving list of potential targets. But before Siegert can permanently fix the problem Ferrin has become, the local authorities arrest Doug on suspicion of murdering his wife.

The final act of The Minus Man has the most transparent material. It is here that the scope of Siegert’s mental sickness and his actions are placed in a proper context. Also, it is here that Siegert’s entire system of beliefs is placed under the microscope. Right before the final credits appear, Siegert’s sickness is linked to that of a supposedly broken society that ought to be held responsible for it.

Okay, and… this is it? Unfortunately, yes. For approximately twenty or so minutes, I hoped that The Minus Man would evolve into the kind of rabbit hole Bug becomes, but it just takes nearly two hours to restate information that should not surprise anyone. Is it news that many, many serial killers are great chameleons? Is it news that some have incredible survival instincts? Is it news that there are plenty of people out there who have trouble detecting mental illness? And no, society should not be held responsible for the existence of serial killers like Siegert. There are very particular people in the upper echelons of society who make their existence possible, and they should be named and shamed, but this important detail is brushed aside because it exposes a problem that requires a great deal of courage to confront. The Minus Man does not have it.

On paper, the supporting cast looks good but is completely wasted. Dwight Yoakam and Dennis Haysbert play seasoned detectives who confront Siegert in an alternate reality, where he confesses his crimes. Sheryl Crow plays a gullible junkie looking for trouble even before Siegert appears. Meg Foster is somewhere in there, playing an instantly forgettable character, too.

Fancher’s director of photography was Bobby Bukowski, whose name is attached to such vastly superior films as Dogfight, Golden Gate, and Arlington Road.

The Minus Man Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

Presented in its original aspect ratio of 1.85:1, encoded with MPEG-4 AVC and granted a 1080p transfer, The Minus Man arrives on Blu-ray courtesy of Kino Lorber.

The release is sourced from an exclusive new 2K master struck from an interpositive. The overall quality of the presentation is outstanding. Excluding a few very tiny blemishes and a few areas where information in darker corners could be slightly better, I think that this film looks as good as it can in 1080p. Indeed, delineation, clarity, and depth are always very, very pleasing, while image stability is fantastic. Color balance is terrific as well. All primaries look lush, healthy, and wonderfully balanced. All supporting nuances are set just as well. (The darker corners I mentioned above reveal tiny limitations that are common when a new master is struck from an interpositive). There are absolutely no traces of problematic digital corrections. All in all, if you have been secretly hoping for a quality Blu-ray release of The Minus Man, your wish has been granted. My score if 4.75/5.00. (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).

The Minus Man 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 feature.

I viewed the entire film with the 5.1 track. All dialog and the narration boast outstanding clarity. Sharpness and stability are excellent, too. There are some good dynamic contrasts, but dynamic intensity is limited. Obviously, given the nature of the production -- The Minus Man was not a big studio project -- this is hardly surprising. I did not encounter any encoding anomalies to report in our review.

The Minus Man Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

• Commentary - this exclusive new audio commentary was recorded by co-writer/director Hampton Fancher and producer Fida Attieh, and is moderated by critic Max Evry.

• Trailer - a vintage trailer for The Minus Man. In English, not subtitled. (2 min).

The Minus Man Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

Hampton Fancher will always be remembered for his brilliant contribution to Ridley Scott's Blade Runner, which is not fair because he has done a lot more that ought to be praised. The Minus Man is the one and only film Fancher has directed, and I was prepared to like it because there is an old trailer that sells it very well. Unfortunately, I found it seriously underwhelming. Kino Lorber's release is sourced from a very solid new 2K master, so if you want The Minus Man in your collection, do not miss it.