Plot: What’s it about?
Thought we cannot deny the fact that Richard Dreyfuss is an Oscar-Winner, we can say that he has been in his share of "interesting" movies. But, he has been in his share of very good movies as well. Jaws, Close Encounters of the Third Kind and The Goodbye Girl (the movie that won him his Academy Award) are just three (two of them are listed in the AFI 100 Top Movies of all time list) of the movies that we may remember him for. Although we might not recognize Richard Dreyfuss as Trotter from ‘Let it Ride’, he was indeed the main character of this theatrical bomb of 1989. But the film found new life on cable and places like HBO. In fact, I remember seeing it for the first time some ten years ago on a movie channel. While it doesn’t have any special effects or a really complex plot to enthrall you with, it does have very interesting characters and a drive that is somewhat indescribable. Maybe that drive is in the form of gambling. As someone who likes to gamble, we all dream of knowing the results of a horse race before it’s run. Trotter has this information, but like anyone, is skeptical. It’s Dreyfuss’s Trotter that propels us through the film, and ultimately that gets us to and through the finish line as well.
It’s Trotter (Richard Dreyfuss) that has made amends with his girlfriend, Pam (Teri Garr) and has promised to turn over a new leaf and never gamble again. Pam sees the good in Trotter and is willing to give him one last chance. But as fate would have it, Loopy (David Johansen), Trotter’s cab-driving friend, is in the habit of recording the passengers of his taxi cab. Yes, it’s "Taxi Cab Confessions" five years before it became popular! What Loopy doesn’t know is that while in the midst of his entertainment, he is actually recording two men who are in the business of fixing horse races. And while he is playing the tape for Trotter, this secret is revealed. Trotter then has to face a difficult decision, granted it’s not like most characters in movie facing their decisions but hey…Does he want to take this most certain information and head to the track with his last $100 or does he want to keep his commitment to his girlfriend and make her happy? I won’t say, but the name of the movie is ‘Let it Ride’ and the cover features Trotter on his knees in a praying position, so you make the call! What we can gather, however, is that a good day at the track is certainly a good day at the track. Trotter continues to walk tall amidst the name-calling and doubt that is bestowed against him.
While many people have never heard of ‘Let it Ride’, many have really liked it once they saw it. Paramount said that it was one of the most requested catalog titles that they had in the past year, that’s got to be saying something! A low-budget, late 80’s movie with Richard Dreyfuss and Teri Garr as the stars whose only other name is Jennifer Tilly (making full use of her "assets" by the way) is just not a sure bet. This does have one of the funniest lines of dialogue, I might add. Trotter, in the "Jockey Club" manages to say to Tilly’s character: "Some set of legs you got there" to which she responds "Yeah, they go from my ass all the way to the ground". I suppose you’ll have to witness it for yourself, but just because you’ve never heard of this movie doesn’t mean it’s not good. Look for Robbie Coltrane as the bitter Ticket Taker and if you look very closely you’ll see a blonde haired girl (with braces no less) who plays the character of Evangeline. That girl is none other than Cynthia Nixon who is better-known as Miranda on Sex and the City. Give ‘Let it Ride’ a rental, but a purchase might not be too far out of the question…
Video: How does it look?
Once again we are treated to a better than average presentation of a catalog title from Paramount. Let it Ride is presented in an anamorphic 1.85:1 transfer that makes the film look as good as it ever has. While black levels are dead on, there seems to be a bit of a problem with artifacting and there is also a bit of edge enhancement that gives the film a "B" quality to it. Then again, I would have to consider this film a "B" movie to begin with! While the palette is muted a bit, the colors seem to be true and the level of detail is admirable. To say that this is the best Let it Ride has looked is an understatement. All the times I watched this on cable and now I’m finally seeing things I’ve never noticed before. You won’t be impressed nor disappointed by the presentation here, but it’s the best this film has ever looked, so we should be proud of that.
Audio: How does it sound?
Yet another catalog title from Paramount that has been "re-mastered" in Dolby Digital 5.1. But this movie doesn’t have a whole lot to offer in terms of sound. The dialogue is clear and doesn’t have any distortion to it. I heard the surrounds a few times, but mostly in the form of horse hooves during the races. Quite frankly, this is a really good mono mix with some use by the front channels as well. Yes, it’s the best it’s ever sounded, but even the best isn’t that impressive.
Supplements: What are the extras?
A short featurette that runs a few minutes in length really tells us nothing, it’s just the cast telling us how much they like doing the movie (I mean who is really going to come up and say "Yeah…I really hated this movie, I don’t know what I was thinking")? Still, it’s a nice touch even if it looks dated and stale. A theatrical trailer is also included, which rounds out the supplements.
