Purgatory Flats

Before I continue I must confess that one of the things in life that gives me great joy and happiness is "just coming across" something. Nothing that you're seeking - you just happen to pick it up and say, "I'd like to see this" - it's along the lines of what I call the "Oh what the heck!" response, which is what I said when I came across this little DVD - while digging through boxes of stuff in Old Man Liebenheimer's shack, where he keeps pretty much everything he ever picks up at pawn shops or garage sales. I swear, that metal shed in his back yard is like a like a three-square-mile flea market in a 12x12 space.

But more on the shed later . . . this movie was one of those "whattheheck" moments, and it's that kind of movie - not the kind you'd really want to watch again, but at least you don't feel you completely wasted two hours of your life either. Purgatory Flats. Harris Done, director. 2003. DEJ Productions. (tag line: "In the desert, everyone gets burned") - you know, I think I'd love that job: Verble Gherulous, Tag Line Writer! I would have loved to have been the person who made up, "In Space, No One Can Hear You Scream," I'd walk around, telling everybody proudly, "I wrote that!"

But back to the movie: basically, a rich Dr. who killed his wife in drunken car accident gets out after 5 years in jail moves to small desert town and gets involved with white trash. That's basically it. But it's more interesting than it sounds, probably because even though the characters aren't as well drawn or interesting as, say, on the level of "Northern Exposure," they are interesting enough to keep your attention. They're stereotypical but not caricatures.

The doc gets involved with the girl whose husband is shot during a drug deal gone bad. The husband (a Vanilla Ice wannabe) spends most of the movie on the table in the uncle's house while the wife (a sweet talking junkie ho'), the uncle (a deadbeat auto mechanic) and the brother (an AWOL marine who has GOT to be some sort of white supremacist) and the doc argue back and forth over the unconscious and dying man. The doc can't seem to get away from this backdesert clan because, in short, he's so incredibly forney for the girl. I couldn't grok that reason, and spent 45 minutes yelling at the guy. "These people got you breaking into clinics, man, shooting security guards! Get out! Just get in the car and drive!!!"

My wife, magnanimous and kind and rational, told me gently to give the poor guy a break: he HAD been in jail for 5 years, you know. "But she can't be the only woman in town," I replied. But in this movie, she WAS. No wonder everybody wanted her . . . oops! Don't want to give away too much!

In short: decent dialogue (albeit peppered with a little TOO much cursing), some tense moments (shotgun in the closet, anybody?), decent plot twists (needle/spoon in dresser drawer), and a doc who's sympathetic enough that you REALLY hope he makes it out of this OK. And of course, Purgatory Flats gets bonus points for giving us an actress in sensuous poses and erotic scences withOUT having to show her nude. In that aspect, very tastefully done.

Last interesting point: when I tried to google this movie I found only two reviews - one by a guy obviously much more intelligent than I am about the movie/DVD media (he hated the audio-video programming of the DVD, something wrong with the color-ratio and the soundtrack, I dunno), and another review which was written in German. Not being able to read German, I don't know if that reviewer liked it or not.

If this review helps, let me know. And if you want to borrow the movie, just call Old Man Liebenheimer - it's out in his back shed. (You know, I think the old guy's from Bavaria - maybe I'll have him translate that review. Heck, for all I know, he WROTE it!)

More later,

VG