Hellbilly
08-31-2003, 11:05 AM
Ok I watched this yesterday while suffering from an earinfection (still am) thus was high on aspirins (if that's even possible) so bare with me people ...
Richard Stanley's sandy neo-western Dust Devil tells the story of a shape shifter (Robert Burke) who's doomed to wander (hitchhiking actually, in a funky outfit) the earth (Africa) to collect souls. After picking his victims he takes snapshots of them and they usually end up having sex. After killing them he dismembers their bodies (occasionally sets them on fire) and uses their blood to write and draw ritualistic symbols on walls.
Oh yeah, he also collects the victim's fingers and puts them in a box.
So one day he meets (picks) his "match" with Wendy (Chelsea Field), a chick with suicide on her mind and on the run from her abusive husband. They have wild sex and soon the shape shifter reveals his (literally) ugly face - which ends in a showdown taking place in a ghost town.
....
Can't really recall much of the 87 min U.S. version I've seen on tape about 10 years ago so I'm not sure WHAT was added to this 104 min Director's cut. Anyways, it seemed more bizarre then I remember. Lots of mumbo jumbo voodoo talk and probably a few new nightmare sequences and more (?) hints/talk about apartheid. I think they also focused more on Zakes Mokae's (the detective) character, he seems to have a hell of a lot more onscreen time with scenes about his dead wife etc.
Also, didn't really notice any new added gore footage but they do show photos of the first victim and I think there where a few more (graphic) images of the burned corpse. Then again I'm not 100% sure coz I was most likely trippin' on aspirins ... Great film though with one of the best exploding head effects ever filmed.
http://www.dtm.at/bilder/shop/DVD1412.jpg
Video - Laser Paradise's transfer ain't great though. Presented in (non-anamorphic) 1.85:1 widescreen this print has vhs quality. Some grain, dirt, artifacts and specks here and there. Print doesn't appear to be that sharp and colors are slightly faded but still watchable.
Audio - English Dolby Digital 5.1 / Dolby Surround 2.0
Despite the earinfection the 5.1 track sounded alright I guess but there was not much activity from the rear speakers.
Dialogues aren't always heard clearly throughout though.
Extras - Theatrical Trailer (German Language) and an interesting 17 minutes behind-the-scenes featurette.
Now, where's that uncut widescreen R1 DVD of Hardware?
Richard Stanley's sandy neo-western Dust Devil tells the story of a shape shifter (Robert Burke) who's doomed to wander (hitchhiking actually, in a funky outfit) the earth (Africa) to collect souls. After picking his victims he takes snapshots of them and they usually end up having sex. After killing them he dismembers their bodies (occasionally sets them on fire) and uses their blood to write and draw ritualistic symbols on walls.
Oh yeah, he also collects the victim's fingers and puts them in a box.
So one day he meets (picks) his "match" with Wendy (Chelsea Field), a chick with suicide on her mind and on the run from her abusive husband. They have wild sex and soon the shape shifter reveals his (literally) ugly face - which ends in a showdown taking place in a ghost town.
....
Can't really recall much of the 87 min U.S. version I've seen on tape about 10 years ago so I'm not sure WHAT was added to this 104 min Director's cut. Anyways, it seemed more bizarre then I remember. Lots of mumbo jumbo voodoo talk and probably a few new nightmare sequences and more (?) hints/talk about apartheid. I think they also focused more on Zakes Mokae's (the detective) character, he seems to have a hell of a lot more onscreen time with scenes about his dead wife etc.
Also, didn't really notice any new added gore footage but they do show photos of the first victim and I think there where a few more (graphic) images of the burned corpse. Then again I'm not 100% sure coz I was most likely trippin' on aspirins ... Great film though with one of the best exploding head effects ever filmed.
http://www.dtm.at/bilder/shop/DVD1412.jpg
Video - Laser Paradise's transfer ain't great though. Presented in (non-anamorphic) 1.85:1 widescreen this print has vhs quality. Some grain, dirt, artifacts and specks here and there. Print doesn't appear to be that sharp and colors are slightly faded but still watchable.
Audio - English Dolby Digital 5.1 / Dolby Surround 2.0
Despite the earinfection the 5.1 track sounded alright I guess but there was not much activity from the rear speakers.
Dialogues aren't always heard clearly throughout though.
Extras - Theatrical Trailer (German Language) and an interesting 17 minutes behind-the-scenes featurette.
Now, where's that uncut widescreen R1 DVD of Hardware?