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Vern reviews Thomas Jane's DARK COUNTRY (the first review?)
I am Vern...
DARK COUNTRY, by rookie director Thomas Jane, is a stylized noir made on a low budget with a minimal cast. It was written by a guy who wrote Disney's TARZAN and HUNCHBACK OF NOTRE DAME. It was shot in 3-D but is going straight to flat DVD. But somehow this weird combination of elements makes up a pretty good little movie, and possibly the best ever directed by one of the Punishers.
Jane plays a dude who just woke up in Vegas with a gorgeous woman he drunkenly married (Lauren German). He doesn't remember how it happened but he's convinced he loves her so they set out for a romantic night drive across the desert toward their new life together, both of them kind of amused and terrified by their reckless spontaneity. Their lust and horror sort of headbutt each other when an in-car sex act causes them to run over a guy in the middle of the road. They try to bring him somewhere that they can get help but they keep getting lost and he flips out on them and before long they're trying to hide a body.
Jane does a great job of putting you in a paranoid mind state. They start to worry that they can't trust each other. Who could this guy be? Is he after them? Was he following them? The events get more and more surreal - are they losing it? Are they dead? Are they gonna be dealing with the Hellcops from that movie HIGHWAY TO HELL?
The opening scene is pretty disorienting with its hardboiled voiceover and show-offy closeups, enough that I questioned Jane's directorial chops at first. But I quickly learned that I liked his style: dynamic shots, alot of momentum to the editing, vivid imagery with their faces lit by the light on his dashboard, contrasted against dark desert sky. It's obviously a low budget movie, he couldn't shoot the whole thing driving through a real desert at real night so he went for some stylization that fits with the feverish noir tone of the story - exaggerated stars, lightning, colors, sometimes the driving looks like a process shot from an old Hitchcock movie or something. Great atmosphere. And it's a shame this isn't playing somewhere in 3-D because there are a bunch of cool comin' at ya type shots. Fortunately they work organically within the story, so most people will just mistake them for cool shots. It's not like that asteroid in CAPTAIN EO that looks so unimpressive on the 2-D bootlegs.
Jane also knows how to use music, all of it vintage and timeless, nothing dated to now. One of the crucial scenes is all set to classical music because it's all they can get on the radio besides country. Even the end credits use music and sound effectively, keeping the dreamy feel of the movie lingering in your mind afterwards.
So I like the movie's look, sound and feel, but DARK COUNTRY's biggest strength is much simpler: it's the acting. For most of the movie Jane and German are the only two people on screen - it could almost be a play. If either one had been weak it would've blown the whole thing, but both of them are great going through puppy love, panic, fear, anger. I was rooting for those crazy kids to work it out.
Since you don't know anything about the wife's background but you know what tends to happen in this type of story you start wondering if she's setting him up somehow. But as much as she could use her sexuality as a weapon (the passenger seat masturbation scene will be enjoyed by many) she doesn't come across like some dominating femme fatale, or a too-innocent girl-next-door either. She just seems like a nice, funny girl with a few problems. A person. (Well, an incredibly hot person.)
My one complaint is that I figured out what was gonna happen. I was prepared to roll with the punches and I don't think "figuring it out" kills a good movie, but since it immediately ends after the reveal it felt a little anti-climactic. Kind of a TWILIGHT ZONE episode that you got a step ahead of. Oh well, it happens.
Still, an impressive feature directing debut by the guy from THE MIST, and yet another good leading role for his resume. I hope he keeps at it.
--Vern
www.outlawvern.com
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I wouldn't have heard of this had it not been for your review. Thomas Jane is good people.
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a poor man's Thomas Jane. Vern, is that a correct statement or should we insist that it out to be the other way around? I'm planning on going to bed sometime tonight, so anything you could do to put my mind at ease before then would be appreciated.
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a poor man's Thomas Jane. However, Thomas Jane is far and away the superior actor of the two.
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Could someone explain to me how you make a new paragraph with a space in between in the aic talkback. When I do it everything just gets bunched into one baragrah.
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I don't really see the comparison, but I think I disagree with the statement. Tom Jane is great, and I enjoy him fine in everything I've seen (Hung, The Myst, and his one ep of arrested development where he is awesome), but none of it is as good as the movies I've seen with Eckhart in them (Dark Knight, Thank You For Smoking, Conversations With Other Women, Erin Brockovich) If I had to choose, I'd go with Aaron Eckhart. And why do you need Vern to tell you what to think anyway Yackbacker? Make up your own mind.
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cause if it is...
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Vern are you OK?
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I was trying to get Vern to be funny! Fuck, just sit down and... here's a copy of March's "The Economist"- go see if they were right about shit so far... (sigh)
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Aug 25, 2009 9:11:43 PM CDT
Somebody give Thomas Jane a break
by guy who got a headache and accidentally
He's like some kind of badass action movie version of early Gary Oldman or somebody. A real artist in his field, but they keep sticking him in shitty movies. Mutant Chronicles, Killshot, what the hell. I hope that Hung thing is working out for him but clearly awesome action/noir pulp type stuff is obviously where his heart is. Glad to hear this is good though. Guess that makes him a badass auteur candidate huh?
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that is all.
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I was thinking of his Austrailian first cousin who's an actor in Bollywood films...Tommy James, my bad.
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Count me in.
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Count me in.
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Ron Perlman is in it too. Why no mention of that? A good geek always watches anything with Ron Perlman in it, even though half the time we regret it. Why no mention? Is he the twist?
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reading this review i wanted to be sick all over the place man, what happened to womens rights and the like? I feel like ive gone back in time in a delorean like Michael J Fox did in that movie to when GOD YOUS ARE ALL SEXIST AS MAN!
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and he is indeed awesome in that... as a side note, Aaron Eckhart gave a truly great performance in In the Company of Men back in '97. He can play a jerk just as well as he does the "good" guy... I'd actually like to see Jane play some kind of villainous part in the future.
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...he's more of a B movie star than a great actor. I think you have to have a strong director who has a specific idea for Jane to make it work. Whereas, I think Eckhart's got enough acting ability to let him swing for the fences a bit more on his own. Basically, go watch Thursday. It sums it up perfectly. Jane is the guy you naturally like more, but who consistently makes awful choices in a lot of his acting roles, and Eckhart's a more talented actor who you just naturally find kind of annoying.
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...make a movie that's meant to be good. Part of why I like Jane is he's been in so many absolutely horrible movies that are nevertheless entertaining for their so-bad-it's-good nature (Dreamcatcher being the penultimate example for me). I think if you're going for camp, you cast Thomas Jane and it will work because the dude will interpret nearly any situation with a straight face and absolutely no self awareness.
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Sometimes it results in only a so-so film, but it always favors character and performance. I might check this out.
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my favorite aicn reviewer.
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you do it like this:
Only without the spaces around the p -
Compared to the shit fest that was the Punisher movie it was a friggin masterpiece! I want my fuckin money back Lexi! Do you hear me you hot piece of ass?
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I've always enjoyed Thomas Jane, even going way back to Deep Blue Sea. Sure a lot of his better flicks have been B movies, but there's absolutely nothing wrong with that. I only caught the first episode of Hung, but I really enjoyed it and look forward to more. As far as the Eckhart comparison, I don't really see it. They act nothing alike, are in very different movies, and other than a slight physical resemblance they don't really have anything in common. Except that their both pretty good actors. As far as Eckhart goes, Thank You For Smoking has always been a favorite of mine, obv the Dark Knight he's great in, and In The Company of Men. And did anyone see Towelhead? Not a great movie but he gave very creepy, but brave performance.
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Hell yeah I watched Towlehead. Caught it on hbo at like 3 in the morning. He's great in it. Also Tom Jane=Badass.
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Always liked your reviews. Wished they were more numerous
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and that resemblance I can see. I agree that he's so far more of a B actor, but I like those kind of movies anyway. If any of you like Jane and haven't seen STANDER I recommend immediately dropping everything and getting it. It's a fun and badass movie but with more political and emotional resonance than his other stuff. He is absolutely great in it even doing a South African accent. I think he's generally good but that movie shows that he's capable of more than what he usually gets to do.
As a director his style reminded me a little of early Russell Mulcahy, which is weird because he has another one coming out that looks good and it's directed by Mulcahy. AND Mulcahy directed Lambert in THE HIGHLANDER. It's all coming together now. I'm not sure where Eckhart fits in though. -
and Boy George is a poor boy's George Foreman...and Goerge Foreman is a poor george's John Goodman...I was gonna try to get to Gwenyth Paltrow, but I have to pee.
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Tom Jane rules, I am never disappointed by his work.
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Ssh... Don't tell anyone, but http://outlawvern.com/I second the Stander positivity - it's a great movie. This new one - Give 'Em Hell Malone - he has coming out looks crazy. Very interested. I'll definitely check out Dark Country.
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Reed my man, whats happening. Who's vette in the driveway. Smoking. whoa.
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His punisher is a tolerable throw back to the bargain bin trash we all knew and loved in the eighties action movie heyday. Movies that starred people like Michael Dudikoff. He has always kind of reminded me of him. Strange. Anyways, The dude has some real deal acting talent that gets squandered in the hands of shitty directors. Give him a Darabont,(who should have seriously gotten the "Wolfman" gig. No one loves that era of cinema more than he)PT Anderson or well i guess that it.
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But the director's name escapes me.
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Blythe Danner.
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Two of the few, the proud, the American leading men.
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would make it to DVD. would like to get rid of the old VCR one day. and here's a thumbs up for MUTANT CHRONICLES
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It really sucks!
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Jane feels more honest in his roles. Eckhart, while a good actor, often leaves the "strings" showing (even in TDK). When I see Jane, I feel like I'm watching the character in the film, whereas, when I see Eckhart, I feel like I'm watching an "actor"...
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is badass. jane is so good in it you forget it's thomas jane. he also made the mutant chronicles a semi-watchable movie. and hung is growing on me, i just find the storylines with his ex-wife and kids incredibly boring. i'll stick with it though, and hope they focus more tonya and ray. the most recent couple of episodes have been a step in the right direction. just added dark country to the netflix queue, too bad this one's going straight to dvd.
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To me, he'll always be the one asshole from 'Deep Blue Sea' and the guy who made the Punisher lame.
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Aug 26, 2009 1:09:02 AM CDT
Herc's been taken over by robots in the Entertainment Weekly TB
by badmrwonka
Spread the word and see for yourself...
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SPAM SPAM SPAM SPAM SPAM SPAM SPAM SPAM SPAM SPAM SPAM SPAM SPAM SPAM SPAM SPAM SPAM SPAM SPAM SPAM SPAM SPAM SPAM SPAM SPAM SPAM SPAM SPAM SPAM SPAM SPAM
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Almost unwatchable. Just embarrassing and cheap looking and over written.
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Thank's for the tip
Be nice if I could jus use the enter key instead.
I don't have leet haker skillz -
Thank's Blitz.
You de man.
Or does your name mean you are femail? -
i love how 3D is being used for all these B-movies. It's like a genuine exploitation genre! I can't believe this is going straight to DVD, they should be putting it on midnight double screenings at dodgy grindhouses!
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Where our two favourite American leading men go head to head against each other LITERALLY. A very, very under-rated movie, and the one movie that inducted me into the Cult of Jane.
Oh, and he needs to be given another shot at THE PUNISHER. Preferably with Tiny Lister Jr, in a straight comic-to-movie adap of THE PUNISHER: BARRACUDA. Screenplay by Garth Ennis, adapted from his own GN.
But seriously, THURSDAY is awesome. Give it a spin. Best thing Mickey Rourke ever did in his wilderness years between 1992 and THE WRESTLER. -
The most wasted oppotunity to use a decent actor in a major role since... well, since the last time it happened.
That part is easily the worst thing that Eckhart has ever done. I'd rather watch ERIN BROCKOVICH again than watch him wasted in that under-written Harvey Dent role again. The only cool thing he did in that movie was the part where he took the gun apart and punched the guy in the courtroom. Harvey Dent was never more badass than in that moment.
But that ending? The very essence of the word MEH. Completely insensible. -
he's a bloody good actor, and he's charasmatic too... dunno why people even put him in the same league as jane. jane's not a bad actor but he's not in the same calibur of movies... he's too much of an action star, not really in the dramatic or dramedy roles
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vern could you pleeeease just make a post that gives an outline of what happens. i'm not going to track down a copy of this movie, but i'm interested in what happens or what the reveal is. just put a spoiler warning in the headline of the post
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Nah.
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thanks... your a top bloke
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Seriously. How about they are both objectively good actors who have a similar look but have different career because, oh I dunno, they are different people. Eckhart does more prestige projects but thats just luck and circumstance, it could just as easily be the other way around. I love them both and enjoy it when I see either one show up in anything. Jane might do mroe B-movies but some of the stuff he has coming out, this project included and Give 'Em Hell Malone, looks like a real crack as some interesting genre work. I wish more actors did that sort of thing. Alot of "prestige" actors like the objectively-worse-than-Tom Jane Will Smith does HORRIBLE b-movie crap like Hancock and somehow doesn't get called on it. Smith is the ultimate b-movie hack.
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Tongue planted firmly in cheek when I raised the issue. I cannot attest to the other TBs that picked it up and ran with it. But Vern got the gag. Thanks, Vern- may you sleep peacefully this month.
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Lambert has charisma. Lambert is cool. Jane is flat and boring.
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I loved that movie. Tom Jane is a great actor and seems like more of a mans man. A throw back to the 80's action hero days and I dig that about him. As far as Eckhart is concerned, I don't see it.
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I didn't know unemployed people took vacations.
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Thomas Jane is solid. He's had some really really good roles and will continue to have good roles. Great in Stander. Great in Boogie Nights. Good in The Mist. Great in Hung. I look forward to seeing where he ends up.
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Talk about a Pulp fiction rip off and a bad one at that.Too offensive and meandering to the point of mindless garbage.I guess jane and Eckhart needed a paycheck desperately.Oh, and Jane's Punisher was the weakest of the three Pun films IMO.
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As much as I hate to admit it, primarily because of Jane himself the first Punisher film was better (not counting the Dolph Lundgren version). Granted, I don’t associate Frank Castle as taking down bad guys with parking tickets, but at least the film was watchable. The 2nd was a pile of crap, resembling a cheap DTV film with truly mindless action scenes, Schumacher-esque colors, and desperate attempts to be cool (the big opening with the upside-down chandelier spin might be cool if you’re twelve, but any older than that and it’s really, really stupid).
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for tackling the tough issue of dudes getting raped by hot models.
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the mechanik. dolph "oleg" lundgren.
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huh?
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Yeah, I think Tom Jane is capable of greatness when he connects to material and director. But he is also capable of drinking too much and phoning it in. I'm interested to see this, even if you did post one of the most spoiler heavy reviews in recent AICN history.
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Thomas Jane was in what could possibly be one of the greatest scenes ever to be in a movie. The "Sister Christian" scene in Boogie Nights.
The man deserves bigger, better roles.
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He makes bad movies better.
He and Jason Bateman stole the show and made Cameron Diaz's "The Sweetest Thing" watchable.
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He may never live that one down. He must have been bound by an absolutely iron-clad contract to have to allow his name and face to be released in that thing. Seriously, it is literally among the worst movies ever made, and I don't mean that in a good way, or a fun way, or 'it's worth a few chuckles' kind of way... but in a 'it was completely inept, lost, and bad bad BAAAAAD' kind of way.
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It's on dvd now or what? Hard to find?
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Oh...and t a l k...s l o w l y!
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I put it in my Netflix queue.
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for mentioning Stander! Jane's acting chops are grossly underrated. I think Eckhart is a decent actor, but Jane in Stander, and in Hung are both better than anything Eckhart has ever done. On a side note, Hung is a pretty decent show so far.
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Malkovich,Jane,Pearlman,unbelievable piece of shit.
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Good concept but a bit too slow on execurion....hmm needs more naked women/clients of various types(for realism sake..*Ahem*).But seriously with a show that's 30 minutes, they need to cram as much interesting scenarios allowed.Plus Jane's/Ray's "Pimp" is a bit homely..(she looks like Mick Jones formerly of the Clash.)..anyway, it's something to tide me over for the time being.
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The Myst sucked monkey balls though. I put in the same kinda league as Emilio Estevez. Happy to see him cause he sticks to what he knows.
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that is all...
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This guy should be bigger. It's good to know that beside being a really good actor, he's also a pretty talented director. The man has no shortage of talent, so it seems.
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