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| Reviewed by: Chris Burton 02 Nov 2008 Hell Ride
| |  I suppose this is some sort of throwback to the Roger Corman 60’s films full of fast rides and faster women. Those are definitely interesting movies to watch. Some are even halfway decent, like The Intruder. But mostly they’re all flash and no substance. But that was okay, because Corman was an original. However, when you do basically the same thing but 40 years later, that originality goes out the window, and all you’re left is bored.
‘Presented by Quentin Tarantino’ is a much more common phrase seen in trailers nowadays. While I’m definitely a fan of Tarantino’s, his fanboy enthusiasm can overwhelm what would otherwise be decent choices. Not in the films he directs, but in those he produces. Hostel 2, and this are fine examples.
The director, Larry Bishop was a staple in the 60’s and 70’s films Hell Ride beckons to. But in his switch from actor to director, he seems to be borrowing a bit too much from Tarantino. The movie is about a war between two rival gangs of bikers - the Victors and the 666ers. The Victors are led by the grizzled Pistolero (Larry Bishop) and his two lieutenants, The Gent (Michael Madsen) and Comanche (Eric Balfour). They are aided and abetted by old-timer Eddie Zero (Dennis Hopper), who was at one time Pistolero's right-hand man. The war that ensues is a bit heavy on style, and definitely lacking in any interesting dialogue or characters. And the acting leaves much to be desired. But if you’re the kind of guy who likes these types of films, then you should have fun with it. I just couldn’t push aside the movies many imperfections enough to simply sit back and enjoy the Hell Ride.
The blu-ray is presented in 1.85:1 and encoded at 1080p. Bishop filmed this movie in a very gritty way. If the transfer wasn't done well, it would be difficult to tell at which points the film is intentionally grainy and at which point it is the transfer. This is a great transfer, though. The colors are strong and pristine. Besides the intentional noise and grain on the picture, there is none due to the quality of the disc.
The audio is Dolby Digital EX Surround. It sounds great, especially the music played in the background of disturbing scenes, adding to the mood. The dialogue is also, of course, crisp and clear. |
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Copyright (c) 2007 Rock Star Media Works, Inc. All rights reserved.
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