Plot: What’s it about?
Sid and Bob own a small time car dealership, which happens to be right down the road from one of the largest resellers in the country. This could explain in part why the dealership is going under, unless Bob and Sid can come up with some serious cash in only a few days. Their usual connection for used cars has been unreliable as of late, but it seems like he might have just the deal these two down on their luck salesman are in need of. Their connection has just one car for them, but the car is worth $250,000 to them, and they don’t even have to sell it. Someone will bring the car by, pick it up two days later, and they’re a quarter of a million dollars richer. Sid and Bob have their reservations about such a mysterious and simple deal worth so much money, but their current situation doesn’t offer them much choice. Bob and Sid don’t know it yet, but the car that ends up on their lot seems to be cursed, as everyone who drives it tends to end up dead. What lethal enigma surrounds this car, and can Sid and Bob escape the fate of its previous drivers?
I wasn’t sure what to expect when I fired this disc into my player, but from the title, I was looking forward to the flick. While there is some blood and bullets, don’t let the name fool you into thinking this movie is a senseless, violent movie. It’s very violent, but the storyline explains it, so you’re not just watching mindless murder here. This movie is divided into two distinct segments, one deals with the events surrounding the car’s past and events concerning Sid and Bob’s lives. Sid and Bob are very humorous to listen to, and their car salesman dialogue toward the beginning of the film is classic. The movie tends to swirl around for a while, and I wasn’t sure how the events would connect together, but the ending ties up all the loose strings. If you can’t stand some bloodshed with your black humor, keep the hell away from this picture. If you enjoy some seriously funny dialogue and more than a fair share of gunplay, check this out, I think you’ll like it.
While this movie is filled with some great supporting roles, the show belongs to the actors who portray Sid and Bob, the hapless and desperate car salesmen. Joe Carnahan and Dan Leis are the actors behind these characters, and they give excellent performances. The chemistry is there, the bickering is outstanding, and somewhere buried in there, you can see a strong as oak friendship. Carnahan, who plays Sid, is outstanding here, and also had the task of writing, editing, and directing this movie. While you might think at least one area suffered, Carnahan did a superb job on all fronts. Leis plays a perfect straight man to Sid’s “go with the moment” attitude, and also gives a knock out acting turn. The rest of the cast includes Mark S. Allen, Max Ancar, Hugh McChord, Dan Harberts (Gates of Heaven), and Nick Fenske. While most of these actors are unknowns, they don’t disappoint, and bring the supporting characters to life quite well.
Video: How does it look?
Blood Guts Bullets & Octane is presented in 1.85:1 widescreen, and the transfer has been enhanced for widescreen televisions. This movie was made on a very low budget, and the video is quite grainy, similar to that of a handheld camera. So don’t be irritated by the grain, because the transfer is not to blame, this is the intended visual style. Since grain is present, colors won’t be sharp and rich as usual, and black levels will be a little on the light side. But these errors are not major, and once you get to used to the way the film looks, you won’t even notice. No compression errors were found on the disc, either.
Audio: How does it sound?
A Dolby Digital surround track is implemented here for the movie’s audio, and it is more than adequate. With all the gunfire and racing engines, a 5.1 track would have really opened up the sound, but I am happy with the included mix. As I mentioned, engine roars and firing guns are heard often in this movie, and these effects make decent use the surrounds, but nearly as much as I would have liked. The dialogue comes through very well, with nice volume and consistency, and no separation issues to speak of.
Supplements: What are the extras?
The disc includes the theatrical trailer, and that’s the extent of the supplements. I think a Sid and Bob commentary and perhaps some interviews would be in order, so let’s all hope for a future re-release with some nice additions. I wish.
