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Letters From A Killer
List Price: Unknown [Buy now and save at Amazon]
It's only natural to try to pigeonhole films into genres. I prefer to come up with my own specific sub-genres though, and Letters From A Killer fits squarely into "Sunday afternoon movie on HBO". This subgenre describes fairly low budget 'whodunnit' movies with decent production values where the acting wavers in that mysterious gray area between "good" and "bad". These movies are entertaining as a diversion, but not exactly anything you'd want to go out and spend your hard-earned money on. I enjoyed Letters From A Killer somewhat, but it's not a disc I would personally purchase or even rent.
The Plot: Patrick Swayze proves he's still alive (somewhat) in Letters From A Killer as Race Darnell, a convicted murderer on death row who corresponds via audio tape with a number of different women. After a prison guard jokingly switches tapes, Race finds himself with four very unhappy women, one of whom threatens revenge. When his conviction is overturned, Race finds himself hunted and having to determine which of his former pen pals is gunning for him.
The Video: Presented in 1.78:1 anamorphic widescreen, the video isn't quite as sharp as it could be, but it still looks great. Some of the closeups on Swayze were noticeably softer than other shots, so maybe it was contractual. I have no idea, but I doubt you'll be disappointed. Also, although there was a bit of dust on the print at the beginning, it quickly disappears.
The Audio: In a word: thumpin'. This is the way action movies ought to be mixed. The range is wonderful, and in fight scenes, the bass is so heavy that you can almost feel every punch. Although I enjoyed this low-end assault, the other people watching Letters From A Killer with me found it a bit distracting. Your mileage may vary. I give the audio high marks, although the large amount of country music makes me want to think twice about that.
The Extras: Another entry in Sterling's Millenium Series, Letters From A Killer has a number of special features, most notably an above-average commentary with David Carson, the film's director. There's also a behind the scenes montage; think of an "HBO First Look" featurette minus the annoying voiceovers and fluff interviews. Aside from a rather silly trivia game, the other extras are only of marginal interest -- the usual photo gallery, cast & crew bios, and trailers for other Millenium Series films.
Conclusion: I was a bit surprised to see the MSRP for Letters From A Killer to be $29.95. As a $14.95 or $9.95 title, I could see myself recommending it. At such a high price though, there are hundreds of DVDs I'd recommend much more highly.
Final Word: If the phrase "a deadly game of cat-and-mouse" -- or anything even remotely similar -- appears on the box, be wary.
The Plot: Patrick Swayze proves he's still alive (somewhat) in Letters From A Killer as Race Darnell, a convicted murderer on death row who corresponds via audio tape with a number of different women. After a prison guard jokingly switches tapes, Race finds himself with four very unhappy women, one of whom threatens revenge. When his conviction is overturned, Race finds himself hunted and having to determine which of his former pen pals is gunning for him.
The Video: Presented in 1.78:1 anamorphic widescreen, the video isn't quite as sharp as it could be, but it still looks great. Some of the closeups on Swayze were noticeably softer than other shots, so maybe it was contractual. I have no idea, but I doubt you'll be disappointed. Also, although there was a bit of dust on the print at the beginning, it quickly disappears.
The Audio: In a word: thumpin'. This is the way action movies ought to be mixed. The range is wonderful, and in fight scenes, the bass is so heavy that you can almost feel every punch. Although I enjoyed this low-end assault, the other people watching Letters From A Killer with me found it a bit distracting. Your mileage may vary. I give the audio high marks, although the large amount of country music makes me want to think twice about that.
The Extras: Another entry in Sterling's Millenium Series, Letters From A Killer has a number of special features, most notably an above-average commentary with David Carson, the film's director. There's also a behind the scenes montage; think of an "HBO First Look" featurette minus the annoying voiceovers and fluff interviews. Aside from a rather silly trivia game, the other extras are only of marginal interest -- the usual photo gallery, cast & crew bios, and trailers for other Millenium Series films.
Conclusion: I was a bit surprised to see the MSRP for Letters From A Killer to be $29.95. As a $14.95 or $9.95 title, I could see myself recommending it. At such a high price though, there are hundreds of DVDs I'd recommend much more highly.
Final Word: If the phrase "a deadly game of cat-and-mouse" -- or anything even remotely similar -- appears on the box, be wary.
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