Payback - Straight Up - The Director's Cut [HD DVD]
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DVD Cover Information Actor: Jack Conley, James Coburn, Lucy Liu, Maria Bello, Stephen Cinabro Director: Brian Helgeland Brand: Paramount DVD: Region Code 0 Audio: English (Original Language); English (Subtitled); French (Subtitled); Spanish (Subtitled) Format: AC-3, Color, Director's Cut, Dolby, Special Edition, Subtitled, Widescreen Picture Format: 2.35:1 Running Time: 90 minutes DVD Release Date: 2007-04-10 Audience Rating: R (Restricted) Studio: Paramount Home Entertainment |
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Movie Reviews of Payback - Straight Up - The Director's Cut [HD DVD]
Movie Review: Payback: The Director's Cut -- "Hubba Hubba"
Summary: 5 Stars
When Payback was originally released in 1999, it was surrounded by a bit of controversy when it was reported that the studio was not happy with writer/director Brian Helgeland's original cut and with Mel Gibson's approval, the actor filmed a new third act with the addition of Kris Kristofferson to the cast. This version was not that well received as audiences were put off by the cast of generally unlikable characters. However, over the years, bootleg copies of Helgeland's original rough cut began to circulate among fans of the film that revealed a significantly different version. Surprisingly, Paramount has allowed the filmmaker to revisit his film and release his version on DVD.
Helgeland sets the tone right from the start with a 1970s style font for the opening credits and the old school musical score that evokes Don Siegel's crime films from the 1960s and `70s. Helgeland even names an establishment Varrick's after Siegel's heist movie, Charley Varrick. He is clearly a fan of `70s era crime films as Porter's ruthless methods to find Val echo the same cutthroat methods Robert Duvall employs in The Outfit, another adaptation of a Stark novel (actually the sequel to The Hunter).
Helgeland presents a world populated by corrupt cops, weasely fixers, hookers with hearts of gold and sadistic gangsters - all the hallmarks of an uncompromising crime film. This version of Payback is a vast improvement over the theatrical release with the voiceover removed and the implausible ending changed. Also gone is Kris Kristofferson and his whole subplot including the prerequisite Gibson torture scene. The new ending is much more fitting and consistent with the rest of the movie. It is great to see Helgeland's vision finally seeing the light of day and this once flawed movie restored to its much more superior version free from the meddlesome tampering of studios and test screenings.
There is an audio commentary by writer/director Brian Helgeland. The filmmaker explains that he could never change the ending of his movie because it was always intended to be an homage to the ending of Cool Hand Luke (1967). He talks about and defends the decisions he made in the film. This is an insightful and informative track with Helgeland pointing out what is new in this cut of the film.
"Paybacks are a Bitch" takes a look at the making of the film at the location shooting in Chicago and Los Angeles. This extra takes us through the production with new interviews with Helgeland, Gibson, Unger and key crew members with an excellent, in-depth look at how it all came together.
"Same Story - Different Movie, Creating Payback: The Director's Cut" examines how this new version came together. Originally, the studio was expecting an accessible, Lethal Weapon-style movie and wanted to change the ending. Gibson went along with the studio but Helgeland refused and walked away from it all while the actor wrote and directed a new ending, a prologue setting up who the character was and voiceover spelling things out. In 2005, Gibson allowed Helgeland to restore his original cut.
Finally, there is "The Hunter: A Conversation with author Donald E. Westlake." Richard Stark was a pen name for Westlake as he wrote mystery novels annually under his actual name but wrote a lot more material that he wanted to publish. So, he ended up writing stripped down crime novels for men. He talks about the creation of the Parker character (Porter in the film), the origins of the Richard Stark moniker and some of the movie adaptations of his work.