The Film (3.5/5)

Films with characters, be it friends or in relationships on the road, driving away from their crimes or demons have been around since the 1940s. As time went on, the bar was raised as they became more violent and bloody. By the time the 90s hit, there were a few that were known for their graphic violence and over the top insane performance of the antagonists. One of those films is the 1993 bloodbath, Kalifornia.

In Kalifornia, two journalists, Brian Kessler ( David Duchovny, Mr. X-Files himself)  and his girlfriend Carrie Laughlin (Michelle Forbes), a professional photographer go on a cross-country drive to visit, interview people and photograph infamous serial killer murder sites from Tennessee to California.  The trip takes place because Kessler has a book deal in place and has decided that he will find greener pastures in California. Kessler placed an ad in a newspaper about doing a ride-share road trip.

The couple that responded to the ad and will be their companions for the ride aren’t exactly what Carrie and Brian anticipated, not by a long shot. They are unaware that one of them is Early Grayce (Brad Pitt), a psychotic killer who is just out on parole and wanting to leave his wonderful trailer park home behind. Early brings his young, naïve girlfriend Adele Corners (Juliette Lewis) with him. At first the two couples are trying to make an awkward situation as pleasant as possible since the pairs are complete opposites. Slowly but surely, Carrie and Brian learn who and what Early Grayce is and cause the trip to be the most horrifying nightmarish experience they ever had. Of course along the way Early makes a few killings so he has money to pay his way for the ride.

Kalifornia is an incredible suspenseful thriller that will get your adrenaline moving. Director Sena’s debut film is a rugged, brutal tale, moving at a perfect pace as the story unfolds. The last half hour is outrageous and intense. The character development in the film is well-done as Kalifornia slowly goes down a dark path. Observing how they all react to all of the precarious situations is compelling.  You can feel the tensions brewing as the film marches on. Brad Pitt gives a tremendous over the top performance as the homicidal maniac Early Grayce and I feel it’s one of his best roles that gave the film that extra edge. Michelle Forbes is just brilliant as Carrie, the suspicious, uncomfortable would be victim. David Duchovny gives another solid performance and Juliette Lewis, who had just been in Cape Fear, is superb as the innocent, loyal, blinded by love Adele. She would go on to Natural Born Killers, which by most is considered an even better road thriller. The excellent cinematography for Kalifornia is by Bojan Bazelli and Carter Burwell was the man responsible for the thrilling musical scores.

Audio/Video (4/5)

Shout Factory’s Collector’s Edition Blu-ray release of Kalifornia is a splendid one. To start with the release comes with a snazzy slipcover. The package also has two Blu-rays, one with the theatrical cut which is the first time this version has appeared on Blu-ray, while the second disc holds the director’s cut. The unrated cut, most likely sourced from the previous MGM Blu-ray, looks stunning with great details to interior and exterior shots. Daylight scenes look crisp and clear, with the colors looking sharp and robust boasting great depth and textures. Evening scenes are also quite clear with deep black levels. Skin tones also look natural with facial details coming in clear during close-ups. A couple of scenes during the presentation the image appears drab but nothing distracting. The theatrical cut while not from the same master debuts on Blu-ray and looks quite similar to the director’s cut. I felt the differences in the image quality between the two cuts were not significant.

For both versions of Kalifornia, Shout Factory has supplied audio options of DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 and a DTS-HD Master Audio 2.0. Both sounded perfectly fine with the 2.0 being the most aggressive and my preference. The dialog, gunshots and other action sounds are clear. Carter Burwell’s music also sounded dynamic, especially during the most suspenseful moments of the film.

Extras (2/5)

There aren’t many extras for this release. There is an interview with director Dominic Sena where he talks about the background of Kalifornia and how it was an “odyssey” to make. Other bonus materials include an original EPK for the film and vintage interviews with Brad Pitt and Juliette Lewis which was taken when the film was first released. Trailers and TV Spots are the remaining supplements. These extras are on both discs.

Overall (3.5/5)

Kalifornia is a must have film for fans who love gory road thrillers. Because this release has both versions of the film on Blu-ray, it is a worthy upgrade.