DVD Corner

Roadside DVD Review

“Roadside” is about as fun as getting a flat tire.

Written and directed by Eric England, “Roadside” tells the story of Dan and his pregnant wife Mindy’s hellish vacation.

The story begins with the bickering couple traveling to visit Dan’s sister with their white lab Buddy. After a quick stop at a convenience store, the two encounter a large tree in the middle of the road. As Dan gets out of the car to move it, he discovers that it is a trap laid by some unseen madman with a gun. What does the crazed man want and why is he doing this? You may never know the answer.

“Roadside” is like a cross between “Joy Ride” and “Saw” without the suspense or entertainment value. The film largely consists of Dan standing in the middle of the road (with Mindy sitting in a parked car) while the mad gunman in a parka talks offscreen. To say it’s not a very visual film is an understatement. I could see this story being made into a radio drama, but as a feature film? It simpy doesn’t work

Speaking of “feature film,” there is barely enough material here for a feature. One would think that once the characters leave the space they were stuck in for so long that something big would happen, but alas the movie ends so quickly and abruptly that you’re left wondering if the budget ran out or if half of the script went missing.

Video/Audio:

Presentation: 2.40:1. How does it look? It looks like a low budget horror flick shot at night.

Audio Track: Dolby Digital 5.1. How does it sound? It’s clear enough to catch all the couple’s bickering and the largely offscreen voice of the madman.

The only extras here are trailers for other Image Entertainment releases.

April 2, 2015 - Posted by nicklyons1 | DVD review | Roadside DVD Review