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Buffalo '66
List Price: Unknown [Buy now and save at Amazon]
In Short: A wild, entertaining little indie film, but a basic DVD edition.
The Movie:
A rather odd, but occasionally amusing independent comedy, "Buffalo '66" stars Vincent Gallo as Billy Brown, a criminal who has been released from jail after five years. Bumping into a dance class, he finds Layla(Christina Ricci) and decides to kidnap her to bring to his parents. He's a dark, unlikable character, but it's an intense performance by Gallo that makes the film(which he also wrote and directed) interesting to watch. He needs Layla to play the role of his wife while visiting his parents, who are an odd couple in themselves. His mother (played by Angelica Huston), watches football and his father (Ben Gazzara), doesn't talk too much.
The girl doesn't like this new partnership, but doesn't put up too much of a fight and eventually agrees to help the stranger charm his parents. It's a situation and a film, for that matter, that I equate to watching a talk show. It's strange, it's sometimes dark and funny, sometimes depressing, but for some reason, you can't take your eyes off it. The performances of all the actors are quite good, but it's a subtle, smart performance by Ricci that steals the show. There's an undeniable edge that runs through the movie and a gritty feel that is engaging throughout, almost a feeling as if the actors were allowed to do what they wanted and shape their performances. Gallo is a talented director and writer, and hopefully he'll make more films. "Buffalo '66" has its share of awkward moments and scenes, but overall, it's a fine effort.
The DVD
VIDEO: An anamorphic transfer from Universal in the film's original 1.85:1 aspect ratio and for the most part, it looks pretty good. Images are crisp and although not quite razor sharp, they are still pleasing, especially for a somewhat low budget production like this one. Colors are natural, although the intent seems to be to go with a slightly muted palette. Flesh tones are accurate and natural.
There aren't many problems and generally I thought this was quite a nice disc in terms of image quality. Aside from the images not always being terribly sharp, the only other slight problem is a bit of grain here and there and the occasional, minor mark on the print. Other than that, I couldn't find anything wrong with the transfer. Fans of the movie, and there are certainly quite a number of them, will definitely be pleased.
SOUND: Not too terribly active, which is to be expected from a film like this and a production with a fairly small budget such as this one. There aren't any problems with distortion or other similar flaws, and even minor problems are captured nicely. Dialogue is not terribly strong sounding, but clear and easily understandable.
MENUS:: Basic, although stylish and easily navigated menus.
EXTRAS: The trailer and production notes/cast and crew bios.
Final Thoughts Definitely worth a look as a rental. I would have loved to have heard a commentary, but unfortunately, this is only a basic release. If you've already seen the movie, pick it up, but if you haven't, rent it first.
The Movie:
A rather odd, but occasionally amusing independent comedy, "Buffalo '66" stars Vincent Gallo as Billy Brown, a criminal who has been released from jail after five years. Bumping into a dance class, he finds Layla(Christina Ricci) and decides to kidnap her to bring to his parents. He's a dark, unlikable character, but it's an intense performance by Gallo that makes the film(which he also wrote and directed) interesting to watch. He needs Layla to play the role of his wife while visiting his parents, who are an odd couple in themselves. His mother (played by Angelica Huston), watches football and his father (Ben Gazzara), doesn't talk too much.
The girl doesn't like this new partnership, but doesn't put up too much of a fight and eventually agrees to help the stranger charm his parents. It's a situation and a film, for that matter, that I equate to watching a talk show. It's strange, it's sometimes dark and funny, sometimes depressing, but for some reason, you can't take your eyes off it. The performances of all the actors are quite good, but it's a subtle, smart performance by Ricci that steals the show. There's an undeniable edge that runs through the movie and a gritty feel that is engaging throughout, almost a feeling as if the actors were allowed to do what they wanted and shape their performances. Gallo is a talented director and writer, and hopefully he'll make more films. "Buffalo '66" has its share of awkward moments and scenes, but overall, it's a fine effort.
The DVD
VIDEO: An anamorphic transfer from Universal in the film's original 1.85:1 aspect ratio and for the most part, it looks pretty good. Images are crisp and although not quite razor sharp, they are still pleasing, especially for a somewhat low budget production like this one. Colors are natural, although the intent seems to be to go with a slightly muted palette. Flesh tones are accurate and natural.
There aren't many problems and generally I thought this was quite a nice disc in terms of image quality. Aside from the images not always being terribly sharp, the only other slight problem is a bit of grain here and there and the occasional, minor mark on the print. Other than that, I couldn't find anything wrong with the transfer. Fans of the movie, and there are certainly quite a number of them, will definitely be pleased.
SOUND: Not too terribly active, which is to be expected from a film like this and a production with a fairly small budget such as this one. There aren't any problems with distortion or other similar flaws, and even minor problems are captured nicely. Dialogue is not terribly strong sounding, but clear and easily understandable.
MENUS:: Basic, although stylish and easily navigated menus.
EXTRAS: The trailer and production notes/cast and crew bios.
Final Thoughts Definitely worth a look as a rental. I would have loved to have heard a commentary, but unfortunately, this is only a basic release. If you've already seen the movie, pick it up, but if you haven't, rent it first.
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