Zyzzyx Road 4K Blu-ray Movie

Rating summary

Movie		2.5
Video		4.0
Audio		4.0
Extras		5.0
Overall		3.0

Zyzzyx Road 4K Blu-ray Movie Review

Reviewed by Jeffrey Kauffman November 23, 2024

They say there's no such thing as bad publicity, but as John Penney and Leo Grillo kind of hilariously get into in an appealing conversation about Zyzzyx Road included on the 1080 disc in this package when that publicity is about your film making history by having the all time lowest opening box office gross, a mere $30, maybe there is such a thing as bad publicity. That may be especially true when, as Penney and Grillo perhaps understandably seem very energized at making clear, the amount in question was never meant to be an "official" box office report, since Penney had already made deals for foreign distribution of the film and simply had to screen it briefly in the United States to meet perhaps some picayune Screen Actors Guild exhibition requirements. Also undeniably hilariously, as Penney mentions, that "screening" actually came courtesy of a DVD he provided to some megaplex in Texas, which must have made for a truly awesome cinematic viewing experience (not). The result of all of this has been that rightly or wrongly Zyzzyx Road has been consigned to a kind of unfortunate reputation that it may not have actually deserved, or at least not deserved in the context of only raking in a measly thirty bucks. Now this very definition of a cult item is getting a second chance at an audience (and making more than $30) with one of the first releases from MVD that I've reviewed that includes both a 4K UHD and 1080 presentation of the film.

Though it's spelled slightly differently, there is in fact a real life Zzyzx Road outside of Las Vegas, and it has a rather interesting history. Writer and director John Penney was driving past the road one night when his wife mentioned how unusual the name of the street was, and if Penney didn't remember the exact spelling correctly, he at least was able to concoct a frankly kind of daffy screenplay based on the isolated location. In Penney's formulation, lovers Grant (Leo Grillo, also a producer) and Marissa (Katherine Heigl) have driven out there to ostensibly ditch the body of Marissa's erstwhile boyfriend Joey (Tom Sizemore), whom the couple believes they've killed. Yeah, right.

What ensues is a deliberately hallucinogenic entry where the audience (and maybe the performers and director) might understandably be confused as to what's going on, or at least as to what's really going on, since Grant in particular is suffering from a head wound as the film opens and the subsequent revelations may either be "true" or the figment of his addled mind. The result is a frankly weird "three hander" that sees the trio of actors marauding around various desert locales attempting to survive, with a couple of really gonzo developments along the way. Suffice it to say that not everything is exactly as it may seem, which may redound to either the benefit or detriment of the film, depending on individual reactions.

Zyzzyx Road 4K Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

Note: Screenshots are sourced from the 1080 disc in this package.

Zyzzyx Road is presented in 4K UHD and 1080 courtesy of Dark Arts Entertainment and MVD Visual with HEVC / H.265 and AVC encoded 2160p and 1080p transfers in 1.78:1. As is discussed in some detail in the long piece on the 1080 disc featuring Penney, Grillo and McCaffrey, Grillo was able to more or less co-opt a then very rare Sony F900 to shoot the film. This nascent digital video technology was at that point becoming famous after having been used by George Lucas for Star Wars: Episode II - Attack of the Clones, but anyone looking for hi-res "glory" in this particular production had best temper their expectations. Both the 4K and 1080 presentations are kind of schizophrenic in a way (perhaps suitably, considering the unbalanced mental state of the characters). The brightly lit daytime material can offer generally excellent clarity (albeit with an undeniable "video" appearance) and some appealing detail levels. That said, various post production bells and whistles have been applied to various vignettes, and there are huge variances in suffusion and grading choices (some moments almost approach monochrome, while others are relatively bursting with color). Even some of the brightly lit material can show various anomalies, including traces of noise and some kind of odd issues that almost look like horizontal bands of noise that can move through the background of various scenes. These odd looking moments are probably only exacerbated by the increased resolution of the 4K UHD disc. The nighttime or dimly lit material in both formats just doesn't translate very well to either high definition or ultra high definition. Noise is much more marked, and what I'm assuming were further intentional tweaks to the imagery give a kind of pixellated, 16mm look at times which tends to further hobble detail levels. Maybe a bit surprisingly, HDR doesn't really add much in the way of shadow definition in the dark scenes, but does give some additional pop to the brightly lit and aggressively suffused outdoor material.

Zyzzyx Road 4K Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

Zyzzyx Road features DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 audio. The film's low budget probably prevented an overly elaborate sound design (the film was evidently released in mono theatrically), and as such surround activity in this presentation can be sparse at times, though noticeable when it does show up. Most of the immersive capabilities here are from ambient environmental sounds and occasionally from Ryan Beveridge's score. Dialogue is rendered cleanly and clearly throughout. Optional English subtitles are available.

Zyzzyx Road 4K Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

4K UHD Disc

• Introduction by Director John Penney and Actor Leo Grillo (HD; 1:07) is accessible under the Play Menu, where it's authored to lead directly to the main feature. The Play Menu also offers an option to simply play the film without the introduction.


• Commentary Track with Leo Grillo


• Commentary Track with John Penney

1080 Disc

• Introduction by Director John Penney and Actor Leo Grillo (HD; 1:07) is accessible under both the Bonus Menu, where it plays as a standalone, or under the Play Menu, where it's authored to lead directly to the main feature. As with the 4K UHD disc, the Play Menu also offers an option to simply play the film without the introduction.


• Archival Behind the Scenes

  Counter Attack (HD; 1:26)

  
  

  Katherine Gets Physical (HD; 1:28)

  
  

  Kill Her! (HD; 2:17)

  
  

  Killing Rickey (HD; 2:11)

  
  

  Location Scouting (HD; 2:14)

  
  

  Marissa Escapes (HD; 3:22)

  
  

  Marissa Survives (HD; 4:11)

  
  

  Scouting the Mine (HD; 2:43)

  
  

  Shotgun Rehearsal (HD; 2:26)

  
  

  Stunt Work in the Motel (HD; 2:24)

  
  

  Breaking Into the Trailer (HD; 2:29)

• Archival Interview with John Penney (HD; 26:27)


• Shooting Location Comparison (HD; 5:35)


• The Legacy of Zyzzyx Road: A Discussion (HD; 1:33:18) is a really fun sit down with John Penney, Leo Grillo and Valerie McCaffrey which gets into the genesis, shooting and "release" of the film (including that disputed $30 bit).


• Commentary Track with Leo Grillo


• Commentary Track with John Penney


• Storyboard Slideshow (HD; 12:07)


• Storyboard to Scenes

  The Corpse in the Trunk (HD; 3:59)

  
  

  Fight in the Motel (HD; 00:57)

  
  

  He's Not Dead! (HD; 1:45)

• Trailer (HD; 1:34)


• The Mystery of Zyzzyx Road Video (Chandler Dean) (HD; 4:47)

Additionally, packaging features a slipcover.

Zyzzyx Road 4K Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

This is another release where the main feature may be of questionable value, but where the supplements are so enjoyable and interesting (especially the sit down with Penney, Grillo and McCaffrey) that the release may attract more interest. Technical merits are generally okay considering the then nascent technology utilized, but my hunch is some videophiles may actually prefer the 1080 presentation to the 4K UHD presentation. One way or the other, those aforementioned supplements are really fun, for anyone who may be considering making a purchase.