Straight Time
by Ulu Grosbard
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DVD details
Actor: Dustin Hoffman, Gary Busey, Harry Dean Stanton, M. Emmett Walsh, Theresa RussellDirector: Ulu Grosbard
Brand: Warner Brothers
DVD: Region Code 1
Audio: English (Subtitled); French (Subtitled); Portuguese (Subtitled); Spanish (Subtitled); English (Original Language); French (Dubbed)
Format: Closed-captioned, Color, Dubbed, DVD, NTSC, Subtitled, Widescreen
Picture Format: 1.85:1
Running Time: 114 minutes
DVD Release Date: 2007-05-22
Audience Rating: R (Restricted)
Studio: Warner Home Video
DVD Reviews of Straight Time
DVD Review: Little known very good crime drama from the 70s
Summary: 5 Stars
Straight Time is a film directed by Ulu Grosbard in 1978 and starring Dustin Hoffman, Theresa Russell, Gary Busey, Harry Dean Stanton, M. Emmet Walsh, and Kathy Bates. This is one of the pleasant surprises you'd come to once in a while when you watch a movie you never heard of and realize that it is a strong picture overlooked upon its release and almost unknown which deserves recognition and respect. Straight Time tells about a convict (Hoffman) on parole in LA trying to fit in the supposedly "normal" world. It is an adaptation of Edward Bunker's novel No Beast So Fierce which he wrote serving time in San Quentin State Prison for the parole violation while being the youngest inmate ever in the infamous prison that houses California's only death row for male inmates, the largest in the United States. Written in the 50s, the book was published in 1973, and Dustin Hoffman bought the rights for adaptation. The author, who is also a co-writer of the script, wrote the book based on his own life, and there is a lot of Bunker in Max Dembo, the main character of the novel and the film. The film belongs to Dustin Hoffman who plays Max Dembo, the man trying to do the right thing but who was pulled back in the crime world because of many reasons, one being the over-zealous sadistic parole officer Earl Frank (incomparable M. Emmet Walsh in yet another strong performance as an amoral law servant. Actually, one of the film's few weaknesses is Walsh's disappearance from the screen after 30 minutes or so. His and Hoffman's scenes together are the best in the film). Roger Ebert had created "Stanton-Walsh Rule," which states that "no movie featuring either Harry Dean Stanton or M. Emmet Walsh in a supporting role can be altogether bad." I wonder if the famous critic saw Straight Time featuring both wonderful actors and what he thinks of it. I'd add that besides Stanton-Walsh, all supporting actors gave strong performances. The David Shire's soundtrack that grabbed me from the very first note and pulled me in immediately is great - catchy, rhythmic, and a bit disturbing, The opening scene of the film with Max Dembo (Hoffman) simply walking on the streets of LA after been locked in for six years for armed robbery with Shire's music playing belongs to very memorable moments in film. There is another of many outstanding scenes later in the film, unforgettably funny and satisfying scene of the just revenge that Max took on Earl Frank (Walsh). To sum up, the film is accurate, dark, and pessimistic as well as entertaining. I highly recommended it.
4.5/5
Description of Straight Time
A paroled burglar tries to get a job and keep on the straight-and-narrow. His hard-core parole officer has different ideas and sends him back to jail. When he gets out again he goes after the parole officer steals his car and returns to a life of crime.Running Time: 114 min.Format: DVD MOVIE Genre: DRAMA Rating: R UPC: 012569753129 Manufacturer No: 75312Straight Time is notable for one of Dustin Hoffman's best--and least-seen--performances, as a lifelong criminal who, as a parolee, struggles to go straight. But it's a losing battle right from the jump. In less than a week, he's had a scuffle with his parole officer (M. Emmet Walsh) and is on the dodge, looking for a score. But you know that this guy has only two directions he can go in life--and that's either back to prison or into an early grave. A startling depiction of a surprisingly likable sociopath, this Ulu Grosbard film is a dark meditation on one man's firm--if skewed--values and features Hoffman in a relentless, wiry portrayal. The rest of the cast is equally strong, including the always-reliable Harry Dean Stanton, then-newcomer Gary Busey, and an unknown Kathy Bates. --Marshall Fine
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