Wednesday, February 26, 2014

Pig (DVD Review) - Horizon Movies



USA/2013
Directed By: Henry Barrial
Written By: Henry Barrial
Starring: Rudolf Martin, Heather Ankeny, Keith Diamond
Color/90 Minutes/Not Rated
Region 1

The Film
A man wakes up in a desert, hooded, with his hands tied. He knows not where he is and his memory is wiped clean. The only clue he has to to go on is a sliver of paper with a name written on it. After being nursed back to health the clue leads the man to Los Angeles where his past begins to get pieced together. A name. A residence. An occupation. The problem is that none of this is at all familiar to the man, who learns alternate truths on a chance encounter with someone he used to know. Eventually he learns the actuality of his situation, or enough of it, but is there a way to help himself? Or does he even want to know the truth to his past? He is PIG.


PIG was written and directed by Henry Barrial and stars veteran actor Rudolf Martin. Barrial's direction and Martin's (along with the rest of the cast, who is on point) really allow PIG to be a believable trip through a man's journey of rediscovery. Barrial's script is good but the film ends abruptly and leaves things more open ended than I'd like. Considering the events that play out in the film the end isn't as open and shut as it may seem and I'd have liked to see more from it. The ending works but in my opinion it doesn't satisfy when the subplot is introduced. PIG is a puzzle worth your time worth your time however, and for a film based around the idea of "who are we without our memories?" it does a good job.

The Audio & Video
Horizon Movies gives PIG a nice looking 1.78:1 anamorphic widescreen transfer that has strong clarity and detail. The scenes in the desert shine, and while there isn't much in the way of flashy visuals or special effects the transfer is strong. Audio is also strong, with a 2.0 stereo track, nothing Earth shattering here, just a good quality track. 


The Extras
Special Features on PIG include:
-Director's Commentary Track
-Deleted Scenes
-Kickstarter Pitch Video
-Lonely Boy Video
-Nashville Film Festival Video
-Nashville Film Festival Q&A
-Sci-Fi London Q&A
-Trailers



The Bottom Line
PIG deserves the accolades it has received. It is a tightly made thriller on an equally tight budget. It is not a perfect film and I would have liked a longer run time but as it stands it is an engaging film that will likely satisfy viewers. Recommended.

PIG is available HERE

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