Search - Devil in a Blue Dress on DVD

MPAA Rating: R Content Advisory: Violence, Adult Language, Sexual Situations Movie Release: 1995 DVD Release: 03/09/1999 Format: DVD - Enhanced Wide Screen Letterbox for 16x9 TV,Pan and Scan Audio Tracks: English, Spanish Subtitles: English, Spanish SwapaDVD Credits: 1 Number of Discs: 1 Run Time: 1 hrs 41 mins Studio: Columbia TriStar Total Copies: 1 Genres: Mystery, Detective Film, Post-Noir (Modern Noir)

Denzel Washington stars in this adaptation of the novel by African-American crime author Walter Mosley, the first of his stories to reach the screen. Ezekiel Rawlins (Washington), known to his friends as "Easy," has just lost his job at an aircraft plant in post-WW II Los Angeles, a time when good-paying jobs for black men are hard to come by. He's wondering how to make his mortgage payment when he's approached by De Witt Albright (Tom Sizemore), who describes his job as "doing favors for friends." It seems that a woman named Daphne Monet (Jennifer Beals) has gone missing; Daphne is the former girlfriend of wealthy mayoral candidate Todd Carter (Terry Kinney) and a known habitué of the black jazz clubs and night spots on L.A.'s Central Avenue. Albright offers Easy $100 to help him find Daphne, and while he doesn't have any detective experience, the price is right, so Easy agrees. After a passionate affair with a friend of Daphne's, Coretta James (Lisa Nicole Carson), leads to that woman's murder, Easy enlists the help of his friend Mouse (Don Cheadle), who seems to know just a bit too well how to use a gun, which gives Easy all too clear a look at the lower depths of L.A.'s upper crust. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide

Denzel Washington - Easy Rawlins
Tom Sizemore - DeWitt Albright
Jennifer Beals - Daphne Monet
Don Cheadle - Mouse
Maury Chaykin - Matthew Terell
Lisa Nicole Carson - Coretta James

It's nice to see Columbia TriStar putting so much effort into a DVD package. The transfer is brilliant, both in image and sound. A subtlety of light is captured in the widescreen frame, successfully communicating the film's sultriness. The color is rich and definite, with the pastels and shadows of a 1940s Los Angeles shining through majestically. A key element in creating ambience is the soundtrack, with composer Elmer Bernstein's score interlaced with classic jazz and blues themes. The Dolby Digital 5:1 Audio is pristine and a balanced surround is achieved.
The main menu is classy, depicting the features as matinee neon lights, in sync with the overall feel of the film. Scene selections are not run of the mill static shots but mini-screened versions of each scene's beginning. There is an informative commentary with director Carl Franklin, as well as a booklet containing more background. Don Cheadle's screen test, with off-screen involvement heard from both Franklin and lead actor Denzel Washington, is a treat, giving audiences an opportunity to view an event that normally is not accessible to them. Other features include three language and subtitle choices and the theatrical trailer. It would have been nice to see more extensive biographies and filmographies, but all in all, this package is an impressive enhancement of an already attractive film. ~ Marsha Mehran, All Movie Guide