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Dom Robinson reviews
Tartan Video
- Cert:
- Cat.no: TVD 3752
- Running time: 79 minutes
- Year: 2006
- Pressing: 2007
- Region(s): 0, PAL
- Chapters: 16
- Sound: DTS 5.1, Dolby Digital 5.1
- Languages: English, spanish
- Subtitles: None
- Widescreen: 1.85:1
- 16:9-Enhanced: Yes
- Macrovision: No
- Disc Format: DVD 9
- Price: £19.99
- Extras: None
Director:
- Stuart Gordon
(Castle Freak, Dagon, Dolls, Edmond, Fortress, From Beyond, House of Re-Animator, King of the Ants, Re-Animator, Robot Jox, Space Truckers, Stuck, The Wonderful Ice Cream Suit, TV: Honey I Shrunk The Kids, Masters of Horror)
Producers:
- Stuart Gordon, Chris Hanley, Molly Hassell, Duffy Hechy, Roger Kass, Mary McCann and Kevin Ragsdale
Screenplay:
- David Mamet (based on his own play)
Original Score :
- Bobby Johnston
Cast :
- Edmond: William H. Macy
Wife: Rebecca Pidgeon
Fortune Teller: Frances Bay
Man in Bar: Joe Mantegna
B-Girl: Denise Richards
Peep Show Girl: Bai Ling
Shill: Russell Hornsby
Matron: Debi Mazar
Whore: Mena Suvari
Desk Clerk: Jeffrey Combs
Pawn Shop Owner: George Wendt
Pimp: Lionel Mark Smith
Glenna: Julia Stiles
Woman on Subway: Patricia Belcher
Policeman: Bruce A Young
Interrogator: Dylan Walsh
Chaplain: Jack Wallace
It may sound a bit cliched to say that if you like Falling Down, you’ll like Edmond, but it certainly applies here.
Not many films go for the road movie-style where things don’t necessarily come full circle. It’s a brave moveto break out from the norm and certainly makes for something intriguingly different, taking in some very weirdmoments and situations.
The excellent William H Macy, ever the character actor whose face looks as depressing as the threat of anEastenders Omnibus, takes the lead role of a man who leaves his place of work for the weekend, not looking forwardat all to the prospect of going home. Everything gets to him and everythinghe has to pay for leaves him exasperated, “It’s too much”, he stops off at a fortune teller’s booth to have his future told.That said, all she tells him is “You are not where you belong”.
Pardon? Yes, that makes no sense… and so sets the tone for the most bizarre journey, and as time goes onyou begin to wonder what lies behind the number ‘115’ that crops up all over the place.
With guest appearances from Joe Mantegna, Denise Richards, Mena Suvari, Bai Ling, Jeffrey Combs – a Stuart Gordonregular with his Re-Animator movies including a new one, and The Bourne Identity‘s Julia Stiles, it’sclear everyone’s trying to get in on something that’s well worth a look, not least because it comes from thepen of David Mamet, whose wife, Rebecca Pidgeon, also crops up as Edmond’s wife… not that shehas a name. In fact, very few characters have names, only their character types, so she’s listed only as “Wife”.
Overall, Edmond is quite a mindfuck of a movie, and is definitely something to check out. However, Ican only recommend this as a rental rather than a purchase, at least until it’s discounted. This is for a numberof reasons.
The DTS 5.1 sound is great, although it only gets a workout from a couple of club and other seedy scenes withmusic and some with atmospheric incidental music. The picture would have got full marks if it hadn’t been forthe fact that, sadly, it goes out of sync from the scene in the ‘Health Spa’ around 20 minutes in, for a while.Plus… or, rather, minus, there are no subtitles or extras. Why?
There is a trailer on the Tartan Films UK Youtube page, though. Normally, I would have posted a link to it, butthe only reason I haven’t is because it really does give away the entire movie in 2 minutes.
Quite frankly, if you’re a fan of William H Macy and you want to experience 75 minutes of little else but thegreat actor’s work from start to finish go and rent this tonight. You’ll love it.
And if you’re wondering why I only gave it 8/10 for the film, that’s because I wasn’t too keen on the ending.It’s perfect up until then, though.
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Reviewer of movies, videogames and music since 1994. Aortic valve operation survivor from the same year. Running DVDfever.co.uk since 2000. Nobel Peace Prize winner 2021.