In Collection
#48
Seen It:
Yes
USA / English
| Denzel Washington |
John Hobbes |
| John Goodman |
Jonesy |
| Donald Sutherland |
Lieutenant Stanton |
| Embeth Davidtz |
Gretta Milano |
| James Gandolfini |
Lou |
| Gabriel Casseus |
Art |
| Robert Joy |
Charles |
| Elias Koteas |
Edgar Reese |
| Aida Turturro |
Tiffany |
| Wendy Cutler |
Denise |
| Director |
Gregory Hoblit |
| Producer |
Charles Roven; Dawn Steel |
| Writer |
Nicholas Kazan |
| Cinematography |
Newton Thomas Sigel |
| Musician |
Mick Jagger; Tan Dun; Keith Richards |
Although it received mixed reactions from critics and audiences alike when released in 1998, this supernatural thriller benefits from a sustained atmosphere of anticipation and dread, and its combination of detective mystery and demonic mischief is handled with ample style and intelligence. Under the direction of Gregory Hoblit (who fared better with
Primal Fear), Denzel Washington plays detective John Hobbes, who witnesses the gas-chamber execution of a serial killer (Elias Koteas). But when another series of murders begins, Hobbes suspects that the killer's evil spirit has survived and is possessing the bodies of others to do its evil bidding. Even Hobbes's trusted partner (John Goodman) thinks the detective is losing his grip on reality, but the dire warnings of a noted linguist (Embeth Davidtz) confirm Hobbes's far-out theory, and his case intensifies toward a fateful showdown. Although its idea is better than its execution, and the story's film noir ambitions are never fully accomplished, this slickly directed thriller has some genuinely effective moments in which evil forces are entwined into the fabric of everyday reality. Among the highlights is a memorable scene in which Detective Hobbes must track the killer as the evil spirit is transferred between many people via physical contact. Even if the film is ultimately less than the sum of its parts, it's an intriguing hybrid that resides in the same cinematic neighborhood as
Seven and
The Silence of the Lambs with a cast that also includes Donald Sutherland and James Gandolfini. Included on the DVD is a full-length audio commentary by director Hoblit, screenwriter Nicholas Kazan, and producer Charles Roven.
--Jeff Shannon
| Distributor |
Turner Home Ent |
| Barcode |
0053939643428 |
| Region |
Region 1 |
| Release Date |
6/17/1998 |
| Packaging |
Snap Case |
| Screen Ratio |
2.35:1 |
| Subtitles |
English; Spanish; French |
| Audio Tracks |
English Dolby Digital 5.1 |
| Layers |
Dual Side, Dual Layer |
| No. of Disks/Tapes |
1 |
|
Interactive Menus Feature-Length Audio Commnetary by Director, Screenwriter, and Producer Production Notes Theatrical Trailer Scene Access |
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