Search - Hard Eight on DVD

MPAA Rating: R Content Advisory: Violence, Adult Situations, Not For Children Movie Release: 1996 DVD Release: 10/05/1999 Format: DVD - Enhanced Wide Screen Letterbox for 16x9 TV,Pan and Scan Edition: Special Collection Audio Tracks: English Subtitles: English, Spanish SwapaDVD Credits: 1 Number of Discs: 1 Run Time: 1 hrs 41 mins Studio: Columbia TriStar Members Wishing: 15 Genres: Drama, Post-Noir (Modern Noir), Crime Drama

Before his commercial breakthrough with Boogie Nights (1997), writer/director Paul Thomas Anderson made this low-key drama. John (John C. Reilly), a half-bright loser stranded in Reno, is down to his last few bucks when Sydney (Phillip Baker Hall), taking pity on him, buys him breakfast and offers him a few tips on making money in the casinos. Two years later, John has become Sydney's partner, but his lack of common sense goes from problematic to dangerous when he falls in love with Clementine (Gwyneth Paltrow), a cocktail waitress who isn't above turning a few tricks when she needs to make money -- and isn't any brighter than John. Hall and Reilly, both first-rate character actors, are cast in rare leading roles, and Paltrow is cast strongly against type as a part-time prostitute with a serious lack of street smarts. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide

Philip Baker Hall - Sydney
John C. Reilly - John
Gwyneth Paltrow - Clementine
Samuel L. Jackson - Jimmy
F. William Parker - Hostage
Philip Seymour Hoffman

Columbia/TriStar has done a fantastic job with the DVD release of Paul Thomas Anderson's debut film Hard Eight. The disc comes with a pair of transfers. The widescreen anamorphic transfer preserves the original theatrical aspect ratio of 2.35:1, and is preferable in every way to the standard full-frame image. The closed-captioned English soundtrack is rendered in Dolby Digital Surround. English and Spanish subtitles are accessible. The superb supplemental materials include a pair of commentary tracks. Anderson and his lead actor, Phillip Baker Hall, provide entertaining details about the making of the film as well as the tense relationship Anderson had with the money-men who funded the film. They provide a second commentary track that is coupled with comments recorded on the set by the crew that sheds light on the making of the film and provides details about Anderson's time at the Sundance lab. He explains that while at the lab, he shot four of the film's scenes on video. Three of those videotaped scenes are included on the disc. They offer a fascinating look at how the material has been shaped over time. The theatrical trailer rounds out this superb title that will please those who were entertained by Anderson's intense commentary on =Boogie Nights. ~ Perry Seibert, All Movie Guide