Fulvue Drive-In.com
Current Reviews
In Stores Soon
 
In Stores Now
 
DVD Reviews, SACD Reviews Essays Interviews Contact Us Meet the Staff
An Explanation of Our Rating System Search  
Category:    Home > Reviews > Animation > Literature > Countercutlure > Francis Ford Coppola Presents William S. Burroughs’ The Junky’s Christmas

William S. Burroughs’ – The Junky’s Christmas (Francis Ford Coppola Presents)

 

Picture: C     Sound: C     Extras: D     Films: C+

 

 

Francis Ford Coppola Presents William S. Burroughs’ The Junky’s Christmas is a new DVD that also includes two bonus films Ironbound and Traveling Light.  The first film is a Claymation feature that is narrated by the author.  The Claymation tale depicts a story that was written by the author in 1952.  The story follows a troubled man who was just released from prison in the dead of winter in west side Manhattan.  With nothing going for him he searches for his next fix on a cold, cold Christmas Day.  The story is deep and engaging in its blue/gray scale format.  The darkness of the short story inspired clay film combined with the great art direction makes for an interesting viewing.  The end of the drug induced film being possibly the most interesting segment.

 

The other two short films are not quite as good as the main feature but have their merits.  Ironbound centers on the working class of a dark world and utilizes the music of Joe Jackson to emphasize the deep tale.  The second bonus film, Traveling Light, features music by the classic Van Morrison and originally aired in 1998 on the cable network Bravo!  The film mainly centers on a variety of landscapes and is somewhat forgettable.

 

The technical aspects of this DVD are not great but not horrible.  The films all exemplify a certain degree of intended grittiness, but the 1.33 X 1 Full Screen presentation has light/dark issues and even gets somewhat blurry at times.  The sound in its Dolby Digital 2.0 Stereo format has certain qualities that leave a distant sound in certain scenes. No extras exist on this set.

 

Overall, the title film is gritty and great.

 

 

-   Michael P Dougherty II


Marketplace


 
 Copyright © MMIII through MMX fulvuedrive-in.com