FemaleFirst.co.uk: DVD: Breakdown [DVD] [1998]

Breakdown [DVD] [1998]
enlarge	Director: Jonathan Mostow Actors: Kurt Russell, J.T. Walsh, Kathleen Quinlan, M.C. Gainey, Jack Noseworthy Studio: 20th Century Fox Home Entertainment Category: DVD List Price: ~~£5.99~~ Buy New: £2.69 as of 22/11/2009 17:50 GMT details You Save: £3.30 (55%) New (10) Used (8) from £1.63 Seller: direct_offers_uk Rating: 13 reviews Sales Rank: 10023 Format: Anamorphic, Dubbed, PAL, Widescreen Languages: English (Original Language), English (Subtitles For The Hearing Impaired), Dutch (Subtitled), French (Subtitled), French (Dubbed) Rating: Suitable for 15 years and over Region: 2 Discs: 1 Aspect Ratio: 1.78:1 Number Of Discs: 1 Running Time: 89 Minutes Shipping Weight (lbs): 0.2 Dimensions (in): 7.1 x 5.4 x 0.6 EAN: 5039036011556 ASIN: B00007LZ6F Theatrical Release Date: May 2, 1997 Release Date: June 30, 2003 Availability: Usually dispatched within 1-2 business days


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Editorial Reviews: Amazon.co.uk Review Tautly directed and superbly photographed, this crowd-pleasing thriller from 1997 is indebted to Steven Spielberg's IDuel/I but more closely resembles IDead Calm/I in its strengths and weaknesses. Kurt Russell plays a stressed-out husband whose wife (Kathleen Quinlan) disappears after their car breaks down in the desert. Tracking down her whereabouts leads to an interstate theft and kidnapping ring, and as Russell pursues--and is pursued by--a vicious redneck played to perfection by J T Walsh (in one of his final film roles), the movie succumbs to several tense but utterly conventional action sequences. That doesn't stop the movie from being an above-average nail-biter. It is so effectively directed by co-writer Jonathan Mostow that even the more surreal situations seem plausible and altogether unsettling. Russell's performance is key to the film's success--he's smart enough to be admirable and we can readily identify with his frustration, confusion and torment. Through him, IBreakdown/I takes on the edgy quality of a wide-awake nightmare. I--Jeff Shannon/I Amazon.co.uk Review The sinister side of the divide between urban and rural America has inspired countless film makers and, although by no means original, IBreakdown/I is a tense and at times dark example of the genre. Travelling to California to start a new life, Jeff and Amy Taylor are the perfect American couple, young, prosperous and devoted to each other. When they find themselves stranded in the desert following the breakdown of their car their dream descends into a vicious nightmare. With his wife disappearing into what seems like thin air, Taylor becomes embroiled in an increasingly desperate to rescue her: repeatedly facing a wall of silence from the local community. p Kurt Russell handles the role well, comfortable with the numerous action sequences but also adept at portraying Taylor's increasing mental anxiety in the kind of role perhaps more associated with the likes of Harrison Ford (a man who loses his wife more often than you or I might lose our car keys). The locals, led in suitably sinister form by the excellent JT Walsh, are a straight out of IDeliverance/I--presented as dumb hicks but also capable of organising a complex kidnap. The film zips by at a pace, dwelling briefly but effectively on the astonishing number of people who go missing each year before culminating in a high-action, edge-of-the-seat climax. Not rocket science but fun all the same. p BOn the DVD:/B IBreakdown/I has a suitably epic feel thanks to the vast expanses of desert, and the picture quality on the DVD and the soundtrack's clear effects do much to enhance this perception. Extras are kept to the bare minimum, with the standard chapter and subtitle selection all that is on offer. --IPhil Udell/I

Customer Reviews: Showing reviews 1-5 of 13 1 2 3 Next » a splendid little thriller January 7, 2005 Alejandra Vernon (Long Beach, California) 12 out of 13 found this review helpful This is a small film that packs a big punch, with a brilliant performance from Kurt Russell that holds our attention from start to finish. brThere is a tense, ominous feeling from the start, as Russell and his wife, Kathleen Quinlan, end up stuck in the middle of nowhere, at the mercy of some menacing characters. The great J.T. Walsh plays the leader of the gang, with that perfect mixture of deviousness and cool evil he mastered in so many roles, and writer/director Jonathan Mostow has crafted a tight, well written script from his story, that though it has the occasional improbability, is plausible enough to be intelligent as well as edge-of-the-seat entertainment...because we know this kind of thing has happened to people...and it could happen to you ! pRussell, as the helpless pawn of Walsh, is superb, and you see him becoming half-crazed, as he finds himself in a desert twilight zone, unable to get answers to his dilemma...the look in his eyes when Walsh tells him "time to get the show on the road" is a memorable moment in the film. brQuinlan looks stunning, with a natural sensuality that is a rare thing to see these days, and though her screen-time is relatively short, she is one of the ingredients that help make this film believable. brBeautiful cinematography by Doug Milstone of locations in California, Nevada and Utah, and a wonderful score Basil Poledouris add a lot to the film. brStrangely, knowing the ending doesn't diminish the tension of this film...it's a gem that doesn't lose its luster even after several viewings. brTotal running time is 93 minutes. Edge of your seat. June 23, 2004 Mr. A. P. Venables 9 out of 11 found this review helpful Breakdown is a thriller that really gets under my skin. It is very simple and the film does nothing that you haven't seen before. I saw it because famous British film Barry Norman critic says he liked it and he rarely likes anything (well, nothing I find interesting).pBefore I go into the film I would like to ask you this. Have you ever broken down on a road and as a car pulls up to help, a tiny thought triggers in your brain that maybe they could mean you harm as you sit stranded? Breakdown amplifies that fear. The reason why the film works, for me, is that the tag line "It could happen to you" rings true. The Exorcist didn't scare me but this did. However, if you do prefer supernatural thrillers you are not going to be happy with this.pBefore I saw it I remember Barry Norman commenting "The reason why the film works is that the hero is not superhuman and does nothing superhuman." or something like that. And it is true, Kurt Russell's hero runs around like a rabbit stuck in headlights. Suffice to say Kurt Russell is wonderfully as the unfortunate Jeff.pThe tension is thick in this film and not one setup is badly handled. The villain is an utterly terrifying truck driver, a man whose every twitch oozes icy malice. When Kurt Russell final turns the tables it is wonderfully satisfying.pBreakdown offers nothing really that new but it wonderfully succeeds on its own terms. An awesome gripping thriller. May 14, 2006 Mr Krool (Kildary, Scotland) 3 out of 4 found this review helpful I saw Breakdown years ago and I remmeber how much my heart pounded as I watched it. My hands were sweaty and I couldnt pull myself away from the screen. Obviously the first time you watch it the more gripping you'll find it but I've seen it about 7 times and I still feel the tension everytime. br / br /I really cant believe that some people actually hate this movie. IMO this is the best thriller I've ever seen. The music is fantastic, the acting is superb and it kept me on the edge of my seat no matter how many times I watched it. I really cant see what could be improved in Breakdown. It does an amazing job in keeping you glued to the screen and the characters are excellent and make you really hate the bad guys. As soon as it starts to the very end it keeps you gripped. If you like Ransom you should like Breakdown. br / br /Excellent movie. 10 out of 10. I don't understand why this didn't do well! March 28, 2004 P. Woods (England) 4 out of 6 found this review helpful Road movies are my favorite types of movies, this is probobly my second favourite (with "the hitcher" being first). I was walking around in the shops, I was walking down an isle looking for "Hard boiled", I found it, I began to walk to the till, but as I was I saw "Breakdown." I had never even heard of it before, I took a look at it, only six pound it was, it looked great, so I bought that aswell. When I finally got to see it, I thought it was amazing, Kurt Russell did a fantastic job as the man searching for his wife. The DVD is ok, not very good for extras, although the trailer might get you in the mood to see it, the picute is great as widescreen 16:9, the sound is very good (if you have surround sound). So if you're just looking for an edge-of-you-seat thriller with lots of thrills for a saturday night, see this! Phenomenal! August 10, 2000 2 out of 3 found this review helpful This film was was absolutely superb. I highly recommend this superb movie to anybody. It kept me poised on the edge of my seat for the whole film. Absolutely gripping! I used to think that Kurt Russell could not act until I saw this movie - now I think that he is god! Our friend Julie Miller who is usually one of the harshest critics in the world, is also now Kurt Russells biggest fan!. The film keeps you dangling in suspense right upto the clever twist at the end. On the downside side, the film is too short. overall a highly gripping thriller. Miss it at your peril! Showing reviews 1-5 of 13 1 2 3 Next »

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