Straight to DVD” carries a stigma that, in most cases, is not unwarranted. These films that never make their big screen debut are most likely either low-budget to the point of silly, boast a cast that nobody’s ever heard of, or they’re a third or fourth generation Disney sequel. That’s what makes IN THE ELECTRIC MIST such an oddity—it’s obviously not low budget, it’s got Tommy Lee Jones, John Goodman, and a whole slew of other familiar and seasoned actors, and there’s not a mermaid’s daughter or litter of talking astronaut puppies to be found. It is, by no means, a great movie, and I hesitate to even call it “good,” but it’s decent, and it’s definitely better than a whole lot of what does make it to the Cineplex 16 these days.
It’s based on a book, James Lee Burke’s IN THE ELECTRIC MIST WITH CONFEDERATE SOLDIERS, but having not read any of Burke’s novels, I came in completely unfamiliar with Dave Robicheaux (Jones). Apparently, there’s a whole series about him, and this particular story comes somewhere in the middle of that series. Three things are happening at once—one, Robicheaux is attempting to solve some murders of local runaways and hookers, and he’s trying to pin them on a mob guy named “Baby Feet” Balboni (Goodman). There’s also this actor, Elrod Sykes (Peter Sarsgaard), that Robicheaux pulls over for drunk driving—he has some ramble-y, beer-hazy story about finding a dead guy’s body in the bayou during filming. Then, when Robicheaux is out wandering about, he starts talking to a dead Confederate soldier who’s all full of wisdom. Somehow, all these plotlines—and a few more—are supposed to weave together and make a pretty mystery blanket, but it just doesn’t quite work.
It’s a nice attempt, though, and I think it would have benefitted from being longer. Director Bertrand Tavernier captures the local New Orleans look and flavor well, and Jones is, as always, impeccable. In fact, it’s hard to find fault with any of the performances, cinematography, music—alone, all the pieces of the movie are good. It’s just that it tries to cram in so much that, by the time it’s over and the “mysteries” are all solved, you’re left wondering who killed who, why they did it, and what did Story A really have to do with Stories B, C, J, X … ?? Each thread seemed to start off full of promise, like the part about Sykes. Apparently in the novel, it is revealed that he has experienced psychic visions since his youth, so when he starts babbling to Robicheaux about weird mystical nonsense, it actually has more credibility than in the film, where he just seems drunk. Then there’s Baby Feet—Goodman, as always, is entertaining to watch, but as far as being menacing, he’s just not given enough material to be mean in. And that whole Confederate soldier aspect—it was intriguing, but it never went anywhere.
Overall, IN THE ELECTRIC MIST disappoints, but isn’t your typical Straight to DVD fodder. You see that it had possibilities, and that the fault for them remaining unfulfilled is that so much is left unexplained, unsaid, and unexplored. As for any horror, sci-fi, or fantasy elements, sure there are some murder victims, and Robicheaux has those little chats with the ghost soldier, but there’s nothing remotely scary. If you’ve read the book, you might like the film, because knowing back stories and such might add a dimension that the rest of us missed entirely. Also, if you’re a hardcore Tommy Lee Jones fan, this is a solid performance—and he’s in every single scene. Really, though, this is little more than a lackluster but well made crime/character drama that’s both better and worse than you might expect.
– Amber Goddard
- 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
