6.3 | / 10 |
Users | 0.0 | |
Reviewer | 3.0 | |
Overall | 3.0 |
Murray plays gonzo" journalist Hunter S. Thompson who seems unable to keep himself on the straight and narrow path.
Starring: Peter Boyle, Bill Murray, Bruno Kirby, Rene Auberjonois, R.G. ArmstrongComedy | Insignificant |
Biography | 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 2.0
English SDH
Blu-ray Disc
Single disc (1 BD)
Slipcover in original pressing
Region A (locked)
Movie | 2.0 | |
Video | 3.0 | |
Audio | 3.0 | |
Extras | 3.0 | |
Overall | 3.0 |
While 1985’s “The Razor’s Edge” is largely credited as the time Bill Murray finally decided to go dramatic, dialing down his habitually goofball ways to try out more introspective work, 1980’s “Where the Buffalo Roam” is perhaps a more accurate starting position for the actor’s career expansion. Building his name on “Saturday Night Live” and finding mainstream success with 1979’s “Meatballs,” Murray tries to go incognito for his portrayal of Hunter S. Thompson, the famed “outlaw journalist” who craved excess, using wild experiences and relationships to fuel his writing career. Endeavoring to become Thompson, Murray loses himself in an interesting way, but the movie doesn’t reward his method intentions, with director Art Linson trying to herd cats with this adaptation of Thompson’s stories. Linson wants to make a comedy. Murray wants to create a tribute. The film craves any scrap of structure it can find.
The AVC encoded image (1.85:1 aspect ratio) presentation is already dealing with a flat-looking film, and one that's not cinematographically advanced or even adventurous. For a Universal catalog title, "Where the Buffalo Roam" remains presentable, with adequate detail to help examine the grimy, dusted particulars of the Thompson experience. Sweat-laden faces are secured, and period decoration remains available to study. Colors lack some oomph, but costuming has moments with brighter yellows and greens, and graphic art examples retain heft. Skintones are acceptable. Delineation does fine during evening sequences. Source isn't problematic, without major elements of damage.
The 2.0 DTS-HD MA sound mix delivers a crispy listening experience, with persistent crackling that chases all dialogue exchanges and musical efforts. Age-related issues are present throughout, weakening the overall force of the track. Dialogue exchanges aren't completely tarnished, as most of Thompson's mumbling and assorted tics are relatively easy to follow, while more madcap fits of anger are acceptable. Soundtrack cuts blend too easily into the background, lacking authority, and instrumentation is adequate, never defined in an exciting manner. Sound effects are blunt, without much definition.
"Where the Buffalo Roam" bombed hard in 1980. Terry Gilliam tried to do Thompson with 1998's "Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas," and nobody cared then either. He's a polarizing figure, and one only for a select portion of society tuned into his work and lasting cult presence. His literary accomplishments are set aside here to focus on the hellraising, with makes for more playful cinema, but a little of his antics go a long way. "Where the Buffalo Roam" doesn't work for various reasons, but most of the blame belongs to Linson, who spends a great deal of the run time hanging on for dear life, unsure how long to remain on destructive antics before the entertainment value expires, and his attempts to introduce any sense of emotional resonance evaporates immediately. Perhaps there's no reason for Thompson's misadventures to be committed to film at all, finding their greatest power on the page, where the reader's imagination is triggered by evocative prose. The big screen only offers mimicry, and while Murray is game to try, he can only do so much without a story.
2013
1996
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