DVD Review: WRONG IS RIGHT

by David Blackwell

Civil unrest is going on in the Middle East. The United States is looking for two Nuclear suitcase bombs that an arms dealer is trying to sell to a Middle East country. The President tries to deny they exist while his opponent from Texas tries to prove they exist and TV News Reporter Patrick Hale tries to find out the truth. Everyone wants to put a spin on the situation through TV as they try to twist the turth to their version. Everyone is out to gain something by spinning the truth. Patrick Hale talks to everyone from the terrorists to the President to the CIA to the President's political rival from Texas.

If you were reading the above information, you think you were reading the headlines in today's news. Actually that is the plot for WRONG IS RIGHT (written and) directed by Richard Brooks and starring Sean Connery. WRONG IS RIGHT has become a prophetic political satire in today's world, but the movie came out in 1982. You have two characters that are like President George W. Bush in the way they act in this movie. The situation at the end of the movie mirrors events that happened last year (I won't spoil it for you if you haven't seen the movie). WRONG IS RIGHT makes you wonder how much the politicians and the reporters manipulate the truth through TV. The catch phrase of the movie pretty much sums it up- "If it doesn't happen on TV, it means nothing."

WRONG IS RIGHT is an interesting satire with a good cast from Sean Connery to John Sxon to Leslie Nielsen and Dean Sockwell. The movie was daring enough to have black female Vice President. I loved the general who just wanted to bomb the Middle east (for no good reason). It makes you wonder if there is some general who thinks like that or Richard Broooks is trying to pay homage to Dr. Strangelove. I also love the act that Sean Connery does look like he is wearing a toupee in this movie. It is jarring and it is part of the charm of his character (FYI- Sean did wear a toupee in real life in many of his movies). Patrick Hale is definitely a character whose morals walk the grey line.

The movie is presented in 1.85:1 widescreen. The Dolby 2.0 audio is good- very clear and crisp. The video is very grainy (more in some scenes than others). There are specks of dirt present in some scenes of the movie. Some slight strobing is present about a minute into the movie, but it does go away within seconds. The color makes the movie look like it was filmed in the 1970s, but the movie was released in 1982. However I do remember the movie's colors looking like this when I saw it on Encore years ago. The movie does have an option to view it with English, French, Japanese, or Korean subtitles.

The only extras on this DVD are trailers for The Bedford Incident, Dr. Strangelove. I do wish there was a commentary track for this movie or at least the original trailer for WRONG IS RIGHT (I wonder why Columbia doesn't include the original trailers for the some of the movies they release to DVD).

WRONG IS RIGHT falls under the category of a movie you didn't hear about and yet you should have. With the release of the movie to DVD, you have your chance now to check out this political satire on the world and TV news.

this review is (c)3-9-2004 David Blackwell and this review can't be reprinted without permission. Send all comments to lord_pragmagtic@hotmail.com and look for additional content (and site updates) at http://www.livejournal.com/users/enterlinemedia

DVD Review: WRONG TURN

by David Blackwell

Some movies leave you on edge when you watch it and WRONG TURN is one of those movies. I watched it twice. The movie wasn't as great a movie on the second viewing, but it still is a very enjoybale horror movie. the movie is about a group of young people who get take a wrong turn into the back country of West Virgina only to be hunted by inbred deformed mountain men.

The movie is presnted in Full Frame on one side and 1.85:1 anamorphic widescreen on the other. The flesh tones are good while the greens really pop out at you and teh blacks seem very dark. The audio is good and there is a right balance between the way it was mixed for the DVD.

The deleted scenes amount to a three minute waterfall scenes that got cut down to a few seconds in the movie, and the Francine Kill scenes (and three minutes of dalies of that scenes that show how much footage was shot for a scene that only lasts a few seconds.

FRESH MEAT: THE WOUNDS OF WRONG TURN is a nine minute featurette that focuses on the what the movie is about, why it got made, and how the mountain Men make-up was made (and some of the effects shots were done). ELIZA DUSHKU: BABE IN THE WOODS is a 3 1/2 minute featurette all about Eliza Dushku. Also there is a 10 1/2 featurette called "THE MAKING OF WRONG TURN" and a 3 1/2 minute featurette on Stan Winston.

Finally, the comemntary by the director and the two stars of the movie (Desmond Harrington and Eliza Dushku) would have been a total waste for me to listen to if it wasn't for Eliza Dushku. She is the best person on the commentary track and she has some fun on it too.

WRONG TURN is a good DVD. If you want a horror movie with gore, this is the movie for you. If you're an Eliza Dushku fan, you will probably buy this DVD. Other than that, I recommend this DVD to any horror movie fan who hasn't watched WRONG TURN because you are missing out on a movie that is made like so many horror movies were made years ago.