Needless to say, I was warned about this film. I was warned by those who had seen it to stay away from it. But I am a big Tomas Jane fan. I love the guy as an actor. I read a lot of books and I can picture him as many of the characters I read. I loved him in The Mist, Mutant Chronicles, and thought he made a great Punisher. As a director however, I think he still needs some work. But I do not dislike his new film Dark Country much as some of friends do.
Dark Country is a film noir that gets its feel and look from the films of the forties and fifties. Tomas Jane and Lauren German play a couple traveling though the desert. During their late-night drive, they hit a man in the road. They pick up the bloodied man and take him to the nearest hospital. When the man wakes up, begins to babble about odd things, and threatens the couple. As the film moves along, it is apparent that there is more going on than one would think as the film turns into an episode of the Twilight Zone.
The film is shot very well. Its visuals made it obvious that it was shot using green screen, but it has a great noir feel. The style is very similar to that of some recent films such as Sin City and The Spirit, but Dark Country does not have Spirit’s use of color. There is a very heavy Twilight Zone and Hitchcock influence, however, the story is a bit hard to follow. The characters don’t have much of a background. All we really know about the leads is that they just got married and that they’re on their way through the Nevada desert. This makes the story confusing from the beginning. It is not until the very end that the full story comes into focus, but by that time, the damage is already done.
The acting actually is the film’s strong point. Both Tomas Jane and Lauren German are great in their roles. While their characters are not all developed, the script does offer some very well written dialogue, of which the actors take good advantage. There is also a cameo appearance by Hellboy himself, Ron Perlman, as the sheriff.
The DVD supports a few features, including commentary with Tomas Jane, screenwriter Tab Murphy and producer Patrick Aiello. It also includes a featurette about the making of the film, Journey to Dark Country.
Originally, the film was supposed to be in 3-D. The DVD copy I got was not, although it’s more than noticeable that there are certain scenes that would make for a good 3-D effect. Dark Country will not appeal to many horror fans. I have never read the graphic novel, but know that it does have a cult following. Fans of the graphic novel may be better equipped to follow the convoluted plot, and students of film may enjoy the film’s noir style and visual effects. A mass audience most likely will end up slightly confused.
– Horror Bob
- Interview with J.R. Bookwalter - January 22, 2015
- Interview with Andrew J. Rausch - January 22, 2015
- Interview with Rick Popko and Dan West - January 22, 2015
- Interview with Director Stevan Mena (Malevolence) - January 22, 2015
- Interview with Screenwriter Jeffery Reddick (Day of the Dead 2007) - January 22, 2015
- Teleconference interview with Mick Garris (Masters of Horror) - January 22, 2015
- A Day at the Morgue with Corri English (Unrest) - January 22, 2015
- Interview with Writer/Director Nacho Cerda (The Abandoned, Aftermath) - January 22, 2015
- Interview with Actress Thora Birch (Dark Corners, The Hole, American Beauty) - January 22, 2015
- Interview with Actor Jason Behr, Plus Skinwalkers Press Coverage - January 22, 2015
