COFFEE AND CIGARETTES (2003) (Blu-ray Review)

COFFEE AND CIGARETTES (2003) 

Label: Olive Films
Region Code: A
Duration: 97 Minutes 
Rating: R
Audio: English DTS-HD MA 5.1 with Optional English Subtitles 
Video: 1080p HD Widescreen (1.78:1) 
Director: Jim Jarmusch
Cast: Bill Murray, Roberto Benigni, Isaach De Bankolé, Jack White, Meg White, Taylor Mead, Steve Buscemi, Alfred Molina, Steve Coogan, Cate Blanchett, Iggy Pop, Tom Waits,  Joie Lee

Synopsis: Comprised of eleven vignettes whose topics range from the theories of Nikola Tesla and caffeine popsicles to the possibility that Elvis had an evil twin, Coffee and Cigarettes is a cinematic celebration of life and its addictions featuring an eclectic cast of performers including Bill Murray (Broken Flowers), Cate Blanchett (Blue Jasmine), Roberto Benigni (Life is Beautiful), Iggy Pop (Cry-Baby), Tom Waits (Ironweed), Joie Lee (Do The Right Thing), Steve Buscemi (Fargo), Alfred Molina (Prick up Your Ears) and Steve Coogan (Philomena).

Jim Jarmusch's Coffee and Cigarettes is an anthology that is thematically a series of eleven black and white vignettes of various people partaking in coffee and cigarettes at various locations, engaging in small talk and conversational chit chat, it's just that simple. The addictive titular substances seems to be the only cohesive elements binding the stories, that and the black and white cinematography.

We begin with Strange to Meet You which was shot back in 1986, this is the first in the series, starring comedians Steven Wright and Roberto Benigni, playing themselves, slurping coffee with Benigni offering to attend Wright's dental appointment at the end. The two contrast each other nicely, Wright is his usual low-energy self and Benigni is a jittery caffeine-nut, good stuff. 

Twins stars Spike Lee siblings Joie and Cinqué Lee at a diner in memphis, arguing the way twins can do, while being waited on by Steve Buscemi, who proves to be the most interesting part of the short with a tale of Elvis Presley's evil twin. 

Somewhere in California, shot in 1993, is a meet-up with rocker Iggy Pop and singer/songwriter Tom Waits in a dive bar under a disco ball light, somewhere in California, obviously. These two have the perfect craggy faces for black and white, Waits speaks about delivering a baby on the side of the road earlier in the day while the two discuss having given up smoking years earlier, only to light 'em up just two prove they don't need to. This one is weird, the two are awkward together, as if they are only just then meeting for the first time, which it could have been for all I know. 

Those Things'll Kill Ya features actors Joseph Rigano and Vinny Vella meeting for breakfast, with one berating the other for not eating, warning him about the dangers of cigarettes. One of their sons arrives, in a wordless role, asking for money from his pops, promising a hug which never comes.  

Renée stars the hauntingly attractive actress Renée French having coffee alone at a diner, reading a book and enjoying a smoke, when the smitten waiter comes by hoping to make small talk, only to end up spoiling her perfect cup of coffee which she had at just the right color and temperature when he carelessly tops off her cup without asking. I do not know French from anything, but she has a face that looks just about perfect in black and white, eschewing cool without trying, this one stuck with me just because of the haunting noir-ish beauty of the star. 

No Problem is a low point for me, Alex Descas and Isaach De Bankolé meet for coffee, one asks the other if he has any problem he would like to talk about, to which he replies again and again and again that he does not. There's a punchline of sorts at the end, but this is still a low point for me, though I will say that I have been part of similar conversations where someone pestered me about "what;s wrong", so annoying, maybe that's why I didn't like it. 

Cousins starring actress Cate Blanchett in a dual role is one of my favorites here, playing a version of herself as well as a distant cousin who has a lot of resentment for her famous relative.  The two meet up in the lobby of a hotel while Blanchett is doing a press junket, it's a weird, that is quietly catty encounter which I enjoyed quite a bit, Blanchett herself seems to feign interest in her cousin, while her cousin cannot help but throw out a few small digs whenever she can.

Rockers Jack and Meg white of the now defunct rock duo The white Stripes appear in Jack Shows Meg His Tesla Coil, which is just that, the two having coffee and cigs, while off to the side of Jack is a homemade Tesla Coil sitting in a kids wagon, which he offers to demonstrate for her, which he does to a degree of success before it goes kaput, all the while espousing the genius of Nikola Tesla. Worth noting, while I haven't made any mention of the music of the movie yet, each segment features a backing music track, this one features proto-punkers The Stooges burning through "Down on the Street" from the seminal Funhouse album. 

Cousins? stars alfred Molina and Steve Coogan, and features the stars meeting-up for a proper cup of tea and biscuits, Molina is at first rather excited and curious to meet Coogan, but it ends with a mutual disappointment. At one point Molina reveals that through an Italian-connection they are somehow related. The appreciation doesn't' seem to go both ways, it speaks to the nature of being let down when meeting someone, and to the duplicitous nature of people. My favorite part is a brief mention of how seeing palm trees in L.A. annoys Coogan, not sure why  that appealed to me. 

Delirium stars comedy legend and all around cool guy Bill Murray at a diner along with GZA and RZA of rappers the Wu-Tang Clan, and Murray is as expected steals the show as himself in "disguise" as a waiter at the diner, Talking to the rappers about caffeine derived delirium while sipping straight from the coffee pot while the rappers offer a cure for his smoker's cough, the ill-advised gargling n the throat with oven-cleaner. 

The last one is a weird melancholy bit with William Rice and Taylor Mead enjoying coffee in a warehouse while discussing "Ich bin der Welt abhanden gekommen" from Mahler's Rückert-Lieder, also featuring a call back to Jack White's discussion of tesla and "acoustical resonance". 

Audio/Video: Jarmusch's Coffee and Cigarettes arrives on Blu-ray from Olive Films framed in 1.78:1 widescreen, the image is appropriately grainy and textured - this shot on both 16mm and 35mm - and the Blu-ray does a much nicer job of resolving grain and fine detail than mu old 2005 DVD, as you'd expect. The only audio option on the disc is an English DTS-HD MA 5.1 surround mix, its very front centric, the dialogue is crisp and clean, and the score includes music from The Stooges, Richard Berry & The Pharaohs and Tom Waits among others, though it is background music and not the focus of the track. The biggest compliment I can give the mix is that you get a feel for the distinct spaces for each segment. 

Extras come by way of a 2-min trailer and an 4-min interview with Taylor Mead who discusses his appreciation for the movie. 

Special Features: 
- Interview with Taylor Mead (4 Min) 
- Trailer (2 Min) HD 

Coffee and Cigarettes (2003) is a wildly uneven watch, the mix of intriguing, deadpan and innocuous chit chat doesn't make for the most cohesive viewing experience, but it certainly is an interesting watch. It has been and probably will be for a long time be considered one of Jarmusch's lesser entries, but it has a charm about it that I enjoyed. 3/5  

DVD Review: IGGY & THE STOOGES: RAW POWER LIVE IN THE HANDS OF FANS (2011)

IGGY AND THE STOOGES
RAW POWER LIVE IN THE HANDS OF FANS (2010)

LABEL: MVD Visual
REGION CODE: 1 NTSC
RATING: Unrated
DURATION: 81 mins
AUDIO:Dolby Digital 2.0. 51
VIDEO: 16:9 Widescreen
DIRECTOR:Joey Carry

Filmed towards the end of their 2010 reunion tour RAW POWER LIVE IN THE HANDS OF FANS captures Iggy and the Stooges blistering live performance of the classic RAW POWER (1973) album at the All Tomorrow's Parties Festival in Monticello, New York. The performance was filmed by six contestants who entered an online contest for a chance to both meet and document the band at this very performance. The show kicks off all guns blazing as Iggy and the Stooges pummel through "Raw Power" and right into a fiery rendition of the anthemic "Search and Destroy" without missing a beat. Iggy prowls the stage with a gimpy spastic energy, surely rock n' roll must be the fountain of youth because Iggy's 63 and his on-stage antics would tire a younger man of twenty. RAW POWER era guitarist James Williamson fills the void left by founding guitarist Ron Asheton who passed on early 2009. Williamson who also played on Iggy's fantastic solo LP NEW VALUES (1979) wields his guitar like an precision stone-age club, his playing is spot-on and razor sharp with screaming solos and crushing riffs non-stop. On the rhythm section is original founding member Scott Asheton propelling the band with a neanderthal stomp that anchors Mike Watt's snaky groove firmly pushing the rock cacophony along towards total annihilation. Also joining the band is FUNHOUSE era saxophonist Steve Mackay who's wailing is deeply felt throughout the set, particularly the FUNHOUSE and KILL CITY material.

The Stooges are definitely a band I adore and when I say they were on fire this night it's no mere empty adoration, the proof is righ there on screen and pumping through surrounds. Iggy can still work a crowd into a frenzy while pulling fans onstage during "Shake Appeal" or crooning the gritty blues number "I Need Somebody", the band sounds fantastic throughout and the serpentine "Penetration" sounded particularly awesome this night. The entirety of RAW POWER album is performed albeit with some tinkering to the track listing.


It's great to hear the tunes from RAW POWER cranked out but the album that I most often blast in my car is FUNHOUSE (1970). It a primal art-punk masterpiece that channels the Stooges jazz influences so I was psyched to hear the band bust out  "1970" and "Funhouse" plus classics like "I Wanna Be Your Dog" from THE STOOGES (1969) which stills peels paint, love that riff! Enthusiasts are in for a treat as they not only pull from their three major albums but even dust off some very cool post-Stooges tunes in the form of the saxxed-up instrumental "Night Theme" and "Beyond the Law" from the Pop/Williamson demo session KILL CITY (1975) then right into "I Got a Right" from the semi-official bootleg METALLIC K.O. (1976) from which we also get a powerful rendition of "Open Up and Bleed". It's a blistering show and it climaxes with a the dirty stoner-stomp of "No Fun". There's not a misstep to be found this night, the band sounds tight, dangerous and exhilarating from there word go.

DVD: The concert film is presented in 16:9 widescreen. As per the title the cinematography is in the hands of the six contestants but I gotta say it's impressively coherent all things considered and captures the visceral concert experience quite admirably. Audio options include a choice of either Dolby Digital 2.0 or 5.1 Surround mixes and for the purpose of this review I opted just for the 5.1 and it sounds pretty great. The band is razor sharp and the audio is not overly polished or over-dubbed, it's live and raw and I would expect nothing else, it's pure rock n' roll blasting you from start to finish, a caterwaul of sound in the best possible way.

Special features consist of a backstage interview with Iggy, James and Scott conducted by the six contest winners chosen to film the concert. The band speak to their influences early on, the transformation from avante-garde noisemakers to a bonafide threatening rock n' roll band, their sound, the recording of RAW POWER and what they might do differently if recorded today, song writing and the Stooges legacy. Also included are the submission videos from the contest winners, definitely people who love music and are Stooges super-fans, it must have been pure nirvana for them to have had this experience. Rounding out the disc are two promos for the contest featuring Iggy Pop and Handsome Dick Manitoba, the singer of The Dictators, a classic late 70's NYC punk band and if you don't know who they are I say to you go buy the BLOODBROTHERS album as quickly as possible, yesterday if possible. Lastly, an 8 page booklet with pictures and writing on the band and this performance from former bassist and Minuteman/fIREHOSE frontman Mike Watt who is a world class bassist in his own right and has been plugging away with the Stooges since 2003.

SPECIAL FEATURES:
Exclusive Interview with Iggy Pop, James and Scott (43:58)
- Contest Submission Videos (12:18)
- Iggy and Dick Manitoba Promos (5:36)
- Liner Notes by Mike Watt

TRACK LISTING
1. Raw Power
2. Search and Destroy
3. Gimme Danger
4. Your Pretty Face is Going to Hell
5. Shake Appeal
6. I Need Somebody
7. Penetration
8. Death Trip
9. 1970 (I Feel Alright)
10. Night Theme
11. Beyond the Law
12. I Got A Right
13. I Wanna Be Your Dog
14. Open Up & Bleed
15. Fun House
16. No Fun


VERDICT: If you're a Iggy and the Stooges devotee or maybe just into the garage-punk scene this is really a no-brainer. A raucous visual document that is a testament to the burning virility of the raucous music these guys from Detroit made over thirty years ago. I watched this twice the day I received it and twice more since and again now as I write this and let me tell you it gets better every damn time.    

DVD Review: HARDWARE (1991)

HARDWARE (1990) 

LABEL: Umbrella Entertainment
REGION CODE: 4 PAL 
RATING: 18 Certificate
DURATION: 93 mins
VIDEO: Anamorphic Widescreen (1.85:1)
AUDIO: English Dolby Digital 5.1. 2.0
DIRECTOR: Richard Stanley
CAST: Dylan McDermott, Iggy pop, Stacey Travis, Carl McCoy
TAGLINE: You Can't Stop Progress.

Auteur filmmaker Richard Stanley's feature film debut is a stone cold sci-fi cult classic actioner set in the dismal post-apocalyptic 21st century. A desolate place where the world's governments seem to have made good on their DR. STRANGELOVE-ian promise to reduce the world to a nuclear scarred wasteland. Survivors eek out a gritty existence in squalid, over populated city slums foraging the red-tinted radioactive wastelands for scrap metal. One such scavenger or "zone-tripper" (Carl McCoy, of Goth rockers FIELDS OF NEPHILIM) recovers the battle worn skull of a cyborg buried in the sands dunes of the forbidden outlands. He takes his unique haul to the pint-sized scrap dealer Alvy (Mark Northover, WILLOW) where he encounters Moses Baxter (Dylan McDermot, HAMBURGER HILL), a weary soldier returning from a tour of duty, his right hand lost to the ravages of war, a metal-gloved prosthetic in it's place. Both he and friend Shades (John Lynch, BLACK DEATH) are at Alvy's shop when the "zone tripper" arrives with the recovered cyborg skull along with other assorted parts. Intrigued by the skull Moses compensates the scavenger for the parts which appear to come from an unusually well-crafted labor drone. Moses brings the skull to his metal-sculpter girlfriend Jill (Stacey Travis, PHANTASM II) to incorporate into he latest project.

Reuiniting with Jill at their apartment they make love (under the watchful eye of twisted voyeur) and discuss the possibility of starting a family but it's a sore subject. Jill fears bringing a child into a post-apocalyptic world ("it's stupid, sadistic and suicidal to have children right now") and worries that years of exposure to nuclear fallout may breed mutant offspring. In the background we hear news reports that the government is soon to pass legislation geared towards making "a clean break from procreation" while radio DJ Angry Bob (voiced by proto-punker Iggy Pop) screams nihilistic noise into the mic ("Kill! Kill! Kill! Today's death count is 578!"). Richard Stanley's film does a pretty decent job of creating a post-apocalyptic landscape through cyberpunk visuals, dystopian TV and radio news broadcasts and shots of overcrowded city slums. It's a modestly budgeted feature but the world building onscreen is quite effective.

Later that night Moses receives an urgent call from Alvy insisting he return to the scrap yard, that he has urgent information but the phone lines have too many ears to divulge it. Alvy intrigued by the android design has discovered that the parts are not from any ordinary drone but from the M.A.R.K 13 military program aimed to create an unstoppable mechanical combat droid capable of artificial intelligence and self-regeneration. Before Alvy can relay the information he is killed by a reactivated piece of the droid left behind, which injects hims with a deadly hallucinogenic toxin. Moses arrives discovering his corpse but is able to piece together the information from design plans and Alvy's PC screen. Alarmed that Jill is in danger he phones Shades who lives nearby but unfortunately hopelessly spaced out in an acid induced daze muttering nonsense ("It's my heart... it feels like an alligator"). With his tripped-out pal hopefully on his way to warn Jill the panicked Mo makes a mad dash to the apartment, but he is slowed down by some MAD MAX styled street punks.

Sure 'nuff the M.A.R.K 13 has reassembled itself using it's own parts, pieces of Jill's metal sculpture and then recharges itself using the apartments computer network. Once fully functional it attempts to cut Jill in half with a buzz saw blade while she sleeps but she awakens at the last possible moment, escaping it's first assault. The crafy cyborg takes up hiding in her apartment just as the pervy neighbor Lincoln (William Hootkins, BATMAN), who is obsessed with Jill after many a night sweatily (and one-handedly) peeping her through a telescope, arrives to offer his assistance having noticed some strange goings on from his perch. He creepily helps her search the apartment for the killer bot while bizarrely singing a song called "Wibberly-Wobberly" but the M.A.R.K 13 is nowhere to be found. The sleazy voyeur is about to be ushered out the door when he notices that the window shades have been drawn, blocking his telescopic view, a perv until the end. As he approaches the window to draw the shades the bio-mechanical cyborg assassin reveals itself and just totally destroys him; injecting him with the deadly toxin, gouging his eyeballs from his skull while a phallic drillbit tears through his torso and repeatedly slamming his head into the floor, this thing ain't fucking around, it's a vicious death 

Alone again with the cyborg Jill finds that she is unable to escape her apartment because the M.A.R.K 13 has hacked her security system and she's left with little choice but to face the unstoppable cyborg which stalks her slasher style through the apartment. Eventually Shades and Moses show up along with the apartment's goofy security staff who are able to break their way inside but one of the security staff is grotesquely severed in half by the apartment's security door, his gun going off shooting the other guard in the face leaving a very-stoned Shades and a desperate Moses to devise a solution to a worsening situation, it's a total cluster fuck.

The film's finale is completely out of control and reads like the final reel of THE TERMINATOR as filmed by INFERNO era Dario Argento with strobing lights, dark shadows bathed in saturated red and blue lighting and non-stop psychedelic cyberpunk action. Actress Stacey Travis (GHOSTWORLD) really centers the film standing in for Sarah Connor as a frantic but feisty heroine with McDermot ast the ill-fated Kyle Reese character.  HARDWARE was Richard Stanley's feature film debut following a series of shorts, documentaries and music videos and is based on a comic called 'SHOK! Walter's Robo-Tale' which I've not seen but apparently the creators took legal action against the film at some point to receive proper recognition for their work. Stanley next film was the more esoteric DUST DEVIL, a fantastic dreamy South African horror film following the exploits of a shape-shifting demon spirit. Following DUST DEVIL he wrote the screenplay and was to direct the big budget adaptation of the H.G. Wells novel 'The Island of Dr. Moreau' only to be fired from the project four days into filming. I can't help but wonder what his finished film would have been like knowing how awesomely terrible director John Frankenheimer's ISLAND OF DR. MOREAU ended up being following a script re-write. Stanley returned to documentary filmmaking the decade following but the 2000's have seen him return to scripted cinema with a few short films including SEA OF PERDITION (included as a special feature on this disc), a werewolf short BLACK TULIPS and most recently the segment MOTHER OF TOADS from Severin Film's THE THEATRE BIZARRE anthology film which I look forward to checking out as soon as possible.  

DVD: HARDWARE is presented in anamorphic widescreen in it's original aspect ration of 1.85:1 with only minor print damage that betrays the occasional white speck and rare instance of printdamage. Otherwise it's a very nice looking print and the transfer offers a healthy amount of natural grain with decent black levels, color saturation and accurate skin tones. Audio options include English Dobly Digital 5.1 surround sound  or 2.0 stereo. It's a very clean audio presentation with well balanced sound, clear dialogue and without any noticeable snap, crackles or pops. The industrial-rock soundtrack sounds magnificent with contributions from MINISTRY, PUBLIC IMAGE LTD plus a very fine score by composer Simon Boswelll who's name you'll may recognize from from Argento's PHENOMNA, Lamberto Bava's DEMONS 2 and Alejandro Jodorowsky's SANTA SANGRE amon others.

Special features include an audio commentary with director Richard Stanley and producer Paul Trijbits. Stanley regularly voices displeasure over producer interference on the film, it's not an overwhelmingly positive track but it makes for a good listen. It should be noted that the commentary is different than the track featured on Severin Film's Region 1 HARDWARE DVD and Blu-ray. Something I was keen to hear was mention of the SHOK! lawsuit but it's not to be found here, unfortunately. We get a selection of deleted scenes including some behind-the-scenes footage and extended scenes which look like they've been sourced from a VHS tape.

The real treasure here are the short films of director Richard Stanley, four in all totalling over 95 minutes. THE VOICE OF THE MOON (1990) is an experimental super 8mm documentary on the Russian Invasion of Afghanistan which completely glazed over my eyes. Quite the opposite is Stanley's fantastic sci-fi short SEA OF PERDITION (2006). Too short! I wanted more of this one, certainly a film that makes me wish someone would throw some major cash Stanley's way, great stuff. An interesting document of Stanley early films is the 8mm relic RITES OF PASSAGE (1983) which features a suicidal man remembering his past life as a primitive man, weird but compelling, which you can say about a lot of the director's work. The last film is what I consider the centerpiece of the bonus content on the disc;  INCIDENT IN AN EXPANDING UNIVERSE (1985) an 8mm precursor to HARDWARE containing many of the elements and themes of the latter film, the presentation is a bit rough but it's a nice compliment to the film.


SPECIAL FEATURES:
- Audio Commentary with director and producer
- THE VOICE OF THE MOON documentary by Richard Stanley (32:25) 4:3
- Richard Stanley Sci-Fi-short SEA OF PERDITION (8:32) 16:9
- Super 8 Short Film RITES OF PASSAGE (9:49) 4:3
- Super 8 Short Film INCIDENTS IN AN EXPANDING UNIVERSE (44:28) 4:3
- Deleted Scenes, Extended and Behind the Scenes Clips (25:02) 4:3
- Original Hardware Promo (3:22) 4:3

VERDICT: HARDWARE is a psychedelic cyber-slasher nightmare that's honestly pretty derivative of other better-known sci-fi actioners (BLADERUNNER, MAD MAX, THE TERMINATOR) but Stanley's unique visual style and dystopian flourishes prove hugely entertaining, a very strong debut film and one of the 90's better genre films. Additionally I think it's a crime against cinema that Richard Stanley hasn't been given a fair shake, this is a great film and I give it not just a recommendation but declare it a MUST BUY! Umbrella Entertainment's release of HARDWARE is also available on 1080p Blu-ray.

Blu-ray Review: DEAD MAN (1995)

DEAD MAN (1995)

Label: Echo Bridge Entertainment
Region Code: Region A
Rating: R
Duration: 121 mins
Video: 1080p 16x9 Widescreen (1.78:1)
Audio: DTS-HD MA Stereo 2.0
Director: Jim Jarmusch
Cast: Johhny Depp, Gary Framer, Lance Henriksen, Michael Wincott, Euegen Byrd, Mili Aviatal, Crispin Glover, Iggy Pop, Billy Bob Thornton, Jared Harris, Gabriel Byrne, Robert Mitchum, John Hurt, Alfred Molina

In Jim Jarmucsh's black and white acid-western DEAD MAN Johnny Depp (THE NINTH GATE) portrays William Blake, a young accountant from Cleveland who packs his bags and embarks on a journey to start life anew in the Western frontier town of Machine where he has been offered a job at the Dickinson Metal Works. On the train ride from to Machine the soft-handed city rube sticks out like a sore thumb among the Western frontier folk and rugged buffalo hunters who shoot buffalo from the train. The ride gets weirder when the trains soot covered coal shoveler (Crispin Glover, RIVER'S EDGE) enters the car and sits across from Blake offering a cryptic foretelling of doom.

Arriving in Machine young Blake walks into the metal works where he is informed by the business manager (John Hurt, ALIEN) that he's a month late and the position is no longer available. Blake demands to talk with the Mr.  Dickinson (Robert Mitchum, CAPE FEAR) who promptly drives him off the property at the business end of a double-barrel shotgun. With no job prospects and dwindling funds Blake wanders the grim streets of Machine until he comes to a saloon where he makes the acquaintance of young prostitute named Thel (Mili Avital) who take him home to her bed where her jealous ex-lover Charlie (Gabriel Byrne, MILLER'S CROSSING) bursts into the room and fires upon Blake but Thel throws herself in front of the bullet which kills her and strikes Blake in the chest. Blake grabs the woman's gun and kills Charlie, wounded and dazed he escapes through a window and leaves town on the back of a stolen pony. As it turns out Charlie was the son of Mr. Dickinson and the wealthy factory owner places a large bounty on the head of Blake for the murder of his son and even lays the death of Thel on him, too. Three cold-blooded killers are hired to hunt down Blake; Conway Twill (Michael Wincott, CURTAINS) and Johnny "The Kid" Pickett (Eugene Byrd, TV's BONES) and a cannibalistic psychopath named Cole Wilson (Lance Henriksen, ALIENS).

Blake awakens the next day to the sight of an American Indian calling himself Nobody (Gary Farmer, GHOST DOG) performing surgery on his chest wound but he tells Blake that the bullet is too close to his heart and that death is a certainty. Nobody believes that Blake is the reincarnation of the poet William Blake and that he will accompany him to the Pacific Ocean so that he can return his spirit to it's proper place in the spirit world. The Native American outcast acts as Blake's guide to the cleansing waters of the West. The duo amass quite a bodycount in their wake as they encounter many would-be bounty hunters and scoundrels on their path.

The film is certainly a strange beast and has a surreal disconnect that lends an existential quality to Blake's doomed journey through what I would call  purgatory. The setting is pure authentic Western and evokes the scent of sawdust and woodsmoke. The film boasts a stellar supporting actors that includes screen legend Robert Mitchum in his final performance plus a cast of gristle-faced characters whose craggy features drink up Robby Muller's (TO LIVE AND DIE IN L.A., REPO MAN)  black and white cinematography. There are also notable appearance from rocker Iggy Pop (HARDWARE) as the deranged bible-thumping transvestite leader of a trio of fur traders that includes a pre-SLING BLADE Billy Bob Thornton, and speaking of craggy faces there's also a came from Gibby Haines of the Butthole Surfers, it's quite a cast of characters we have here.

The film operates on several levels ranging from the existential to referential, particularly the the poems of William Blake in much the same way that the Coen Brother's O, BROTHER WHERE ART THOU? mined Ulysses' The Odyssey but I really just enjoy it as a trippy western that tends to defy expectations at every turn. I tend not to read too much into it I just enjoy it but the subtext is there for those of who looking for something deeper.The film was a major disappointment at the box office in '95 when it was released, returning only a ninth of it's budget, apparently 1995 wasn't a great time for a black and white western revival but this is a film that a lot of folks missed the first time around and I say it's well worth a watch whether you be a fan of Depp, Jarmusch or just really awesome Westerns.   

Blu-ray: Echo Bridge's 16x9 enhanced 1.78:1 widescreen AVC encoded HD transfer does the film proper justice. The black and white imagery looks great in 1080p with a nice retention of the film's natural grain structure without the disservice of DNR scrubbing, it looks pretty great. The transfer offers good contrast, decent black levels and fine detail; facial hair, clothing and other textures are nicely resolved. A definite improvement over the previous DVD edition. The DTS-HD MA Stereo 2.0 sounds quite good, too. Dialogue is crisp and there are no distortions that I could discern plus Neil Young's amazing score soars throughout the film. I will say that a more atmospheric 5.1 surround mix could have gone a long way but what we have here is very nice. Special features are few but are at least present, the previous Miramax titles from Echo Bridge have been mostly bereft of bonus content and this is a most welcome exception. What we get are a selection of standard definition letterboxed deleted scenes and a Neil Young music video featuring in-studio footage of him performing the song with a montage of clips from the film overlayed with Johnny Depp narrating William Blake's poetry. I believe that the only feature not carried over from the previous Miramax edition is a theatrical trailer.

Special Features:
- Deleted Scenes (15:54)
- Neil Young Music Video (3:31)

Verdict: DEAD MAN is a film just not mentioned enough when discussing the careers of Johnny Depp, Jim Jarmusch or just kick ass Westerns in general. The mid-nineties weren't exactly a golden age of cinema so don't let this one sink into obscurity, if you haven't seen it you are missing out on what I would call a must-see, strange and offbeat western that stands aside GHOST DOG: THE WAY OF THE SAMURAI as one of my favorite Jim Jarmusch films.