Daltry Calhoun
Picture: B-
Sound: B- Extras: C- Film: C
Johnny Knoxville plays a loser who could become a winner
if his past didn’t just catch up with him in the Quentin Tarantino-produced Daltry
Calhoun, writer/director Katrina Holden Bronson’s odd comedy/drama misfire
about a man who’s seed business suddenly saves and builds an obscure southern
town in Tennessee. The film also has
Juliette Lewis, also playing to type like Knoxville, and some decent unknowns. So what goes wrong?
In the film, is the surfacing of a daughter he never knew
he had (Sophie Traub) and for the actual film, it is a strange indecision as to
whether this is a comedy or drama. It
is almost trying to have it both ways, does neither well and does not even get
interesting enough to get offbeat. The
cast is not the problem and the director has some talent, but ultimately,
everything that gets started never seems to be continued sufficiently, then the
film is over. I can see why Tarantino
and Miramax wanted to greenlight it in theory and the film was dumped like so
many Miramax films now that the Weinsteins have left Miramax, so this DVD will
be an interesting release considering Knoxville’s cult following.
The anamorphically enhanced 2.35 X 1 image was shot in
Super 35mm by cinematographer Matthew Irving and looks good under the
circumstances of it being a basic shoot.
What is can lack in detail, it makes up for in color often. The Dolby Digital 5.1 mix is not bad, with
some music and action in the surrounds of an otherwise dialogue-based
presentation. Extras include a video,
trailers for this and a few other Disney/Miramax releases, commentary track,
two featurettes, bloopers and deleted scenes.
- Nicholas Sheffo
