DVD Corner

B’Twixt Now And Sunrise: The Authentic Cut Blu-ray Review

“B’Twixt Now And Sunrise: The Authentic Cut” is lesser Francis Ford Coppola. 

“B’Twixt Now And Sunrise: the Authentic Cut” is a new version of writer/director/producer Francis Ford Coppola’s 2011 film “Twixt.” Given the film’s less than stellar reputation, this seems like an out of the blue release, but thankfully this re-edited and retitled horror film is a slight improvement over the previous cut.

The story follows a broke writer (Hall Baltimore) who is best known for penning witch stories. Hall ventures to the small town of Swann Valley for a book signing at a hardware store/bookstore. He quickly discovers this strange town may be ripe for a future story. Not only does he explore the town for inspiration, but he begins to have strange vivid dreams. To say where the surreal plot goes next would be spoiling the tale, but it does involve a dead body, Edgar Allan Poe, a serial killer, vampires, a haunted clocktower, and Hall’s daughter.

Coppola may be one of cinema’s most renowned filmmakers, but “B’Twixt Now And Sunrise” is a far cry from his glory days. The shot on digital low-budget indie film was inspired by dreams Coppola had and, well, that’s what it feels like. Although this trimmed down version is more focused and less clunky than the original (especially with Hall’s character arc), it still feels like a mish mash of ideas more than a fleshed out story. One could argue it also plays like a poor man’s “Twin Peaks.” 

Visually, the clunky green screen effect dream scenes really don’t work at all. Granted, Coppola only had a limited budget and you could see what he was trying to achieve, but even in 2011 there were better options than this. It makes the movie look too cheap. 

Cast wise, there’s a lot of big names here that elevate the movie with Val Kilmer (who delivers the film’s best performance), the always reliable Elle Fanning, Bruce Dern (in a memorable role), Ben Chaplin (as Edgar Allan Poe), and Alden Ehrenreich as Flamingo in one of his earliest roles.

Video/Audio:

Presentation: 2.00:1 1080p. How does it look? This newly restored version is the best the film has looked period.

Audio Track: Dolby TrueHD 5.1. How does it sound? The 5.1 track does the job.

Extras include a Digital copy and an involving behind-the-scenes 41 minute “Twixt: A Documentary” made by Gia Coppola which contains set footage and interviews.

February 18, 2023 - Posted by nicklyons1 | Blu-Ray review | Alden Ehrenreich, B'Twixt Now And Sunrise: The Authentic Cut Blu-ray Review, Elle Fanning, Francis Ford Coppola, horror, Val Kilmer