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TV show review: CONTINUUM season 4
PHOTOGRAPHY

13

DVD Review by David Blackwell

 

DETAILS:  90 minutes, trailers

VIDEO:  2.35:1 (Anamorphic Widescreeen)

AUDIO:  English 5.1 Dolby Digital

Subtitles:  English, Spanish

 

STUDIO:  Anchor Bay Films/ Anchor Bay Entertainment/ Barbarian Films/ Number 13, LLC

RELEASE DATE:  11-8-2011

Vince, a young electrician (Sam Riley), overhears a money making deal between two guys.   The guy who is supposed to make all of the money in one day ODs.   Vince takes the slip to pick up a package that contains a cell phone, a key, and a note with instructions.  He decides to take the dead guy's place.   The key leads him to his next stop after staying the night in a hotel.   He soon finds himself over his head in a game of Russian Roulette where people bet money on which 13 players will live.   Each player is there for their own reasons.   13 (aka Vince) wants the 100,000 for his father's operation, but he didn't expect this game.   Once you enter the game, you have to play or die on the spot.   Still the bullet from the gun in the back of the head could kill you if you're unlucky enough to have that bullet loaded in the chamber when you pull the trigger.

 

13 is the remake of the French film 13 Tzameti.    It has various actors in it starring as the players including Mickey Rourke and Ray Winstone.    Jason Statham is one of the backers of the players who is betting a lot of money in hope that his brother, player 6 (Ray Winstone), wins.   Jason has a small role in this film which is unusual since he is usually the focus and star of a film.   The game itself is intense with each round.   It's the moments before the trigger pull are the most intense.   The character I liked the best in 13 is the guy who gives the instructions for each game (played by the wonderful Michael Shannon).  His voice is loud and commanding.     I do suspect that 13 never made theatrical release due to two factors: Anchor Bay Film's low returns on previous releases in theaters through Anchor Bay Films and Overture Films and the movie being about people who are in a game of Russian Roulette for money.

 

SPECIAL FEATURES:

No extras on this rental except for trailers (for FIVE DAYS OF WAR and SON OF NO ONE)  leading up to the main menu.

 

FINALA ANLYSIS:  13 is an intense game of life and death.    Watch the movie if you want an intense film.

this DVD review is (c)11-9-2011 David Blackwell and cannot be fully reprinted without permission.  send all comments to feedback@enterline-media.com