Excessively moody and mired in muddy storytelling overall, writer-director Eric Drilling's feature debut is based on his play of the same name about two brothers caught in the stormy aftermath of patricide, committed by the eldest against their violent sire.
"River Red" stars Tom Everett Scott ("An American Werewolf in Paris") as insecure, repressed Dave Holden, a New Hampshire guy going nowhere who becomes a killer and masked bandit to protect his younger Brother Tom (David Moscow). But starting with the shaky performances, Drilling's downer drama is not memorably involving, and boxoffice potential for the Castle Hill limited release is light.
Scott is appropriately sweaty and nervous, with an unruly crop of hair and twitchy body -- he might have made a good Norman Bates. His character is able to instantly concoct a plan to have minor Tom serve the time for Dave's impulsive fatal stabbing of their punching pop (Denis O'Hare).
But after that fateful event, given a "second chance," Dave is apparently rendered dumb by his guilt and paranoia. While Tom has a bumpy ride in the pokey, Dave hits the sauce and holds up gas stations to pay off a stack of bills left by Dad. He has enough cash to also date a nice girl (Cara Buono), who doesn't suspect he's turning into his own worse nightmare.
Tom gets the picture soon enough when he's released (after years?) and sees what a cold, self-destructive thing Dave has become. Meanwhile, it's hard to believe Dave could get away with his cover story of a rich relative leaving a large inheritance.
While it strives to be a probing character study, "River Red" is all but swamped by Drilling's fudging on details, while the filmmaker relies far too much on Johnny Hickman's oppressive score to underline every portentous moment and simmering emotion.
RIVER RED
Castle Hill
Drilling Films in association with
Miller Entertainment and Frontier Films
Writer-director: Eric Drilling
Producers: Eric Drilling, Stephen Schlueter, Avram Ludwig, Tom Everett Scott, Tischa Gomez
Executive producers: David Miller, Gary Kauffman
Director of photography: Stephen Schlueter
Production designer: Roshelle Berliner
Editor: Paul Streicher
Costume designer: Cindy Evans
Music: Johnny Hickman
Casting: Gabriella Leff
Color/stereo
Cast:
Dave Holden: Tom Everett Scott
Tom Holden: David Moscow
Rachel: Cara Buono
Father: Denis O'Hare
Billy: David Lowery
Frankie: Michael Kelly
Judge Perkins: Leo Burmester
Running time -- 104 minutes
MPAA rating: R...
"River Red" stars Tom Everett Scott ("An American Werewolf in Paris") as insecure, repressed Dave Holden, a New Hampshire guy going nowhere who becomes a killer and masked bandit to protect his younger Brother Tom (David Moscow). But starting with the shaky performances, Drilling's downer drama is not memorably involving, and boxoffice potential for the Castle Hill limited release is light.
Scott is appropriately sweaty and nervous, with an unruly crop of hair and twitchy body -- he might have made a good Norman Bates. His character is able to instantly concoct a plan to have minor Tom serve the time for Dave's impulsive fatal stabbing of their punching pop (Denis O'Hare).
But after that fateful event, given a "second chance," Dave is apparently rendered dumb by his guilt and paranoia. While Tom has a bumpy ride in the pokey, Dave hits the sauce and holds up gas stations to pay off a stack of bills left by Dad. He has enough cash to also date a nice girl (Cara Buono), who doesn't suspect he's turning into his own worse nightmare.
Tom gets the picture soon enough when he's released (after years?) and sees what a cold, self-destructive thing Dave has become. Meanwhile, it's hard to believe Dave could get away with his cover story of a rich relative leaving a large inheritance.
While it strives to be a probing character study, "River Red" is all but swamped by Drilling's fudging on details, while the filmmaker relies far too much on Johnny Hickman's oppressive score to underline every portentous moment and simmering emotion.
RIVER RED
Castle Hill
Drilling Films in association with
Miller Entertainment and Frontier Films
Writer-director: Eric Drilling
Producers: Eric Drilling, Stephen Schlueter, Avram Ludwig, Tom Everett Scott, Tischa Gomez
Executive producers: David Miller, Gary Kauffman
Director of photography: Stephen Schlueter
Production designer: Roshelle Berliner
Editor: Paul Streicher
Costume designer: Cindy Evans
Music: Johnny Hickman
Casting: Gabriella Leff
Color/stereo
Cast:
Dave Holden: Tom Everett Scott
Tom Holden: David Moscow
Rachel: Cara Buono
Father: Denis O'Hare
Billy: David Lowery
Frankie: Michael Kelly
Judge Perkins: Leo Burmester
Running time -- 104 minutes
MPAA rating: R...
- 11/23/1998
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
With a title that echoes "Dog Day Afternoon" and "Reservoir Dogs", John Hyams' "One Dog Day" is one of those scrappy indie films that brandishes its influences with in-your-face bravado.
Playing its world premiere not long ago at the Taos (N.M.) Talking Picture Festival, Hyams' debut effort (he's the son of successful director Peter Hyams) has its share of promising, impressive set-pieces, but the whole is structurally weak and ultimately too Tarantino for its own good.
While its commercial prospects are negligible, the picture is nevertheless a natural for the festival circuit and should establish Hyams, a former painter, as one to watch.
"One Dog Day" chronicles a day in the life of a group of disparate characters who share only the gritty New York backdrop. Their (for the most part) unconnected stories are tied together by an anonymous dog, whose aimless ramble through the naked city serves as a haphazard linking device.
Among the inhabitants: a determined delivery man carrying a mysterious package who'll let nothing stand in the way of reaching his destination; a frustrated artist who's completely baffled by the empty canvas in front of him; a businessman taking refuge in a restroom stall because he can't take the "heat" in his office; and an elderly model airplane enthusiast who takes time out from meticulously sanding wood to eavesdrop on his next-door neighbor, who's being terrorized by a couple of thugs who talk and act like they stepped right out of "Pulp Fiction".
Then, of course, there are the two guys in gorilla suits, the tough bartender who serves gigantic tropical drinks while clad only in a grass skirt, and sundry others, many of whom aren't exactly worth the visit.
Visually, the film is not without its inventive moments, most notably during a brilliantly choreographed chase sequence (conducted entirely on foot) between the courier and the two thugs. It definitely works best when it provides its characters that kind of forward momentum.
Working with DP Stephen Schlueter, Hyams exhibits an artist's eye in the picture's stark black-and-white depiction of the dense Gotham terrain (accompanied by Kilgore Trout's loose, jazzy score). But he could have used a firmer hand when it came to story structure and editing. Despite the clever bits, this particular dog day ends up feeling like seven years in human time.
Header: Mon, May 5, 1997, 32, Erik Pedersen, End of Header.
ONE DOG DAY
One Dog Day Prods.
Director-screenwriter:John Hyams
Producer:John Hyams
Director of photography:Stephen Schlueter
Editor:Paul Streicher
Music:Kilgore Trout
Black and white
Cast:
George:Mella Fazzoli
John:Craig Walker
John Too:George Xhilone
Romeo Rodriguez:Andrew Sikking
Artist:Randy Rex
Karina:Shawn Batten
Running time -- 102 minutes
No MPAA rating...
Playing its world premiere not long ago at the Taos (N.M.) Talking Picture Festival, Hyams' debut effort (he's the son of successful director Peter Hyams) has its share of promising, impressive set-pieces, but the whole is structurally weak and ultimately too Tarantino for its own good.
While its commercial prospects are negligible, the picture is nevertheless a natural for the festival circuit and should establish Hyams, a former painter, as one to watch.
"One Dog Day" chronicles a day in the life of a group of disparate characters who share only the gritty New York backdrop. Their (for the most part) unconnected stories are tied together by an anonymous dog, whose aimless ramble through the naked city serves as a haphazard linking device.
Among the inhabitants: a determined delivery man carrying a mysterious package who'll let nothing stand in the way of reaching his destination; a frustrated artist who's completely baffled by the empty canvas in front of him; a businessman taking refuge in a restroom stall because he can't take the "heat" in his office; and an elderly model airplane enthusiast who takes time out from meticulously sanding wood to eavesdrop on his next-door neighbor, who's being terrorized by a couple of thugs who talk and act like they stepped right out of "Pulp Fiction".
Then, of course, there are the two guys in gorilla suits, the tough bartender who serves gigantic tropical drinks while clad only in a grass skirt, and sundry others, many of whom aren't exactly worth the visit.
Visually, the film is not without its inventive moments, most notably during a brilliantly choreographed chase sequence (conducted entirely on foot) between the courier and the two thugs. It definitely works best when it provides its characters that kind of forward momentum.
Working with DP Stephen Schlueter, Hyams exhibits an artist's eye in the picture's stark black-and-white depiction of the dense Gotham terrain (accompanied by Kilgore Trout's loose, jazzy score). But he could have used a firmer hand when it came to story structure and editing. Despite the clever bits, this particular dog day ends up feeling like seven years in human time.
Header: Mon, May 5, 1997, 32, Erik Pedersen, End of Header.
ONE DOG DAY
One Dog Day Prods.
Director-screenwriter:John Hyams
Producer:John Hyams
Director of photography:Stephen Schlueter
Editor:Paul Streicher
Music:Kilgore Trout
Black and white
Cast:
George:Mella Fazzoli
John:Craig Walker
John Too:George Xhilone
Romeo Rodriguez:Andrew Sikking
Artist:Randy Rex
Karina:Shawn Batten
Running time -- 102 minutes
No MPAA rating...
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