| | Down In The Valley DVD
| Category | Suspense DVDs, Foreign Film Movies, Dramas Videos, Mystery, Romance, Spanish, Vengeance, Relationships, Betrayal, Cowboys, Psychos, Disturbing | | Starring | Ellen Burstyn, Bruce Dern, Edward Norton, David Morse, Evan Rachel Wood, Rory Culkin | | Director | David Jacobson | | Director of Photography | Enrique Chediak | | Producer | Edward Norton, David Jacobson | | Screenwriter | David Jacobson |
Soundtrack English Director David Jacobsen's DOWN IN THE VALLEY plays like a romantic, operatic lament for the disappearing cinematic and real-life icon: the American cowboy. Many of the elements that would fuse, say, a classic John Wayne character are present in Edward Norton's (PRIMAL FEAR, 25TH HOUR) character, Harlan Fairfax Caruthers: he's polite, soft-spoken, yet stubbornly brave and handy with Colt steel and lead. While at home in Death Valley in the mid 1800s, these characteristics are positively anachronistic in modern-day San Fernando Valley. How else to explain the reaction of a gaggle of giggling teenagers to Harlan as he pumps their gas? One of the teens, Tope (Evan Rachel Wood), is immediately attracted to these charms and invites Harlan along to the beach. A whirlwind romance follows, much to the chagrin of Tope's (short for October) father, Wade (David Morse), who senses there is more to Harlan than meets the eye. Indeed, things begin to unravel when Harlan lies about "borrowing" a horse from a local rancher that leads to a threat at gunpoint. To make matters worse, Harlan ingratiates himself more by spending time with Tope's attention-starved younger brother, Lonnie (Rory Culkin). Eventually, as more of the dangerous demons beneath Harlan's charming veneer reveal themselves, action must be taken and justice meted out, Old West-style. At times tense and, alternatively, quiet, DOWN IN THE VALLEY features some creative camera work from cinematographer Enrique Chediak that fits both moods. Also, be on the look-out for a scene-long quotation from TAXI DRIVER. Theatrical Release: May 5, 2006 Down In The Valley Reviews: 4 stars out of 5 -- "[T]he movie satisfyingly fuses several genres and could almost be described as a Western version of TAXI DRIVER..."-- Jason Caro, Ultimate DVD "The characters aren't cut-outs; they are people you need to get to know....DOWN IN THE VALLEY is vital and engaging: a journey you need to take."
-- Nev Pierce, Total Film "Beautiful and rebellious, Ms. Wood's Tobe is almost as complex as Mr. Norton's Harlan....It leaves you pondering questions about the American character that continue to haunt us..."
-- Stephen Holden, New York Times 3.5 stars out of 4 -- "[A] poetic, moving picture about growing up absurd in southern California.....As great as the entire cast is, the movie belongs to Wood..."
-- Glenn Kenny, Premiere 3.5 stars out of 4 -- "[H]aunting and hypnotic....DOWN IN THE VALLEY dares you to explore the violence of the mind. Take the dare. It's something rare these days: untamed."
-- Peter Travers, Rolling Stone "DOWN IN THE VALLEY exudes a luscious sense of place -- the hazy L.A. boulevards, the landscape of urban tropicana invaded by too many industrial wires."
-- Owen Gleiberman, Entertainment Weekly "From THE NIGHT OF THE HUNTER to BADLANDS and TAXI DRIVER, DOWN IN THE VALLEY is full of classic film references."
-- Liese Spencer, Sight and Sound Down In The Valley | List Price | $7.99 (You save $0.90) | | Studio | ThinkFilm | | Orig Year | 2006 | | All Time Sales Rank |  73655  | | CD Universe Part number | 7225968 | | Catalog number | 54878 | | Discs | 1 | | Release Date | Sep 26, 2006 | | Rating | R (MPAA) | | Rating Reason | Violence, strong sexual content and some drug use | | Running Time | 114 Minutes | | Additional Info | Widescreen; Subtitled | | Movie Details | Color; Widescreen; Subtitled; Spanish Subtitles Box Art |
Down In The Valley Movie Review  Falls prey to typical Hollywood sensationalism
This movie starts off with great promise. Young Tobe (Evan Rachel wood)falls for older guy, and the subsequent havoc such relationships usually create. It is made more interesting when we learn that modern day cowboy Harlan (Ed Norton) is'nt quite right. I won't wreck the movie for anyone that never saw it, but the last third of this movie tempted me to walk out of the theatre. I don't know why the film makers felt like they had to do retarded Hollywood sensationalism with what was supposed to be an indie drama/thriller. It's still a 2.5 star movie mainly due to strong performances, but nothing can make up for some of the plot flaws. It could have been alot better.
Submitted by filmreviewer (washington, dc)
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Down In The Valley DVD Keep Case
Anamorphic Widescreen -
1.85
Full Frame -
1.33
Audio:
Dolby Digital 2.0 Stereo - English
Dolby Digital 5.1 Surround - English
Subtitles - Spanish - Optional
Additional Release Material:
Audio Commentary: Filmmaker & Actor Commentary
Trailers: Theatrical Trailer
Featurette:
1. The Making of DOWN IN THE VALLEY
2. Filmmaker & Actor Q&A
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