Search - One False Move on DVD

One of the best crime films ever made

Brian D. Rubendall | Oakton, VA | 07/19/2000

(5 out of 5 stars)

""One False Move" is a lost classic that is great films on many levels, acting, screenplay, direction, mood, etc. But what makes it really special is its authenticity. In the middle of the film there is a scene of a highway patrolman pulling over a carload of suspects that could be a training film at any police academy. The patrolman does everything right, until he makes one minor but ultimately deadly mistake. The violent scenes are quick and realistic, like a punch to the gut. Bill Paxton as the erstwhile motormouth "hero" and Billy Bob Thorton as the high Strung "villian" turn in career making performances. Even the small southern town that serves as a backdrop for the movie feels totally authentic. Anyone who enjoyed "Sling Blade" or "A Simple Plan" will love this movie."

And you're dead

Dennis Littrell | SoCal | 03/01/2002

(4 out of 5 stars)

"This cult favorite degenerate cocaine crime caper starts out in what looks like South Central L.A and ends up in rural Arkansas. Directed by Carl Franklin from a script by Billy Bob Thornton, and starring Thornton, Bill Paxton, Cynda Williams, and Michael Beach, it begins with bloody bodies on the floor and ends with bloody bodies on the ground. There is some sprightly dialogue en route, some sharp editing, fine acting all around, and the dramatic tension is well maintained. We are intrigued by the clash of personalities and the degenerate hijinks. However, after awhile I began to feel that if they light up one more cigarette I will be forced to rip the pack from their hands, tear the stogies into shreds, and feed the debris to them with a large spoon. Also the standard quota of one thousand improvisations on the f-word was exceeded here. I am therefore condemning director Carl Franklin to an absurdist nightmare in which he dreams of getting scripts in the mail in which the dialogue for all characters consists of just that one word in its various grammatical forms, repeated for one hundred and twenty pages.Paxton plays a small town sheriff in awe of the cops from the big city who is nonetheless intent on proving his manhood. (One of the cops, by the way, in a bit of prescient genius, looks a whole lot like former L.A. cop Mark Fuhrman before he got all those bags under his eyes.) Thornton is a kind of murderous cocaine-addled urban animal in a long greasy pigtail whose life has neither direction, purpose nor insight. Williams, whose primal sexiness will keep your eyes open even if it's two a.m., plays a chocolate strawberry who can kill when she has to. Beach is an icy cold-blooded knife murderer who spends his off-duty hours worshiping his well-muscled body and practicing squeaky-clean living. The familiar Billy Bob Thornton fascination with things country contrasted with things city is explored here and reminds us a little of A Simple Plan (1998) in which he also teamed up with Bill Paxton. This genre, which I might call "Grunge City gore," was morphed into an art form during the eighties and nineties in films from, e.g., Coen and Coen, Blood Simple (1984), David Lynch, Wild at Heart (1990), Quentin Tarantino, Reservoir Dogs (1992), Oliver Stone, Natural Born Killers (1994), and others. This is actually one of the better ones, but I think I need a break. Maybe a nice Disney favorite or something with Meg Ryan and Tom Hanks...or even something with Bette Midler and Whoopie Goldberg.Then again, maybe NOT.Incidentally, the reason all these films made especially during the late eighties and early nineties contain some much blood and guts and cigarette smoke is (1) Sex had become somewhat taboo because of the rise of AIDS, and so Hollywood switched to violence, and (2) The tobacco companies fronted money for films that promised to have a whole lot of puffing going on. Hopefully we are living in more enlightened times."

Move Over "Jaws"

L. Shirley | fountain valley, ca United States | 07/30/2003

(4 out of 5 stars)

"This review refers to DVD edtion(Columbia Tri-Star) of "One False Move".....

"One False Move" is one truely good thriller. Directed by Carl Franklin, who has a knack for bringing us some great noir("Devil In A Blue Dress"), and really engages us in the story and the characters.

Ray,Pluto and Fantasia are on the lam. They are drug dealers who just committed the most horrific murders and are heading from L.A. to a smalltown in Arkansas. The law is hot on their trail and notifies Chief Dale "Hurricane" Dixon of Star City to be on the look out for these big time criminals. Dixon is a big fan of the L.A.P.D. and is eager to get in on this big case and apprehend these ruthless thugs. But does he really know what he's getting himself in for...as his wife says "He watches TV..I read non-fiction". And..there's more...Fantasia brings with her to this small town a big secret that has our hero "Hurricane" personally involved as well.

The cast is fabulous. Billy Bob Thornton and Cynda Williams play Ray and Fantasia, the Bonnie and Clyde type lovers on the run. Michael Beach is their co-hort.He is educated, has an IQ of 150, and makes "Jaws" look like the family pet! And Bill Paxton is simply outstanding as Chief Dixon, the small town cop with big ideals. The music score is as chilling as the story and the screenplay(Billy Bob Thornton and Tom Epperson) will have you hanging on every word.

The film was nominated for and won several international awards,including an "Independent Spirit Award" for Carl Franklin for Best Director, and an "International Fantasy Film Award" for Thornton and Epperson for Best Screenplay.

The picture presented on this DVD is excellent. It has the choice of anamorphic widescreen 1.85:1 which is the intended ratio, or full screeen format. The colors and clarity were very good. The sound was good in DD 2.0, all sounds were distinguisable, but I had to keep turning it up and down throughout the movie, as the dialouge seemed to get higher and lower at times.(this film is begging for 5.1). There is commentary by Director Carl Franklin which may be viewed during the film if you choose.The problem with this is that you can not go in and out of the commentary without turning the DVD off and on. There is no "Resume Film", you would have to go to the scene selection to pick up where you left off, if you only wanted to hear certain portions of the commentary. The Tech info here and the "Special Features" listed on the case state that there are subtitles in Spanish and French. If you are needing these..fahget about it...the "Spanish" subtitles come up in English and I could not find the French subtitles anywhere. It may be viewed in Spanish though.

Four stars for the package....a terriffic and chilling story,great transfer to DVD, but let's fix up those subtitles for those who may need them Columbia....

also recommended;
Just Cause- another good thriller
Primary Colors- great cast including Billy Bob
Stars Fell on Henrietta [VHS](early Billy bob)

Thanks and enjoy...Laurie"

Unsure What to See?

Jason G. | Fort Worth, TX United States | 11/28/2000

(5 out of 5 stars)

"One False Move is one of the most graphic and spine tingling action mystery movies I have seen in a long time. There are many memorable scenes which give goose bumps to any normal viewer. Astounding performances where given by the dismal villains (Billy Bob Thornton, Michael Beach, and Cynda Williams) and the high spirited sheriff (Bill Paxton). This all-star team of actors only adds to the film. The only thing that I could think about was what could possibly happen next. It all begins in LA and later ends up in a back roads city in Arkansas, untouched by true cold blooded criminals. As the viewer you are shown what happens when a couple and their intelligent, but cruel partner, get greedy and commit several horrific killings. Unable to run and hide the three killers have to commit one murder after the next to try and save themselves. What started out as a simple agreement between the three, ended up putting one against the other to save their own skin. Ironically Fantasha, Ray's girl and Pluto's lose end, has a hidden secret with the quick acting sheriff of Star City. Unfortunately for them Hurricane, the sheriff of Star City, remembers Fantasha when he sees a picture from a convenient store security camera. See what happens when the LA police team up with Hurricane to bring these three killers to justice. I strongly recommend this movie for those of you tired of seeing the same old Hollywood movie, and seeking some adventure."