Tuesday, December 2, 2014

Paramount Home Media Distribution Announces The Jan. 20 DVD Debut For Director William H. Macey's Rudderless


DVD & Blu-ray Release Report, Ralph Tribbey
Paramount Home Media Distribution will deliver actor-turned-filmmaker William H. Macey’s Rudderless, a tale of tragedy and redemption as a DVD-only release this coming Jan. 20.

This lovely little film arrives in the home entertainment market place after working the film festival circuit and then moving to a very limited post-Labor Day theatrical showcase run.   The ARR is 95 days and ticket sales currently stand at $58,293.

Every year there are a few of these beauties that are best described as actor’s actor films … a small budget, a terrific script and a “named” actor taking on the role for the love of the process.   Here it is Billy Crudup, who has scored in such films as Almost Famous, The Good Shepherd and The Hi-Lo Country, who gets a script and a character that actor’s would kill for.

He plays Sam, a man whose life has come undone after the tragic death of his son Josh (played by Miles Heizer).    In the two years that has passed since that fateful day he has pissed away a career, become estranged from his wife Emily (Felicity Huffman) and now spends his time on a boat (anchored) drunk or getting drunk.   The day his son died he also died.  
DVD & Blu-ray Release Report, Ralph Tribbey


Billy Crudup delivers this lost life angst in spades … it is a killer performance.   But he’s not alone here as events unfold in a serendipitous way that finds Sam in possession of the music that his son has written.   Since we know Crudup has the chops to deliver a song (he was, after all, Russell Hammond in Almost Famous) — and spends most of his time drunk or getting drunk — it comes as no surprise that he’d sing one or two at an open mic night at the local watering hole (Trill Tavern run by Macey).   

DVD & Blu-ray Release Report, Ralph Tribbey
It is here that he meets Quentin (Anton Yelchin — perhaps best known to audiences as the new Pavel Chekov in the rebooted Star Trek series), who absolutely loves the music.   Before you know it they form a band and begin performing Josh’s music.   And shock of shocks, Anton Yelchin delivers a performance that matches Crudup’s note for note.   

Rudderless, a film that needs to be seen in the home entertainment market place this January ... and not lost in the clutter and noise of the post-Christmas rush of new product releases.   It is a film that is blessed with strong performances, a haunting script ‑ that covers the whole range of emotions — and a soundtrack that can stand on its own (Eef Barzelay of Clem Snide, Brit-rocker Simon Steadman, Charlton Pettus and Ben Limpic all contribute music here).

Bonus features include the featurette titled “Hear This Song,” deleted scenes and the Selena Gomez/Ben Kweller music video, “Hold On.”

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