Plot: What’s it about?
Nick Roos (Lou Diamond Phillips) is a detective with a serious problem, as a serial killer has chosen to involve him in his crimes. You see, this brutal killer doesn’t just leave his victims a bloody mess, he also takes photos and videotapes the events, which he then sends to Roos. This sends Roos into a state of panic however, as he tries to fit together the clues within the visual evidence, in an attempt to close in on the maniac. It seems that with each new crime, Roos feels more and more at fault and as such, he needs to put an end to the spree, or face the chance of losing his own mind because of the case. As the evidence and victims continue to mount, Roos seeks out help from Grace (Madchen Amick), a beautiful and very skilled psychiatrist. As it turns out, she can offer much assistance in the case, but she has fallen under the killer’s eyes, which means Roos must solve the case soon, or lose the one link to ever close the murders down.
As I’ve said time and again, when it comes to serial killer flicks, you never know what to expect and with Hangman, that continues. I had low hopes for this thriller and even though I love serial killer movies, I wasn’t looking forward to this one much. Lou Diamond Phillips and Madchen Amick lead the cast and to me, that means to expect even less from the picture. I knew this was low budget and adjusted my expectations as such, but in the end, I was surprised by Hangman. Perhaps it was my lowered expectations, but this movie was much better than I figured, with some terrific moments here and there. The premise is a solid one, the writing is adequate, and even the cast choices seem to have panned out well enough. I’m not saying this is a genre classic, but as far as these kind of movies go, this was a nice surprise and an easy recommendation, as a rental. I wish Columbia/Tristar would have given this title some extra attention though, as the lack of extras make this one a rental, with minimal incentive to purchase.
I’ve never been that impressed by the work of Lou Diamond Phillips, but he can do solid performances and as such, I wasn’t let down to see at the wheel of this movie. Phillips seems in decent form here, but at times he looks a little out of the mood, so to speak. He has taken more than a few direct to video and lower profile flick positions of late, so perhaps he was just sort of sleepwalking through this one. He is in the scenes of course and delivers his lines, but he doesn’t seem to always have much behind his performance. Even so, his turn is more than adequate for this material, so I won’t knock his performance much in the end. You can also see Phillips in such films as Young Guns, Supernova, Courage Under Fire, The Big Hit, La Bamba, and of course, Bats. The cast here also includes Madchen Amick (Black Cat Run, Sleepwalkers), Dan Lauria (Independence Day, Wide Awake), Vincent Corazza (Bride of Chucky, Urban Legend), and Rosemary Dunsmore (Total Recall, Cliffhanger).
Video: How does it look?
Hangman is presented in a 1.85:1 anamorphic widescreen transfer, with a full frame edition included on the disc’s flip side. This is a more than solid visual effort, but it just lacks the refinement to attain the highest score levels. The print looks clean and allows for a sharp image, which is just what we’re given here. A few scenes show lessened contrast, but most look very good and I couldn’t find enough instances to lower the score, so don’t be concerned. The contrast is usually dead on the mark, while colors seem bold and flesh tones natural. In other words, all the elements seem in order, with just some small flaws keeping the score down.
Audio: How does it sound?
The included Dolby Digital 5.1 is more than effective, but this film is pretty much a missed chance, if you ask me. These serial killer movies thrive on atmospheric audio, but no real subtle use is present here, which lessens tension at times. Even so, this is an above average treatment, as the basics get covered and then some, no worries in the end. The surrounds are used, just not all the time and since the music & sound effects seem in order, I won’t hold much of a grudge. No problems with dialogue either, as vocals are well presented and sound terrific. This disc also includes 2.0 surround tracks in English, French, Spanish, and Portuguese, as well as subtitles in Spanish, French, Portuguese, English, Thai, Korean, and Chinese.
Supplements: What are the extras?
This disc includes some talent files, but no other bonus materials.
